Children's Playground Music as Cultural Expressions in Ghanaian Schools

This research discusses some Ghanaian cultural values and music pedagogy that are embedded in children's playground repertoire. After 4 months of fieldwork I analyzed a body of children's playground repertoire in terms of cultural values, artistry and imagination, and contemporary and religious influences. I focus on how children and adults acquire music knowledge in the indigenous context and what it offers to formal music education. Music education in the Ghanaian communities is largely participatory so children perform their clapping, singing, and dancing games by watching and doing. The indigenous music context, including children's playground music, provides some practical answers to curriculum reforms embarked upon in Ghana to lessen the disparity between playground music pedagogy and classroom pedagogy in Ghana. Finally, I offer recommendations to Ghanaian music educators for incorporating indigenous music and pedagogy.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Dzansi-Mcpalm, Mary Priscilla

Contributors dc:contributor

• Eve Harwood

• Anthropology, Cultural

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3160880

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/79817