KUWAIT MUSIC EDUCATORS PERSPECTIVES ON THE GENERAL GOALS FOR MUSIC EDUCATION IN KUWAIT HAMED ALFARAJ. for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Transcription

1 KUWAIT MUSIC EDUCATORS PERSPECTIVES ON THE GENERAL GOALS FOR MUSIC EDUCATION IN KUWAIT by HAMED ALFARAJ Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Music CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY May 2017

2 2 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We hereby approve the dissertation of Hamed Alfaraj, candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education*. Matthew L. Garrett, PhD Committee Chair Denise K. Davis, EdD Committee Member Lisa Huisman Koops, PhD Committee Member Nathan B. Kruse, PhD Committee Member March 28, 2017 *We also certify that written approval has been obtained for any proprietary material contained therein.

3 3 DEDICATION To my mother Maitha, my first teacher.

4 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE...13 Introduction...13 The State of Kuwait: Geography, Cultures, and Political History...15 Kuwaiti Musical Culture...17 Middle-Eastern music Education in Kuwait...20 Music education in Kuwait Music in Kuwaiti higher education Scholarships and Kuwaiti graduate music...23 Current Music Education in Kuwait...25 Need for the Study...26 Purpose...27 Research Questions...27 Terminology...27 CHAPTER TWO...29 Standards-Based Education...29 The Goals of Music Education in the U.S. and the Development of National Standards...34

5 5 The Philosophy of the GGfME in Kuwait...44 Recent Changes in Music Education Standards, Goals, and Curriculum in England and Australia...46 CHAPTER THREE...50 Methodology...50 Statement of Purpose and Research Questions...50 Rationale for Basic Qualitative Study Design...50 Qualitative approach Natural setting Researcher as key instrument Multiple methods Complex reasoning through inductive and deductive logic...52 Participant s meanings Emergent design...52 Reflexivity Holistic account Basic Descriptive Qualitative Study...53 Preliminary Considerations...54 Researcher credibility Sampling strategy and participants....55

6 6 Data Collection...56 Interviews Documents...58 Focus group Data Analysis...59 Triangulation Peer debriefing Member checks Content validity and translation Participants Results...62 CHAPTER FOUR...64 The Past...64 Participants Background Knowledge of the GGfME...64 The GGfME as a theoretical framework for music education When Did You Learn about the GGfME? And How Important Are They for Kuwaiti Music Education?...66 The GGfME Are Important for the Music Education Profession...68 Summary of Themes in This Chapter...70 CHAPTER FIVE...73

7 7 The Present...73 GGfME Effects and Benefits (Value)...73 Which Goal Do You Use the Most? And Why?...78 Which Goal Do You Use the Least? And Why?...81 What Challenges Have You Experienced in Applying the Goals?...85 Summary of Themes in This Chapter CHAPTER SIX...91 The Future...91 GGfME Strengths...91 GGfME Weaknesses...94 Possible Reforms...98 Summary of Themes in This Chapter CHAPTER SEVEN Discussion Implications for Kuwaiti Music Education CHAPTER EIGHT Summary, Conclusion, and Potential Topics for Future Research Summary Research questions Conclusion...114

8 8 Suggestions for Future Research APPENDIX A APPENDIX B APPENDIX C APPENDIX D APPENDIX E APPENDIX F APPENDIX G APPENDIX H APPENDIX I References...143

9 9 List of Tables Table 1. The new national standards vs. the old national standards in the U.S Table 2. Complete worksheet for analyzing participants responses Table 3. Complete worksheet for generating themes...140

10 10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very grateful to those who helped and support me to during the past seven years. To my committee members Dr. Mathew L. Garret, Dr. Nathan B. Kruse, Dr. Lisa Huisman Koops, and Dr. Denise K. Davis, thank you for taking time to attend to every detail of my work and and for striking the perfect balance of objectivity and support. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my research advisor Dr. Mathew L. Garrett for the continuous support of my PhD study, for his patience, motivation, and generous knowledge. His guidance helped me in all time of research and writing this document. Special thanks and endless gratitude goes to my course work advisor Dr. Nathan B. Kruse. I enjoyed every second of our meetings. Thank you for supporting and helping me during the past four years. I am grateful to my sibling and mother, who have provided me through moral and emotional support in my life. I am also grateful to my other family members who have supported me along the way. I am particularly indebted to Jason Stuart my editor. Thank you for your editing guidance and valuable comments. Last but not the least, I would like to thank my friends Ahmad Alnassar, Mishal Alobaid, Mohammed Chahein, and AbdulAziz Alyoser for their constant encouragement and suppor.

