Indigenous music education pedagogies and students soft skills acquisition in selected secondary schools in Arua city, Uganda

Abstract

Through this study, I sought to explore the use of indigenous music education pedagogies for students’ soft skills acquisition in secondary schools in Arua City. Phenomenological design was used to understand the lived experiences of the participants. Autoethnography enabled me to draw on my own experience as a music teacher to understand if and how indigenous music education pedagogies could be used to nurture students’ soft skill in a classroom setting. Data was collected using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), interviews and observations. To ensure a clear presentation of the study's findings, content and narrative analysis was employed for construing the qualitative data. The collected data was then organized into thematic patterns and interpreted allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the information. The analysis of data revealed that pedagogical approaches currently employed in contemporary educational settings, such as storytelling, learning by doing, and guided participation, have equivalent versions in Lugbara indigenous practices. For example, storytelling in Lugbara language is referred to as a’diko daza or o’duko ‘daza. The concept of learning by doing is expressed as e’yo onizu ‘yetaa si, and guided participation is known as e’yo onizu azakoma ba azi vu ri si. These findings highlight the deep-rooted educational practices within the Lugbara culture that parallel modern pedagogical approaches, emphasizing the continuity of indigenous knowledge systems in contemporary education. The second objective sought to examine whether Indigenous music education pedagogies could cultivate essential soft skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving among secondary school music students in Arua City. However, Indigenous music education pedagogies not only developed these essential soft skills but also ignited an extraordinary growth in leadership, self-confidence, empathy, self-directed learning and resilience. This research fills a critical gap in existing literature by illustrating how Indigenous music education pedagogies can complement contemporary educational practices, particularly in fostering not only academic skills but also essential soft skills to prepare students for the complexities of a rapidly evolving world. The study calls for professional development programs that emphasize culturally responsive pedagogies to enhance teaching practices. Future research could investigate how these pedagogies influence different educational settings providing deeper insights into their broader applicability.