Problems and Solutions of Teaching Folk Instruments in Higher Education

International Journal of Pedagogics

160

https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijp

VOLUME

Vol.05 Issue04 2025

PAGE NO.

160-163

DOI

10.37547/ijp/Volume05Issue04-43

Problems and Solutions of Teaching Folk Instruments in Higher
Education

Ishonkhodjaev Umid

Uzbek State Conservatory, Acting Associate Professor of the Department of “Performance on Folk Instruments”, Uzbekistan

Received:

25 February 2025;

Accepted:

21 March 2025;

Published:

24 April 2025

Abstract:

This article analyzes the current problems encountered in the process of teaching folk instruments in

higher educational institutions. In particular, the inconsistency of curricula with modern requirements, the
imbalance between theoretical and practical training, shortcomings in the training of pedagogical personnel, and
the lack of methodological materials are highlighted as problems. The importance of approaches based on
national heritage in the formation of professional competencies in the performance of folk instruments is also
highlighted.

Keywords:

Folk instruments, performance, methodological support, teaching problems, pedagogical approach,

national musical heritage, modular curricula, music education.

Introduction:

In modern pedagogy and music

education theory, the issue of teaching folk
instruments is of particular importance as a specific
scientific and practical direction. As an integral part of
musical culture, folk instruments are not only a means
of expressing national identity, but also a pedagogical
resource that forms creative thinking, aesthetic taste
and a sense of respect for cultural heritage in students.
In this regard, effective teaching of folk instrument
performance in the higher education system requires
solving

urgent

methodological,

didactic

and

psychopedagogical problems.

In

today's

conditions

of

globalization

and

informatization, it has become necessary to structurally
revise curricula and re-model them based on a
competency-based approach. In particular, the
problem of the incompatibility of traditional
approaches to teaching folk instruments with modern
requirements, the level of individual mastery of
students, differences in mastering performance
techniques and the lack of consistency in the formation
of performance competence is emerging as a problem.

In addition, the insufficient systematization of
educational and methodological materials, the lack of
scientifically based methodological manuals and
modularization of practical exercises in the

performance of folk instruments have a negative
impact on the effectiveness of teaching. Therefore, the
implementation of innovative and integrative
approaches to teaching folk instruments in higher
educational institutions, the preservation of national
musical heritage and its integration into the modern
education system are considered as one of the current
research areas. This article systematically analyzes the
existing problems in teaching folk instruments,
highlights their pedagogical, psychological and
methodological foundations, and analyzes the ways of
improvement, in particular, the possibilities of solving
them through the introduction of innovative
educational technologies.

The process of teaching folk instruments in higher
educational institutions includes the formation of
musical creative activity, performing competencies,
aesthetic perception, historical and cultural awareness
and interpretative skills. The effectiveness of this
process depends on a number of factors, including
didactic

approaches,

methodological

support,

pedagogical

competencies

and

motivational

environment.

In current curricula, folk instrument classes are often
included in modules on general performing arts, which
do not allow for in-depth mastery of the techniques,
means of expression, melody and stylistic features

International Journal of Pedagogics

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International Journal of Pedagogics (ISSN: 2771-2281)

formed within specialized and national music schools.
This situation leads to the fact that the professional
competency approach in the educational process is not
fully implemented.

Qualification and quality of training of pedagogical
personnel. The number and quality of teachers
teaching folk instruments are insufficient. Many
teachers have a background in classical instruments
and do not have a deep knowledge of non-traditional
techniques of folk instruments or have low
methodological training. Therefore, pedagogical
reflection and skills in the use of methodological
innovations are not sufficiently formed.

Limited methodological support and innovative
technologies. Methodological guides, video tutorials,
virtual platforms and multimedia tools for folk
instruments have not been developed sufficiently. This
situation indicates that the process of digital
transformation in education is not fully implemented.
Although there is an opportunity to develop creativity
and independent work skills in students based on
approaches such as interactive methods, gamification,
and problem-based learning, these opportunities are
not being used sufficiently in practice.

Methodological approaches to teaching intonation
accuracy, rhythmic freedom, and performance styles
specific to local schools, which are characteristic of folk
instruments, are not sufficiently systematized. In
particular, there are few developments in ensemble
performance, stage culture, and improvisational styles.
This serves as an obstacle to the development of
performing skills.

Many types of folk instruments (doira, dutor, tor, sato,
chang, gijjak, etc.) are not enough in all branches and
departments of higher educational institutions, and the
lack of conditions for storing and tuning some
instruments directly affects the quality of lessons. This
indicates that the resource capabilities of the
educational

environment

are

insufficient.

By

connecting folk instruments with other art directions
(for example, choreography, theater, design, history),
students have the opportunity to develop universal
competencies such as interdisciplinary thinking,
multidisciplinary

analysis,

and

communicative

approach. However, these opportunities are not
sufficiently systematized.

Literature analysis

The issue of teaching folk musical instruments has
always been one of the topical topics in the national
and foreign music education system. An analysis of
scientific sources shows that research in this area has
been mainly formed in three main paradigmatic
frameworks:

ethnomusicology,

pedagogical

innovations and performance technologies.