11 11 Kuwait Music Educators Perspectives Regarding the General Goals for Music Education in Kuwait Abstract By HAMED ALFARAJ Over the past few decades, many countries adapted a standards-based education in their schools. In 1967, the Music Education Supervisors Office in Kuwait published the General Goals for Music Education (GGfME). In an effort to better understand the relationship between written standards and current teaching practices in Kuwait, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Kuwaiti music educators perspectives regarding the GGfME. The research questions that guided the study include: (a) how did Kuwaiti music educators learn about the GGfME?, (b) How and why do Kuwaiti music educators use the GGfME?, (c) What value do Kuwaiti music educators place on the GGfME?, (d) What challenges do Kuwaiti music educators face in using the GGfME?, (e) What are the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the GGfME?, and (f) What suggestions do Kuwaiti music educators have to change or improve the GGfME in order to better meet the needs of students in the 21st century? Data collection included personal semi-structured interviews and a focus group interview with nine Kuwaiti music educators with varied professions and experiences. Data analysis involved transcription and translating the recorded interview, and comparing results looking for common themes and categories. Findings indicated that Kuwaiti music teachers focus on only a few points from the GGfME due to the

12 12 complexity, length, and impracticality of many of the goals. In addition, the emphasis on school band performance and lack of rehearsal time or a dedicated band class led Kuwaiti music teachers to focus only on students who participate in the band. Implications encompassed the need for revising the GGfME to address simple, clear, and measurable goals that include appropriate performance goals for all students, the insertion of a band class or activity period separated from general music classes, and the necessity of professional development sessions and workshops for music teachers. More research is needed to revise and renew the GGfME, including a bigger sample of participants, comparisons between the GGfME and music education standards from other countries, and investigating the musical preferences of Kuwaiti public school students

13 13 CHAPTER ONE Introduction The development of learning goals and standards is a central component in formal education. Over the past few decades, policy makers and educators in many countries, including Australia, Kuwait, the U.S., and the U.K., have created and adopted national goals and standards for each core academic subject. These goals/standards provide various benefits: they set expectations for what students should know and be able to do; they provide common ground for teachers to share their knowledge among colleagues with a common vocabulary and practice; they guide professional development and allow it to be more firmly based on actual classroom situations; and they offer equity to students from different school districts around the country (Glidden, 2008). Further, educational goals and standards may evolve and change over time, keeping pace with changes in the social and economic status of the country. Initially, and for many years, the needs of the country served as the main factor influencing educational goals and standards (Tyack & Cuban, 1995). Yet in the twenty-first century additional influences have shaped goals and standards, including technological accessibility, the internet, social media, international educational test scores, and job requirements. Thus, music educators have created and revised learning standards and goals at the national, state, and local levels to reflect these societal and technological changes. The United States and Kuwait were among the countries that adopted standards and goals for music education during the second half of the 20th century. In the U.S. in 1994, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) then known as the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) published the National Standards for

14 14 Arts Education, which included nine content standards for music education (see Appendix A). The nine content standards clarified the objectives of music education, and provided teachers with specific goals to work toward in their classrooms (MENC, 1994). In Kuwait, the Music Education Supervisors Office established the General Goals for Music Education (GGfME) in 1967 (see Appendix B). Similar to the U.S. national standards, the GGfME included 13 goals that guided Kuwaiti music teachers toward specific objectives (The General Music Education Supervisors, 2009). While the GGfME tend to have moral and aesthetic philosophical bases, the U.S. music standards stressed performative aspects of music education, including singing and/or playing an instrument alone and with a group. Despite these differences, music educators in both nations utilize their national standards to justify their work with students and as references in their lessons. The GGfME and the national standards describe what students are expected to learn in the music classroom. In 2014, NAfME published new core standards for U.S. music education. Part of the revision was intended to incorporate technology, specific forms of assessment, and potential career requirements (Fehr, 2015). The new standards for music education in the U.S. were intended to be an expanded and improved version of the 1994 standards (Shuler, Norgaard, & Blakeslee, 2014). They focus on the procedure rather than the final product, and include supplemental materials that teachers can use in their classrooms. In the U.S., there were several major events in music education that led to the establishment and revision of national standards, including the Yale Seminar in 1963 (Werner, 2009), the Tanglewood Symposium in 1967 (Choate, Fowler, Brown, & Wersen, 1967), the Housewright Symposium in 1999, and the Tanglewood II Symposium in 2007 (Mark, 2000, 2008).

15 15 The U.S. National Standards for music education remain a subject of continued assessment and evaluation by many music education researchers (Kruse, Oare, & Norman, 2008). However, despite the fact that Kuwait s GGfME were developed earlier than the U.S. national standards, there is no known research regarding the Kuwaiti music education standards. Furthermore, only one music education teachers organization the Department of Music Education Supervisions arranges conferences for the music educators community in Kuwait. Kuwaiti music educators adopted the GGfME in Since then, there have been many changes in Kuwait related to socioeconomics, population, and the influences of technology and the international community. Rapid growth in technology and the educational needs of 21st-century students have led music educators around the world to reevaluate and reform their music curriculum, goals, and standards to cope with these changes. What is the status of the GGfME in today s music education in Kuwait? How helpful are these goals for Kuwaiti music educators? What are the possibilities to improve or enhance them from the perspectives of Kuwaiti music educators? What are the perceived strengths and weakness of the GGfME? These are some of the questions this study will address by exploring the perspectives of Kuwaiti music educators regarding the GGfME in the context of the modern Kuwaiti community. The following section includes a composite picture of the State of Kuwait, education in Kuwait, and music cultures and education in Kuwait. The State of Kuwait: Geography, Cultures, and Political History The State of Kuwait is an Arab country in the Middle East located at the northwestern corner of the Persian Gulf, with a surface area of 6,880 square miles.

