From curriculum intentions to classroom practice: Enactment of music curriculum in teaching and learning practices in Mwanza Region, Tanzania

Abstract

This study examined the enactment of music curriculum intentions in teaching and learning practices in Tanzania, focusing on how curriculum expectations are interpreted, translated, and adapted within actual classroom contexts. The study adopted the  Context–Input–Process–Product (CIPP) model to support it. The study was guided by a qualitative phenomenological research design, which enabled an in-depth exploration of participants’ lived experiences and perceptions of curriculum implementation. Purposive sampling was used to select 13 participants, comprising two vice college principles, three college students, one Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) official, five college tutors, and two quality assurance officials. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews lasting 30–60 minutes and analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke’s approach. The findings reveal a persistent disjuncture between curriculum intentions and classroom practice. Although tutors demonstrated awareness of learner-centred and competency-based curriculum expectations, enactment was constrained by uncertainty over current curriculum documents, continued reliance on older syllabi, language and translation ambiguities, inadequate musical instruments, limited practical pedagogical competence, large classes, insufficient instructional time, and demanding content. Consequently, teaching was predominantly theory-oriented, with lectures, handouts, note-taking, and examination preparation receiving greater emphasis than singing, instrumental performance, composition, improvisation, and other participatory activities. Assessment practices intensified this disjuncture because examination content largely emphasised theoretical knowledge, encouraging tutors to prioritise examinable material over practical musical competencies. The study critically demonstrated that the policy–practice gap cannot be explained simply by tutors’ resistance or inadequate awareness; rather, curriculum enactment is a negotiated process shaped by institutional conditions, professional judgement, resource availability, assessment demands, and accountability structures. The findings therefore challenge the assumption that formally stated curriculum intentions automatically translate into classroom practice. The study concludes that meaningful music curriculum enactment requires alignment among curriculum policy, tutor preparation, teaching resources, classroom conditions, assessment practices, and quality assurance mechanisms. It recommends clearer curriculum communication, sustained music-specific professional development, improved access to instruments and specialised facilities, practical and performance-oriented assessment.