Slovene folk music and songs represent our cultural heritage with a rich history and are connected with all periods of human life. Despite the changes made when handed down from generation to generation, Slovene folk songs have preserved the components that belong to the heritage of bygone ages as well as their ethnic and local characteristics. Their significant role has ensured them a prominent place in the music curriculum of primary schools. The master's thesis examines Slovene folk songs and their presence in the 1st and 2nd educational period of primary schooling as well as teachers' attitude towards Slovene folk songs.
The master's thesis consists of theoretical and empirical parts. The theoretical part focuses on a brief historical overview of Slovene folk songs, their definition over time, the abundance of folk customs and thinking in Slovene folk songs, and their musical and textual characteristics. Moreover, we discussed Slovene folklorized songs and examined in detail the presence of Slovene folk songs in the music curriculum and textbooks in the 1st and 2nd educational period. The empirical part of the master’s thesis explores the presence of Slovene folk songs in the 1st and 2nd educational period of primary schooling based on the urban and rural environment, as well as teacher’s education, length of service and previous musical training. We created a collection of Slovene folk and folklorized songs that could be used in the 1st and 2nd educational period. The research was carried out using a quantitative approach. Our sample comprised 146 music teachers in the 1st and 2nd educational period of primary schooling from all over Slovenia. The data were collected using a questionnaire.
The analysis of the questionnaires showed that teachers in the 1st and 2nd educational period of primary schooling generally have a positive attitude towards Slovene folk songs and that they often include them in their lessons. As far as it concerns the presence of Slovene folk songs in the updated music curriculum (2011), teachers in general believe that the curriculum contains a sufficient share of Slovene folk songs. The research revealed that teachers’ attitude towards Slovene folk songs and their presence in the music learning process depend neither on the location of the primary school nor on teacher’s education, length of service in the field of music teaching or additional musical training.
To sum up, the results of the research demonstrate that teachers have a positive attitude towards Slovene folk songs. The analysis of teachers’ responses indicate that teachers are motivated to preserve Slovene folk songs and are aware of their significant role in preserving cultural heritage at a time when Slovene folk songs are no longer such an important part of our everyday life. In the future, it would be useful to explore teachers’ professional qualifications in the field of Slovene folk songs and the impact of these qualifications on the presence of Slovene folk songs in the learning process. Finally, it would also be appropriate to explore the link between the use of a selected music textbook in a certain class and the presence of Slovene folk songs in the learning process.
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