16 16 Because of its location, many historical trade routes passed through Kuwait, and it long served as a seaport linking Asia and Africa to Europe (Abu-Hakima, 1983). The name Kuwait was derived from kut an Arabic word for fort or castle. The official language in Kuwait is Arabic; however, English is widely used in business, restaurants, and banking. Kuwait is bordered on the north by Iraq, on the east by Iran across the Persian Gulf, and on the south by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The population of Kuwait in 2014 was 3,441,813, consisting of 1,087,552 citizens, and 2,354,261 non-citizens from other Arab countries such as Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, and the K.S.A, in addition to a significant Asian population from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, and the Philippines (Government of Kuwait, 2016). The current AlSabah dynasty came to power in 1760 (Government of Kuwait, 2016), at a time when Kuwait was a small city surrounded by a protective wall with five gates that were closed at night (Abu-Hakima, 1983). In 1888, faced with the threat of an Ottoman takeover, Amir (prince) sheikh Mubarak AlSabah sought and received a protection agreement from the British, which was agreed upon the following year. This agreement remained in place until 1961, at which point Kuwait became independent (Alreshed, 1978). In 1962, 50 members of the Kuwaiti Parliament were elected by the citizenry to write what became the nation s current constitution. This constitution established a division of three authorities: executive authority, assigned by the Kuwait sheikh; legislative authority, elected by Kuwaiti citizens every four years; and an independent judicial authority founded by the government (Council of Ministers General Secretariat, 2016).

17 17 The population of Kuwait in general consists of two cultural groups: Bedouins and hadar the Arabic word for urbanites. The Bedouins used to embrace nomadic desert living, often located near the Kuwait City wall, until the early 1950s (Alreshed, 1978). In modern Kuwait, Bedouins preserve their identity through their unique accent, poetry, social activities, and traditional music. The other cultural group in Kuwait, the hadar, was historically comprised of a seafaring people, living inside the wall of Kuwait City, and village farmers living in the Alfuntas area south of Kuwait City (Alreshed, 1978). Like the Bedouins, the urbanites preserved their traditional music, which is considered an important part of Kuwait s musical culture (Alyoser, 2016). Music in general is appreciated in Kuwait, and the 1962 constitution included provisions for State support for and funding of the arts through education and independent art organizations (Council of Ministers General Secretariat, 2016). However, the musical culture of Kuwait is far older than the modern State of Kuwait. According to Al Manea (2008), a teacher in the Folk Department of the Higher Institute of Music Art in Kuwait (HIMA), Kuwaiti folk music may be traced back to the late seventeenth century. Kuwaiti Musical Culture Kuwaiti music consists of two major styles: folk music, which relates to the historic cultures that lived in old Kuwait (Bedouins and the two hadar groups), and popular Kuwaiti music, developed by young musicians during the 1950s. Folk music in Kuwait has been preserved through local folk music groups funded by the government. At present, there are several folk music groups in Kuwait that organize concerts and perform at weddings and special events. Usually, folk music groups in Kuwait specialize

18 18 in one of the cultural styles (National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters, 2016). For example, the Awlad Amer folk ensemble and the Aljahra folk ensemble specialize in Bedouin music, while the Maioof mujali folk ensemble, the Bin Hussain ensemble, and the Alameiri ensemble perform mainly urban hadar music (The National Network of Kuwait, 2016). Bedouin music is primarily vocal, due to the nomadic life style of its practitioners. Instruments are restricted mainly to percussion, which is common in other Kuwaiti musical styles, and just one tonal stringed instrument the rababa that accompanies the reciting of poetry (Al Manea, 2008). As with all Kuwaiti folk music, Bedouin music is categorized by its function in society, and additional divisions establish a repertoire performed by either male or female groups. Bedouin music includes war songs and social entertainment songs (Alderaiwaish, 2013). Seafaring hadar and villagers used almost the same musical styles and instruments, with minor differences. Since the seafaring urbanities traveled to India and the southeast African coast trading dates, pearls, wood, and other goods, they brought back music from the regions they visited, and thus their music was greatly influenced by Indian and East African styles. In the urbanites folk music, one can hear Indian scales, African drums, and at times even the Swahili language. The urbanites use several tonal instruments including the oud, qanun, violin, sernay, and the African tambura, in addition to many percussion instruments. Urbanites music is categorized into entertainment or work music (Alyoser, 2016). Still, while it is important to note the influence of Indian and African music on Kuwaiti folk styles, the biggest influence on Kuwaiti music came