In Uzbek musicology, folk instruments and their place
in the national musical heritage have been thoroughly
covered in the studies of such scholars as M.
Tokhtamurodov, A. Qodirov, H. Sultanov, N. Nosirova,
I. R. Khudoyberganov. In particular, M. Tokhtamurodov

(2018) in his work “Classification and Development
Directions of Uzbek Folk Instruments” analyzed the

stages of historical formation of instruments,
classification criteria and problems of their
preservation.

Scientific approaches to the educational process, in
particular, studies on the formation of musical and
pedagogical competencies (G. A. Usmonova, D. R.
Kayumova, A. J. Matyokubova) highlight the didactic
foundations of developing performing skills based on
folk instruments. G. A. Usmonova (2020) analyzed the
effectiveness of individual approaches and creative
learning methodologies in music education and
recommended their application in working with folk
instruments.

In foreign literature, teaching folk instruments is
considered more within the framework of intercultural
music education, performance studies, and the
preservation of musical heritage. For example, V.
Campbell (2014) and L. Green (2008) analyzed the
specifics of music education in a cultural context. They
showed the possibilities of developing socio-emotional
competencies in students through folk instruments.

Also, the report "Living Heritage and Music Education"
recommended by UNESCO emphasizes the importance
of preserving cultural heritage and passing it on to the
younger generation through mass digitization, the
creation of virtual music laboratories, and audio
archives in the process of studying folk instruments.

It is clear that although the theoretical, historical and
practical aspects of teaching folk instruments have
been comprehensively studied in the existing
literature, there is not enough research on the
integration of innovative methodologies into practice,
the development of complex educational models and
the transfer of folk instruments to a digital format.
Therefore, at the current stage, scientific research
creates the need to develop new methodological
foundations for teaching folk instruments through an
interactive,

competency-based

and

modern

technology-based approach.

DISCUSSION

Based on the above analysis and conceptual
generalization of literary sources, it can be said that the
issue of effective teaching of folk instruments in the
higher education system requires a multi-layered and

International Journal of Pedagogics

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International Journal of Pedagogics (ISSN: 2771-2281)

integrated approach. By analyzing this issue from a
pedagogical, psychological, cultural and technological
perspective, it will be possible to identify the
fundamental nature of the problems and mechanisms
for their elimination.

Firstly, it is observed that the competency-based
approach is not being implemented sufficiently in the
process of teaching folk musical instruments. This is
especially important in the perfect mastery of
performance techniques, the formation of stage
culture and the development of improvisational skills.
It is necessary to develop integrative methodological
systems for the harmonious development of all
structural components of performing activities in
students.

Secondly, existing didactic models are based on more
traditional approaches, which do not serve to activate
the personal activity of students. Instead of a passive
educational model focused on the assimilation of
information from the teacher, it is important to form a
new interactive learning environment based on
constructivist pedagogy, active teaching methods and
student-centered approaches. In this regard, the
restoration of teaching technologies in national schools

of performing arts based on the “teacher

-

student”

principle requires special attention.

Thirdly,

insufficient

attention

is

paid

to

psychopedagogical factors related to folk instruments.
It is necessary to introduce personally oriented
teaching mechanisms, taking into account the student's
specific temperament, level of emotional sensitivity
and scope of aesthetic perception. This supports the
development of complex mental processes such as
musical intuition, inner hearing, emotional resonance.

Fourthly, the fact that modern digital educational tools
(multimedia resources, virtual classes, interactive
simulators) are not being introduced into lessons based
on folk instruments indicates the slow development of
the edutech infrastructure in this direction. However,
through these technologies, the educational process
can be enriched based on visual, audio and kinesthetic
methods.

Fifthly, in the study of folk instruments, there is an
opportunity to develop intercultural competencies,
that is, through comparison with other musical
cultures, comparison of different performance styles,
understanding folk art in a global musical context, the
student develops reflective thinking and musical
thinking. This, in turn, requires teaching folk
instruments based on interdisciplinary integration.
During the discussion, it was determined that in order
to eliminate the existing problems in teaching folk
instruments,

systematic

reforms

should

be

implemented in the following areas:

development of modular curricula for folk instruments;

strengthening the improvisational and ensemble
performance components in practical classes;

widely introducing digital technologies (audio-visual
analysis, digital notation) into the educational process;

systematizing national performance schools on a
methodological basis and integrating them into
education;

implementing the socio-cultural functions of folk
instruments into the musical-pedagogical process.

CONCLUSION

The issue of teaching folk instruments in the higher
education system is considered an important scientific
and practical direction from the point of view of
modern musical-pedagogical approaches. Based on the
theoretical and practical analysis, it was determined
that the inconsistency of existing curricula with modern
competency

requirements,

methodological

inconsistencies in the training of pedagogical
personnel, and the lack of digital resources and
methodological manuals negatively affect the
effectiveness of the educational process.

Therefore, teaching folk musical instruments should
not only be a means of preserving traditional
performance, but also be seen as a powerful
pedagogical tool that serves to develop national
identity, aesthetic taste, and creative thinking in the
younger generation. In this direction, the effectiveness
of musical education is achieved by combining
innovative approaches, modern technologies, and
loyalty to the folk musical heritage.

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