Instrumental teacher education in Kosovo: competences, roles and contemporary standardized curricula

Abstract

This research paper is focused on the instrumental teacher education and training 
in higher education in Kosovo. It investigates the competences, roles and 
contemporary standardized curricula that should be adopted and applied in the 
instrumental teaching program in Kosovo higher music institutions. The many 
various pedagogical and teaching traditions, music education systems and musical 
cultures of the European countries suggest a multitude of possible approaches to 
address common goals. Therefore, the main part of this investigation focuses on 
the competences proposed for instrumental teaching and training, organized 
around the concept of teacher roles and explores implications for curriculum 
development and its standardization towards European Curriculum Frameworks.  
The research explores widely the instrumental teaching process and praxis in the 
two higher music education institutions in Kosovo, respectively, the Faculties of 
Arts. And, by bringing an instrumental teaching framework, it calls for increased 
dialogues, interaction and collaboration at local and national levels, points to the 
need for ongoing international collaboration between higher music institutions, in 
keeping with the implications of the Bologna Process.  
The paper also looks on different curriculum frameworks and training programs as 
well, by providing a comparison analysis, particularly, differences and similarities to 
Kosovo curricula for instrumental teacher education.  
Finally, the research shows that instrumental teacher education in Kosovo needs to 
be developed and embrace European standardized programs and praxis, since, 
Kosovo teaching system is in an ongoing process and is reconnected to the most 
recent developments in education, science and culture.