19 19 from the Middle-Eastern styles that flourished in the Ottoman Empire and Egypt (Alderaiwaish, 2013). Middle-Eastern music. In general, all Kuwaiti folk music styles were derived from Middle-Eastern music, including scales, rhythms, embellishment, forms, and instruments. Middle-Eastern music is characterized by the use of quartertones in its maqamat (plural for scale or mode). As in Western musical scales, most of the maqamat consist of a combination of two tetrachords; however, the maqam contains not only whole and half tones but also quartertones that distinguish the different Middle-Eastern scales or maqamat. There are eight main scales in Middle-Eastern music: Al-rast, Alsaba, Al-seika, Al-bayati, Al-hejaz, Al-ajam, Al-kurd, and Al-nahawand (Touma, 1996). Middle-Eastern music has several musical forms, yet Kuwaiti music was affected mainly by the maqamat, and all Kuwaiti musical styles were based on these scales. In addition, modern Kuwaiti musicians, in general, use Middle-Eastern instruments in their concerts, including oud, qanun, nay, and violin, with Middle-Eastern tuning (Alderaiwaish, 2015). Embellishment and improvisation are considered important features of Kuwaiti music, as they are in the performance of Middle-Eastern music. Darling (2004) explained these elements more thoroughly: Unlike Western music, where an embellishment is used to highlight a note or series of notes, embellishment in Arabic [Middle-Eastern] music is woven organically into the music. A melody is almost never played in its simple form. Embellishment varies with the individual, the maqam, and the type of instrument. A player never repeats any melodic phrase the same way twice, using embellishment as an improvisatory element in the music. (p. 80)

20 20 According to Dr. Alfaras, Associate Professor and Chair of Music at the Kuwait College of Basic Education (personal communication, 2016), the influences of Middle- Eastern music on Kuwaiti music increased during the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s and 70s, when music teachers from Egypt and Palestine were prevalent throughout Kuwaiti classrooms. In order to further understand the context in which Kuwaiti music education was established, the following section includes specific information related to education in Kuwait. Education in Kuwait Until 1911, there was no formal education or schooling in Kuwait. Instead, children were taught by an Almutawa a, a religious teacher in the mosque or in Kuttabs. These one-room schools were considered to be Quranic schools. Children were separated by gender, with female motawa a for girls and male instructors for boys. Children in these schools learned basic arithmetic, writing and reading, and the Quran. There were no textbooks in these schools, so Almutawa a depended on aural/oral learning, in which he or she read loudly and students repeated the passage, trying to memorize it (Casey, 2007). The first formal school in Kuwait, Al-mubarkia, was established in Students received instruction in Arabic, religion, history, geography, and mathematics, although there was no structured curriculum. The development of structured curriculum started with the opening of the Al-ahmadya school in 1921 (Al-Sharah & Khabbas, 1987). In 1936, the Kuwaiti governor appointed a Council of Education, noting the growing number of students and the need to provide formal education for females, since both Al-mubarkia and Al-ahmadya were boys schools. Thus, formal education for girls

21 21 began in 1936; in addition, the Council of Education hired teachers from Palestine, who brought textbooks and new teaching strategies that expanded and enriched education in Kuwait during the 1930s and 40s (Soulayman, 2001). As the oil industry became the main source of income for the country during the 1950s, the Council of Education opened many schools in Kuwait and hired teachers from Egypt and Palestine, who established the basis of the current education system (Alramzi, 1998). With the arrival of Egyptian and Palestinian teachers in 1955, additional subjects were added to the schools curriculum such as instruction in writing and reading, advanced mathematics, physical education, and art (music, visual arts, and drama). The current education system in Kuwait is similar to the education system in many western countries. And, as in much of the West, in 1965 the government of Kuwait established a law of compulsory education for all Kuwaiti citizens until the age of fourteen, and offered free public education for all Kuwaiti citizens including elementary, secondary, and higher education. Even though music was added to the school curriculum in 1953, there was no formal music curriculum, and there were only a few Egyptian and Palestinian music teachers. Music teachers traveled to various schools and taught mostly vocal music that focused on educational, patriotic, and religious songs. Teachers established the content of the music curriculum, and not all schools offered music classes (Alramzi, 1998; Soulayman, 2001). Music education in Kuwait. Since the establishment of public education in Kuwait, all students in grades K-9 have been required to attend a music class once per week. In 1958, with the formation of the Music Education Supervisor Office, the first formal music curriculum was created. It included four sections: playing, singing, music

22 22 history, and music appreciation. Most music textbooks were from Egypt, and included compositions and styles from both Western and Middle-Eastern music. In the early 1960s, with the increasing numbers of schools, the Ministry of Education formerly the Council of Education noticed the lack of Kuwaiti teachers; roughly 90% of educators in the country were non-kuwaiti (Soulayman, 2001). As a result, the Teacher Education Institute (TEI) was opened in The TEI offered two-year diplomas in many academic disciplines, including music (Center of Kuwaiti Research and Studies, 2002). By the mid-1960s, Kuwaiti music educators found themselves needing to justify the existence of music in the public school system because of two factors: first, the expanding oil industry in Kuwait, and second, the international call to advance science and mathematics courses in schools because of the Cold War (Dean, 2007). According to Islam Faris (personal communication, 2016), a music education supervisor in Kuwait, these issues, in addition to the need for a clear aim for music education, led to the creation of the GGfME in Kuwait (see Appendix B). The GGfME have provided the foundation of music education in Kuwait since Kuwaiti music teachers still use these GGfME as references for and justification of their work with students. A detailed analysis of the GGfME is included in chapter two. The year 1972 was an important year for music education in Kuwait, as it saw the opening of the Institute of Musical Studies (IMS). The IMS offers four years of secondary-level study with a curricular focus on music (Alramzi, 1998). After the first group of students graduated from the institute with high school diplomas, Ahmad Baqer, a pioneer Kuwaiti music educator, argued for the opening of a higher institute for music.

