The Influence of a Song on School Children’s Knowledge Growth for Sustainable Malaria Prevention: Teacher Perspectives

Chad Anderson (), Taneshka Kruger and Irma Eloff
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Chad Anderson: University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
Taneshka Kruger: University of Pretoria Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
Irma Eloff: Department of Education Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0028, South Africa

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 22, 1-14

Abstract: Music as a potential prevention strategy can play a pivotal role in developing behavioural changes and creating awareness about malaria and malaria prevention. The study was conducted in a moderate-risk malaria district in sub-Saharan Africa. A comparative analysis and pre-and post-intervention evaluation of three teaching intervention methods to teach and educate young children about malaria, e.g., song intervention, drama intervention, and song-and-drama combination, was evaluated. Data were collected by means of pre-and post-intervention interviews with Grade 3 primary school children and teachers, as well as a post-intervention questionnaire with teachers, parents, guardians, and caregivers. The purpose of the study was to investigate knowledge gains on malaria in relation to malaria awareness interventions. The results revealed that the song-only intervention was the most effective learning intervention strategy in this population and that behavioural changes and knowledge growth occurred regarding malaria and malaria prevention in this population. Independent of the teaching styles of each teacher in teaching the song to the children, the findings established that culturally and age-appropriate songs contributed to increasing children’s knowledge growth regarding sustainable malaria prevention.

Keywords: malaria prevention; malaria education; disease prevention; knowledge retention; music education; health interventions; health communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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