Journal Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12504/56

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Browsing Journal Articles by Author "Busobozi, Nicholas"

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    Intergenerational transmission of adungu (bow-harp) musical knowledge in Bweyale-Karuma, Uganda: a phenomenological study of indigenous pedagogy, embodied learning, and decolonial praxis
    (European Journal of Contemporary Education and ELearning, 2026-05-31) Busobozi, Nicholas; Ekadu,Peter Ereu
    The Adungu, a multi-stringed arched bow-harp indigenous to the Alur and Lugbara communities of north-western Uganda, represents one of East Africa’s most architecturally sophisticated traditional instruments. Despite its ceremonial significance and growing presence in formal music education contexts, the pedagogical mechanisms through which Adungu musical knowledge is transmitted across generations remain substantially undocumented in scholarly literature. This qualitative phenomenological study investigates how master Adungu players in Bweyale-Karuma a multi-ethnic community in Kiryandongo District renowned across Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom for producing the finest Adungu instruments and most accomplished players transmit complex musical, cultural, and embodied knowledge to apprentices. Drawing on six months of intensive fieldwork (February–July 2025), the study employed Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to generate rich, experience-near accounts from eighteen participants: six master players, nine apprentices at varying stages of learning, and three cultural leaders. Data were generated through semistructured interviews, participant observation across rehearsal and ceremonial performance contexts, and audio-visual documentation of teaching interactions. Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase framework revealed seven interconnected transmission mechanisms: graduated tonal scaffolding, ensemble interdependence, embodied string memory, improvisation within communal constraints, master-apprentice mentorship, contextual performance immersion, and cultural narrative integration. These mechanisms constitute a sophisticated distributed pedagogical system that challenges deficit assumptions about oral, non-notational music education and offers critical insights for decolonial music education theory and Uganda’s Competency-Based Curriculum reform.
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    Oral tradition and intergenerational transmission of musical knowledge in bunyoro kitara kingdom: the ensegu (flute) tradition - an empirical study in Hoima city
    (Eastern African Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2026-05-19) Busobozi, Nicholas
    The Ensegu (flute) ensemble occupies a central yet undocumented place in the ceremonial life of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, western Uganda. Despite its indispensable role at the annual Empango royal coronation ceremony, its intergenerational transmission mechanisms have received no empirical investigation. This phenomenological qualitative study examined how musical knowledge is transmitted within the Ensegu tradition among master musicians, craftsmen, and apprentices in Hoima City, Uganda. Data were collected between February and July 2024 through in-depth interviews, field observations at rehearsals and the June 2024 Empango ceremony, and audio recordings. Sixteen participants were recruited through purposive sampling from a community of over forty learners, comprising two master players and instrument makers, four experienced ensemble musicians, three cultural leaders, and seven apprentices. Thematic analysis revealed six interconnected transmission mechanisms: sonic role differentiation, ceremonial apprenticeship immersion, melodic interlocking pedagogy, master-to-apprentice oral coaching, cultural memory activation through Runyoro song texts, and instrument craft transmission. The Ensegu tradition constitutes a distributed pedagogical system in which musical technique, ensemble intelligence, cultural identity, and craft knowledge are transmitted as an integrated whole. Findings carry implications for decolonial music education policy and integration of indigenous pedagogical models into Uganda's Competency-Based Curriculum.
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    Supporting competence-based music education through electronic music devices: linking teacher capacity and learner outcomes in Uganda’s lower secondary schools
    (European Journal of Contemporary Education and E-Learning, 2026-04-29) Busobozi, Nicholas; Isabirye, James
    Uganda’s new Lower Secondary Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) emphasizes practical skills, creativity, and real-world application, yet music education faces persistent challenges, such as, under-prepared teachers, limited number of instruments, large classes, and inequitable access to technology. This qualitative multiple-case study examined how electronic music devices MIDI keyboards, laptops, smartphones, recording software, and notation tools can strengthen teacher capacity and improve learning outcomes in music education. The study was conducted in Masindi District, and it involved 15 Lower Secondary music teachers and 72 learners (S1–S4) across six schools. Data was collected through lesson observation, interviews, focus groups, and document analysis. Thematic analysis revealed the following key findings: electronic devices enhanced teacher confidence and pedagogical repertoire; recording and playback tools enabled reflective, learner-centered practice; learners demonstrated measurable gains in rhythm accuracy, ensemble coordination, and compositional creativity; group projects using keyboards and phones fostered collaboration and peer feedback; audio recordings provided authentic evidence for Conversation-Observation-Product (COP) assessment; and teachers creatively adapted to power outages and device scarcity through rotation schedules and offline preparation. The study demonstrates that even modest technology integration when pedagogically grounded can operationalize CBC principles, bridge teacher capacity gaps, and produce demonstrable musical competencies. Findings have implications for teacher professional development, curriculum implementation, and equitable technology access in resource-constrained contexts.