23 23 His proposal was supported by the Kuwait Emir Shaikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, and the Higher Institute for Musical Art (HIMA) was established in 1976 (Alramzi, 1998). Music in Kuwaiti higher education. In Kuwait, there are two institutions that offer a bachelor s degree in music: The Higher Institute of Musical Art (HIMA), and the College of Basic Education (CBE). Since 1976 many Kuwaiti music educators have graduated from HIMA with a degree in instrumental performance, vocal performance, or composition (Alramzi, 1998). In 1987, the TEI became the College of Basic Education (CBE), and began offering four-year degrees, for which the students are required to take 130 credits, with 60 credits devoted to their field of specialization (Soulayman, 2001). Both HIMA and CBE utilize a repertoire of Western and Middle-Eastern music in their curriculum. Currently, most Kuwaiti music educators obtain their training through either HIMA or CBE, yet the Ministry of Education is still hiring non-kuwaiti teachers because of the increasing number of schools in Kuwait; according to the Ministry of Education (2013) the number of public schools in the country stood at 863 in Since neither HIMA nor CBE offer a graduate study program, Kuwaitis were offered scholarships from the government and through HIMA and CBE to obtain music degrees in other countries. Early scholarships were focused on performance and musicology in Egypt, and since 1985 Kuwaiti graduate students have obtained degrees in music education, composition, musicology, and performance from various countries, including Egypt, Lebanon, the U.K, the U.S., and the Netherlands. As a result of these scholarships, the faculty of HIMA and CBE now feature several Kuwaiti professors. Scholarships and Kuwaiti graduate music students in Egypt, the U.S., and Europe. From the time graduate scholarships were first offered in the 1960s and up until

24 , they were limited almost entirely to Egypt. According to Dr. Alfaras (personal communication, 2016), the majority of Kuwaiti graduate students studied performance (of both Western and Middle-Eastern music), while a few majored in music education and musicology. In the late 1980s, a few graduate students traveled to the United States to acquire degrees in music education. Since then, several Kuwaitis have obtained degrees in music education from the United States and the United Kingdom. Kuwaiti graduate students research has included a great diversity of topics, including music history and curriculum development for both CBE and HIMA. The following are some examples of research topics conducted by Kuwaiti graduate music educators in the U.S. and in the U.K.: Historical descriptive research that discusses the history, development, and current curriculum in the Institute of Musical Studies and the HIMA. The History, Development, and Curriculum of the Institute of Musical Studies and the Higher Institute of Musical Art in Kuwait by Dr. Alramzi in Descriptive research about current music education practices in Kuwait, including music appreciation and elementary music education methods at the CBE. A Survey of Current Practices in the Teaching of College and University Music Appreciation Classes with Implications for Teaching the Course in Kuwait College of Basic Education by Dr. Almujarreb in 2000; A Review and Survey of Current Practices in Elementary Music Education Methods Courses with Recommendations for a K 4 Course of Study for the College of Basic Education in Kuwait by Dr. Soulayman in 2001 Content-area curriculum proposals for starting a vocal program at the HIMA and a clarinet performance program at the CBE. A Proposed Four-Year Undergraduate

25 25 Vocal Performance Major Curriculum Guide for the Higher Institute of Musical Arts in Kuwait by Dr. Faraj in 2000; Teaching the Clarinet in Kuwait: Creating a Curriculum for the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training by Dr. Alderaiwaish in A quantitative descriptive study that examined a sample of American non-music major undergraduate students familiarities and preferences for Arabic music as compared to other world music including African Congo music, Latin American music, and Asian music. Undergraduates' Familiarity with and Preference for Arabic Music in Comparison with Other World Music by Dr. Alkoot in A qualitative descriptive study that discussed the current practices of adult learning in Kuwait. Self-Reported Attitudes and Practices of Music Instructors in Kuwait Regarding Adult Music Learners by Dr. Alyoser in In summary, music education in Kuwait went through different stages to reach its current state in the public schools. In the early 1950s, music was included in the public school program, albeit with no textbooks or structured curriculum. The late 1950s ushered in the first music curriculum, with the establishment of the of Music education Supervisors Office. When education became mandatory for all Kuwaiti citizens by law in the 1960s, the TEI started to train teachers and provide them with a degree in diverse fields, including music education. The Office of Music Education Supervisors created the GGfME as the basis of music education in Kuwait. During the 1970s, the IMS opened as a specialized music high school, and later developed into HIMA as the equivalent of a music conservatory. The TEI also expanded in the 1980s to offer a bachelor s degree in music education, among other academic disciplines. Current Music Education in Kuwait

