AFRICAN INDIGENOUS FOLKSONGS AS A PEDAGOGICAL VEHICLE FOR REVIVING AND TEACHING AUTHENTIC AFRICAN MORAL VALUES

ABSTRACT

The study examined the pedagogical prospects of folksongs in reviving and teaching authentic African moral values. This study explicates that every action is a product of moral values. Moral values as defined by the study, means a standard on which people judge right actions from wrong ones. Moral values therefore are likely to vary from one society to another, just as cultures vary. The African culture or moral philosophy was examined from the standpoint of different scholars and all works seem to have a point of convergence which is the Philosophy of Ubuntu. Moral values of contemporary Africa seem to be in sharp contrast with its original philosophy of communal life (Ubuntu).  It is this lack in practice of worthwhile authentic African moral blueprints that has initiated this research. The study investigated the additives inherent in indigenous education that were capable of raising sound minds and characters that are absent in contemporary Africa. From this study, it was discovered that in traditional Africa, the formation and practice of good character was a major determinant to the classification of the African “educated man”. The lack of good character in modern day Nigeria has led many scholars to declare some sense of a moral crisis in Nigeria. This study, with the aim of character formation and mulling, attempts to revive and teach worthwhile tenets of authentic African moral philosophy of Ubuntu. Basic level of education was the focus for the application of these folksongs. Basic level students most likely are the future youths and if we groom them properly, we might stand a chance of raising less: sex workers, cyber-crime, ritualism, cultism, election thugs, drug addiction in Africa, and Nigeria in particular. This research work was carried out using philosophical tools of descriptive and phenomenological analysis. African folksongs which represents the folk life of Africans will not only tell and teach the African child how Africans once lived or behaved, but also teach these, in an enjoyable and play-way manner (instead of the drudgery and boring shut-up and listen approach still practiced in Nigeria).This indeed will help reduce the shock felt by contemporary parents at the exploits of their wards. This will also help revive the moral virtues much valued by these parents when they make statements such us “in our days this or that cannot happen” or “this is not the way we were brought up”. These, indeed, according to some scholars in the study have been sacrificed on the altar of globalization, modernity or whatever name ascribed to it. Here the study holds that folksongs may have some positive inputs in solving the problem of cultural differences and intolerance. Therefore the study recommended ways in which folksongs can be utilized in reviving morals in  schools, that folksongs should be used as extracurricular activity, to be sung at morning assemblies, break time and closing songs; that African teachers should be properly grounded in African philosophy in order to translate and transmit the meanings of any given folksongs to the students, even the meanings of folktales and proverbs; and that teachers should properly understand the nature of African thought-systems and their places in our contemporary development as a people, especially the teaching of African music and drama, in transmitting moral values to the children and in achieving integral national development.                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENT

TITLE PAGE                                                                                         1

CERTIFICATION                                                                                 II

DEDICATION                                                                                                III

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS                                                                      IV

ABSTRACT                                                                                          VI

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study                                                                       1

Statement of Problem                                                                                      15

Research Questions                                                                               16

Purpose of Study                                                                                   16

Significance of Study                                                                                       17

Scope and Delimitation of the Study                                                     18

Definition of Terms                                                                               19

CHAPTER TWO

METHODOLOGY

Research Design                                                                                    21

Methods of Analysis                                                                                       21

Procedure                                                                                               24

CHAPTER THREE

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction                                                                                           25

Theoretical Framework                                                                          25

Ubuntu: An African moral philosophy                                                  26

Ubuntu and African Philosophic Tradition                                            31

Ubuntu:  A shared value and belief system with the entire Africa and

Nigeria in particular                                                                               35

Conceptual Analysis                                                                              39

CHAPTER FOUR

A CRITIQUE OF NIGERIAN CURRICULUM AND THE PLACE OF FOLKSONGS

Introduction                                                                                            115   

The Nature, Philosophy and Reason for Teaching Music as an Aspect of CCA   118

Music Curriculum Modules in Nigerian Primary Schools                                                                                                                                                120

Developing an Indigenous Music Curriculum for Primary Schools in Nigeria.

123

Developing Culturally Sensitive and Environmentally Adequate Learning Materials.                                                                                              125

Traditional Music Teaching/Learning                                                     126

Assessment of Students Academic Performance through Music Performance

129

Folksongs and language Policy                                                               132

Overview of other studies that have critiqued the Nigerian curriculum on the areas of Creative and Cultural Arts Subjects and Folksongs                      136   

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary                                                                                                          146

Conclusion                                                                                              150

Recommendations                                                                                   152

Suggestions for Further Studies                                                              157

References                                                                                               158