Müzikist in the Village - A Music Education Guide for Rural Teachers

BACKGROUND

Access to art and art education is particularly limited in rural areas of Turkey. Out of 25,000 schools in the country, 9.000 are located in villages, and approximately 450.000 primary school students receive their education in these areas. This indicates that thousands of children in Turkey have yet to be introduced to music or a musical instrument. In a study conducted with prospective music teachers from various regions, 76% of participants stated that they felt inadequate in terms of teaching practice. Therefore, it is essential to support both teachers and students in village schools through art.

PROJECT GOALS

• The needs of teachers regarding music education will be identified through in-person and online meetings.
• A training guide consisting of 20 modules will be prepared, featuring music-based activities that teachers in village schools can implement in their classrooms.
• Sixteen teachers working in eight village schools located in the Keles and Orhaneli districts of Bursa will implement music-based activities in their own schools.
• Sixteen students from the Music Teaching Department at Uludağ University will visit village schools as part of their Community Service Practices course.

PROJECT RESULTS

• A training guide consisting of 26 modules covering music-based activities that teachers can implement in their classrooms was developed.
• Eleven teachers working in six village schools in the Orhaneli district of Bursa received orientation training.
• Five teacher candidates from Bursa Uludağ University provided mentoring support for school practices.
• Participating teachers implemented the modules in the guide in their own classrooms.
• 106 practices and 262 children had the opportunity to experience music and participate in activities.