26 26 In Kuwait, there are now over 2,000 music teachers of different nationalities, including Kuwaiti, Egyptian, Syrian, and Jordanian; these include both men and women. These teachers have different areas of specialization, including performance, vocal, and general music. Music is available for all students in Kuwaiti public schools, grades K-12. The general music education supervisors of the Kuwait Ministry of Education require every school to have a student band perform every day at the morning meeting, a 15-minute period before classes during which all students meet in the schoolyard to participate in activities, play sports, sing the national anthem, and listen to announcements. This meeting concludes with the students marching to class with their teachers, accompanied by the band. The band also provides background music to accompany the national anthem, sports, and other activities. School bands are involved in many school events, and often play against other school bands from the same district in a musical competition organized by the general music education supervisors (The General Music Education Supervisors, 2009). The instruments provided at a typical school include synthesizers, accordions, xylophones, and percussion instruments. There are no string or wind instruments in elementary or middle school. However, some high school students have the opportunity to learn an Arabic instrument such as the oud, qanun, and nay; in addition, violin and piano are common in high school music programs in Kuwait. Need for the Study The General Goals for Music Education serve as the basis of Kuwaiti music education. These goals were created almost 50 years ago, and despite the fact that other subjects standards have been altered repeatedly mathematics and Arabic, for example,

27 27 have both undergone four such revisions since 1991 (Ministry of Education, 2016) the music education standards remain unchanged. In addition, the rapid advance of technology and social media has affected the international community in many aspects, not least in regard to education. There is no known research pertaining to the GGfME. In this study, I will investigate Kuwaiti music educators perceptions regarding the applicability of these objectives for contemporary music education. Purpose In an effort to better understand the relationship between written standards and current teaching practices in Kuwait, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Kuwaiti music educators perspectives regarding the GGfME and how to improve the content of the goals. This study was guided by the following research questions: Research Questions 1. How did Kuwaiti music educators learn about the GGfME? 2. How and why do Kuwaiti music educators use the GGfME? 3. What value do Kuwaiti music educators place on the GGfME? 4. What challenges do Kuwaiti music educators face in using the GGfME? 5. What are the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the GGfME? 6. What suggestions do Kuwaiti music educators have to change or improve the GGfME in order to better meet the needs of students in the 21 st century? Terminology In the research literature, authors used varied vocabulary to describe standardsbased education, such as outcomes-based education and competency-based education

28 28 (Hamilton et al., 2008; Hawes, 2015; Williams, Ledeman, &Tancredo, 1994). Since these terms contain similar meanings, in this study I will use the term standards-based education to refer to education based on a set of objectives developed by education authorities to identify what educators want students to understand and apply in schools, and to identify the aim and goals of the curriculum. Bedouins: Also spelled Beduin, Arabic Badawi and plural Badw; Arabicspeaking nomadic peoples of the Middle Eastern deserts (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016). Hadar: The plural of a person who lives in a city. Kuttabs: Religious one-room schools that were used until the late twentieth century in many Middle-Eastern countries as Egypt, Kuwait, Syria, and Jordan. (Al-Sharah & Khabbas, 1987). Oud: A pear-shaped stringed instrument with 11 or 13 strings grouped in 5 or 6 courses, commonly used in many Middle-Eastern countries. Qanun: A Middle-Eastern stringed instrument, a type of large zither with a thin trapezoidal soundboard that has seventy-two nylon strings grouped in courses of three, and is played by two plectrums or fingers (Taqasim Music School, 2016). Nay: A wind instrument consisting of a piece of hollow cane or reed with 7 finger holes, one of which is on the back and usually closed with the thumb; the player usually carries a set of seven nays to cover the different ranges and scales he/she might use (Middle Eastern Music and Dance, 2016).

29 29 CHAPTER TWO Standards-Based Education The content of education and its concomitant teaching methods have been a constant matter of argument and discussion among policy makers and educators around the world as they should be. As the societal priorities of international and local communities have changed over recent decades, so too have the needs of new generations of students. These changes have required continuous improvements in the education system. One major change in education over the last few decades has been the widespread adoption of standards-based curricula, which are considered a major feature of modern schooling in many countries, including Australia, Malaysia, the U.K., and the U.S. (Burke, 2015; Mohayidin, 2008). Across cultures, educational standards are supposed to explain what students should know and be able to do, and provide teachers with sufficient measurement criteria (Burke, 2015). Contrasted with input-based education, which depends mostly on teachers skills in presenting information and students abilities to memorize and recall it, standards-based education requires teachers to focus on their ability to help each student to learn, and to observe student progress in meeting the standards (Davis, 2003). According to Sturgis, Rath, Weisstein, and Patrick (2010), standards-based education emphasizes three ideas: a focus on student progress in obtaining mastery of skills; unambiguous measurable learning objectives; and meaningful assessment of students and teachers alike. Despite their widespread adoption, educators have been debating the efficacy of standards-based education. Both supporters and detractors have their arguments for or against this approach. Many supporters of standards-based education consider education

