Insights into the Zimbabwe Integrated National Teacher Education Course: Graduates’ Music Teaching Competence

Abstract

This article uncovers the views of Zimbabwe Integrated National Teacher Education Course (ZINTEC) graduate teachers regarding their music teaching competence, as gauged through their capacity and ability to deliver music lessons based on the training they received. The study solicited their views on the kind of training they received, as well as school heads’ and education officers’ perceptions and expectations of a music educator's role. These views are critical to the music teacher's construction of self-identity as well as teaching practice. The findings show a critical need to rethink music teacher education in Zimbabwe's primary school sector. The ZINTEC programme needs to be reviewed in order to produce competent music teachers. The views of a sample of ten ZINTEC graduate music teachers, ten primary school headmasters and five education officers were solicited through questionnaires. Their responses indicate that the ZINTEC programme is not equipping primary school teachers with enough skills and content to teach music competently. The music teaching role needs a specialist music teacher, which the ZINTEC programme is currently not geared to produce. The need to revamp the ZINTEC programme, to offer effective music teacher academic and professional education, is imminent. If music teacher education is to produce competent music teachers in Zimbabwe, it needs to be grounded in firm conceptual orientation as well as practical skills development. The conclusion proposes the inclusion of a music learning component in the course for teachers who wish to become music specialists.