Comparative Analysis of the Associate Board of the Royal Schools of Music of the United Kingdom and the African Music Curriculum of Kenya

The music curricula and the pedagogical methods used in the United Kingdom and in Kenya share trends that are both common and diverse. In this article we present our comparisons of the Associate Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and the Kenyan music curriculum. We approach this comparative study using Ralph Tyler’s definition of curriculum as a theoretical framework. The paper evaluates how the two curricular are shaped by Tyler’s sociocentric model by addressing the following four question:(1) What are the roles of a music education curriculum in the United Kingdom and in Kenya?; (2) What factors influence a music curriculum selection in the United Kingdom and in Kenya?; (3) How is music education experienced in the United Kingdom and in Kenya?; and (4) How are the student learning outcomes in music education evaluated in the United Kingdom and in Kenya? We achieve this by juxtaposing the two curricula to examine the different concepts of curriculum content, pedagogy, assessment, and cultural milieus. The depth of our comparative study shows that the variability of the definitions of both education and curriculum have a direct impact on the music education curricula of the United Kingdom and of Kenya. Our conclusions show that there is a divergence and convergent of content and pedagogy between the ABRSM and the Kenya music curricular and that the student learning outcomes are achieved based on the overarching societal expectations and needs. The study finds the hegemonic Eurocentric definitions of education and curriculum tend to impact the music curricula from content and pedagogical purviews of both the United Kingdom and Kenya. We argue that because of this internationalization, the learners’ musical experiences are enriched leading to improved academic quality, culturally oriented students, and globally informed music teachers