30 30 equity as the main advantage of standards (Carmichael et al., 2010; Hamilton et al., 2008; Kluth & Straut, 2001). The Education Commission of the States (2000) included two strong justifications for standards-based education: First, all students not just a few are capable of achievement and entitled to rich, challenging and engaging work. Second, the role of schools is not to sort and track students as high or low achievers, but rather to see to it that as many students as possible make it over the high bar. (p. 4) Kluth and Straut (2001) supported the education equity feature of the standards movement by explaining that standards can guide teachers to create appropriate curriculum and instructions for the multicultural and heterogeneous students of the 21 st century classroom. Similarly, Hamilton et al. (2008) described that providing equal opportunities for all students, including students with disabilities and low English proficiency, has been a main aspect of the standards-based movement since its early stages in the 1980s. The second basis for the inclusion of standards as discussed by the Education Commission of the States (2000) is that standards may expand the expectations of teachers for student achievement and performance. Robert Marzano, an American educator and education researcher, suggested that standards enhance teacher expectations for student achievement by providing guidelines toward specific content or skills, and also by serving as criteria that can be used in assessment (Scherer, 2001). In addition, Fisher (2008) claims that the implementation of standards enhances the performance of schools by defining measured goals of instruction and clarifying what students need to achieve; thus, standards help teachers to assess student achievement. Schalock, as cited

31 31 in Girod and Girod (2012), summarized the changes that standards-based education engendered in U.S. education in seven points: The alignment and integration of curriculum, instruction, and assessment; Clarifying what students are to know and be able to do; Tailoring instruction to foster the desired outcomes; Designing assessment to match the desired outcomes; Using assessment information to guide instructional planning and student learning; Adapting both instruction and assessment to accommodate differences in learners and context, as well as differences in outcomes to be accomplished; and The wedding of instruction and assessment in the classroom. (p. 3) Not all standards provide equity in education, however. According to Carmichael et al. (2010), Standards are targets, or blueprints, or roadmaps. If the standards are vague, watered-down, or misguided, they can point our schools down perilous paths. If there are no standards worth following, there is no education destination worth reaching (pp. 1-2). Thus, establishing standards in education is not an easy task. Doing so requires clear language and measureable objectives. According to Carmichael et al. (2010), Glidden (2008), and Hill (2004), many standards publications are too vague and complex. Glidden (2008) stated, Some standards are full of empty rhetoric, unclear, and devoid of content (p. 14). Hill (2004) explained that in many situations the language used in standards creates an issue between the interoperation and intent of the standards. Some researchers, such as Marzano (1999) and Lehman (2008), have stated that most

32 32 standards cover too wide a scope of information, and instead should be more focused, with clearly adaptable parts. When standards include an overwhelming amount of required information and skills, teachers might not have time to cover all standards within the classroom time available to them. Marzano (1996) believed educators must ask eight questions when creating standards: Where we will get our standards? Who will set the standards? What type of standards should we include? In what format will standards be written? At what level will benchmarks be written? How should benchmarks and students be assessed? How will student progress be reported? And what will we hold students accountable for? (pp. 1-4). Marzano (1996) also included recommendations to answer these eight questions. He suggested that when establishing standards, committees of professional educators need to review national and state standards and employ them in more specific standards. In regarding the types of standards that should be included, Marzano recommended establishing subject-area standards with essential skills and knowledge, and general reasoning skills standards such as problem solving and critical thinking. Furthermore, the format of educational standards, according to Marzano, needs to include explicit standards and benchmarks of skills and knowledge, as well as examples of instruction or activities to deliver them. Marzano argued that for K-8, standards should exist for each grade level to provide teachers with a great deal of itemized guidance regarding a clear hierarchy of knowledge and skills that is grade level specific (p. 2); however, for high schools, where the curriculum structure is usually based upon courses rather than hierarchical knowledge and skills in specific grades, Marzano suggested standards be written as course descriptions for various subjects and grades. The last three ideas Marzano (1996) discussed are assessment, reporting student progress, and teachers expectations for students. He

33 33 proposed that teachers incorporate diversity of frequent assessment technique. as well as externally developed traditional tests and performance tests (p. 3); these multiple tools of assessment may help ensure the validity of teachers evaluations of student progress. Marzano advocated that teachers continue to give traditional grades in all levels but also report specific student progress using standards associated with the course. In addition, teachers should not expect all students to achieve all standards; however, all students can theoretically achieve a mix of what are considered basic content standards and more advanced standards. Marzano s (1996) eight questions and recommendations addressed many issues that may enhance the development of educational standards, including aim, language, format, and assessment. In summary, standards-based education has been a trend among educators around the world since the late twentieth century. Standards were made to explain the skills and knowledge students should acquire in the classroom, and they also help teachers to enhance their instruction and assessments. Yet, establishing standards requires clear language and goals that can be measured and understood by teachers as well as students. In addition, standards have been designed to improve education, and continued improvement will require continued change; thus, new standards may replace older ones to reflect changes in the community. For example, in 2014 the new National Standards for Music Education replaced the 1994 National Standards in the U.S. The following section provides information regarding music education in the U.S. and highlights the major events that led to the development of national standards for music education.

