Instrumental Teacher Education in Kosovo: Competences, Roles and Contemporary Standardized Curricula

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 programs that are offered in the two departments of Music of the public universities in Kosovo are based on a curriculum framework that has been used for many years undergoing minor changes. Therefore, instrumental teachers should firstly consider on their roles and competences that are a core issue towards building bridges for successfully accomplished programs. Except the lack of national collaboration, instrumental teachers have not been integrated in training programs that urge international cooperation as well. The key to curriculum development and its standardization towards European Curriculum Frameworks are projects and organizations that forge possibilities to be part of European education areas. This 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. 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.