An Integrated Approach to the Teaching and Learning of Cultural and Creative Arts (CCA): The Music Aspect

Abstract

The need for regular reviewing and restructuring of the curriculum to ensure relevance to dynamic human society and culture and to respond to global reforms, spurred the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to review and restructure the cultural and creative arts curriculum for Basic Education in Nigeria. The curriculum provided the total experiences to which all learners must be exposed, the contents, performance objectives, activities for teachers and learners and evaluation guide. Cultural and creative arts (CCA), being an integrated subject, its teachers need to be acquainted on how best to handle each aspect in order to enhance the students’ learning. This paper sets out to ensure that the curriculum is properly implemented in the area of music. It discusses the nature, philosophy and reason for teaching music as an aspect of cultural and creative arts. The objective and structure of the music aspect of CCA curriculum is also discussed. It also highlights the methods and resources for teaching music and the problems militating against effective teaching of CCA as an integrated subject. Historical method and other related resource materials were employed as working tools. The paper recommends that for the time being the different subject areas of CCA should be left and be taught as separate subjects until departments of CCA is created in the Nigerian colleges of education and other institutions where teachers are trained and produced for the basic classes.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n1p333