34 34 The Goals of Music Education in the U.S. and the Development of National Standards In the U.S., music education went through several distinct stages before arriving at its current state. During the Colonial period, the main rationale for learning music was simply to be able to sing in church; what public schools there were did not include musical instruction (Mark, 1982; 2008). By the early nineteenth century, a few public school systems in Boston included music as a subject, utilizing a curriculum based on the theories of the Swiss educator Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (Mark, 2008). Pestalozzi s educational theories sought to help individuals improve their lives through the education of head, heart, and hand (Silber, 2016). This theory justified the existence of music in the public school system, wherein music served to enhance students three main capacities mental, moral, and physical (Mark, 2008). The Boston School Committee made these aspects clear in its 1837 report putting forth the rationale for including music in the curriculum: 1. Intellectually. Music had its place among the seven liberal arts, which scholastic ages regarded as pertaining to humanity. 2. Morally. It is unphilosophical to say that exercises in vocal music may not be so directed and arranged as to produce those habits of feeling of which these sounds are the type. Happiness, contentment, cheerfulness, tranquility these are the natural effects of music. 3. Physically. It appears self-evident that exercise in vocal music, when not carried to unreasonable excess, must expand the chest and thereby strengthen the lungs and vital organs. (Birge, 1928, p. 41)

35 35 In 1838, the Boston School Committee approved the inclusion of music in the public school program, and music became funded and treated as equal to other core school subjects. This event has been referred to as the Magna Charta of Music Education (Birge, 1928, p. 55). In the same year, Lowell Mason, considered the father of singing among children, was assigned to be the first supervisor of music education in the U.S. (Mark, 2008). During the 1830s and 1840s, Mason and other pioneer music educators arranged a series of summer conventions that provided lectures about church music, teaching methods, and harmony, and were attended by church musicians, singingschool masters, professional singers, and others interested in vocal music methods (Mark, 2008). Following Boston s lead, many school districts around the nation added music education to their programs over the nineteenth century. By the early twentieth century, not only vocal but also instrumental music was common in public school programs (Mark, 2008). Professional organizations played an important role in the development of music education in the U.S. The first gathering of music education supervisors took place in 1910, and was called the Music Supervisors National Conference (MSNC) (Mark, 2008). The theme of the first of these conferences was mutual helpfulness and the promotion of good music through the instrumentality of the public school (Mark, 2008, p. 91). The MSNC advocated for instrumental music to be part of the public school curriculum. Although instrumental music had begun to appear in public schools starting in the midnineteenth century, it expanded significantly in the early twentieth century due to both the MSNC s efforts and the growing popularity of concert bands and symphony orchestras (Birge, 1928). According to Mark (2008), in 1918 Joseph Maddy was assigned to be the

36 36 first instrumental music supervisor in Rochester, New York. By the 1930s, school bands and orchestras were modeling themselves after their professional counterparts and playing repertoires of challenging music (Mark, 2008). The MSNC also published, among other things, teaching materials, including methods and topics for different grades to help music teachers across the nation (Mark, 2008). In 1934, the MSNC expanded to include music teachers, and not only supervisors, and so it became the Music Education National Conference (MENC) (NAfME, 2015). MENC published a teachers guide that outlined a program of music education and suggested five core activities singing, rhythm, listening, playing, and creating music (Mark, 2008). Music teachers used this outline widely on a national scale, and it brought some unity to music education in the U.S. for many years (Mark, 2008). With a growing community of music educators during the first half of the twentieth century, many musical education organizations were established, such as the National Association of Schools of Music and the Music Teachers National Association, while other music organizations joined MENC, including the College Band Director National Association, the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, and the American Strings Teachers Association (Mark, 2008). Since the 1960s certain key events have changed music education in the public schools and provided an even stronger foundation for school music. Among these events are the shift to an aesthetic philosophy, the Yale Seminar in 1963, the Tanglewood Symposium in 1967, the establishment of National Standards for Music Education in 1994, the Housewright Symposium in 1999, the Tanglewood II Symposium in 2007, and the development of the new National Standards for Music Education in 2014.

37 37 According to Mark (1982), until the mid-twentieth century, music education philosophy in the U.S. was mostly based on the utilitarian values of ancient Roman and Greek philosophers. The utilitarian philosophy of music education was intended to enhance individuals and the community in general through music education. By the late 1950s, with the influences of new technologies and the Cold War, music educators in the U.S. needed to redefine the place of music education in the public schools (Mark, 1982; Phillips, 1983). Music educators came to embrace the aesthetic philosophy as the basis for music education, wherein music was put forth as valuable unto itself, above and beyond any secondary values that might accrue from its study (Mark, 1982). As Phillips (1983) stated, Music in itself was worthy of study because of its inherent qualities, and no excess baggage of utilitarian provisions were needed (p. 30). The U.S. Office of Education s Cooperative Research Program provided funds for the College Music Association and Yale University to arrange the 1963 Yale Seminar. The seminar s purpose was to discuss the gap between music educators and contemporary composers (Werner, 1979). The final report of the seminar included the following recommendations regarding music education: musicality as an aim of music education; a contemporary repertory; diverse music literature; varied performance activities; music analysis and theory; the participation of professional musicians to support classroom teachers; audiovisual aids; and teacher training (Werner, 2009). In 1967, MENC held the Tanglewood Symposium to establish a clear vision for music education in response to social, economic, and technological changes in American society (Mark, 2000). The Tanglewood Symposium, according to Mark (2008), was