AN EVALUATION OF THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF MUSIC IN PRIMARY TEACHERS TRAINING COLLEGES IN KISII COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The traditional instruments used to teach music in Kenya have been outdated and thus regarded as boring, inefficient and ineffective. Use of technology in music education is not a new venture but has assisted music educators for centuries. Harpsichord, computers, electronic keyboards, CDs, and piano are examples of technological gadgets that are of great importance to those who use them today. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the availability and the use of technology in Primary Teachers’ Training Colleges, PTTCs in Kisii County, Kenya. The study employed, a mixed method approach of data collection and analysis. Purposive sampling technique wasused to select all the four PTTCsin Kisii County, and music teacher students. Questionnaires and in-depth interview guides were used as the research instruments. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme was used to process the data, and analysis was done using descriptive statistics to include frequencies and percentages and was presented in tables and pie charts. Qualitative data was analysed and categorized into themes and presented in narrative form. The study found that providing access to the required technological resources such as keyboards, pianos, television/videos, audio CDs and radio resources for all students, lack of electricity, provision of effective administrative support and technical issues were significant challenges to the use of technology in PPTCs. It was concluded that chalkboards, local resources, flip charts, audio CDs, recorders and pianos/ keyboards were sufficiently available for use in the teaching and learning of music. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education should provide adequate funds to purchase music instruments and organize training seminars for tutors in PPTCs. Further, administrators of PPTCs colleges should adequate