Integrating digital technologies into rural South African Grade 10–12 Music Education: A CAPS-Aligned systematic review for equity

Integrating digital technologies into rural South African Grade 10–12 Music Education: A CAPS-Aligned systematic review for equity

Sakhiseni Joseph Yende

Issue: Vol. 7 No. 8 2026 Article 7 pp. 1010 – 1023
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2026787 Published online 29th September 2026.

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ABSTRACT

Integrating digital technologies into music education offers significant opportunities to enhance teaching and learning in rural South African secondary schools, yet persistent inequalities in infrastructure, teacher preparation, and resource allocation continue to constrain equitable implementation, particularly in Grades 10–12 where the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) prescribes specific music competencies. This systematic review synthesises literature on digital technology use in rural music education, with explicit attention to CAPS alignment, to examine its influence on learner engagement, skill development, and pedagogical practice. Peer-reviewed articles, policy documents, and empirical studies published between 2010 and 2025 were analysed. Databases including ERIC, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched using keywords such as digital music education, rural schools, CAPS curriculum, and South Africa. After being evaluated for relevance, methodological quality, and focus on secondary school music education, 37 studies were included. Findings reveal that digital tools such as music notation software, virtual instruments, mobile applications, and online collaboration platforms enhance creativity, support differentiated instruction, and broaden access to diverse musical traditions, including indigenous South African repertoires. However, persistent challenges such as limited connectivity, inadequate teacher training, and weak policy support impede effective integration. Aligning digital technologies with CAPS strengthens curriculum delivery, promotes culturally responsive pedagogy, and helps reduce the rural–urban digital divide. Targeted professional development, improved infrastructure, and CAPS-aligned digital resources are recommended to support sustainable and equitable adoption in rural classrooms. This study contributes by offering a context-specific synthesis that integrates global evidence with rural South African realities, advancing knowledge on equitable technology-enhanced music education.

Keywords: CAPS Curriculum, Digital Technologies, Equity, Music Education and Rural Schools.

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AUTHOR(S)

Dr. Sakhiseni Joseph Yende is a Lecturer in the Department of Language Education, Arts and Culture, College of Education. He holds a PhD in Musicology from the University of Cape Town and has published over 80 academic articles and several book chapters. He has also served as Guest Editor for a Special Issue of EHASS and is currently editing three academic books. His interdisciplinary research interests encompass musicology, ethnomusicology, African music, gospel music, opera, linguistics, political science, and education. His scholarship focuses particularly on Music Education and Curriculum Studies, Indigenous Languages and Multilingualism, Music and Disability, and the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems into Arts Education. Dr Yende’s research is informed by decolonial and postcolonial perspectives, Critical Pedagogies, African Musicology, and vocal practices including opera, sacred music, and uMaskandi. He also researches higher education policy, postgraduate supervision, Arts-based Research, and Narrative Inquiry.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7649-2799

TO CITE ARTICLE

Yende, Sakhiseni Joseph. “Integrating digital technologies into rural South African Grade 10–12 Music Education: A CAPS-Aligned systematic review for equity.” Journal of Education and Learning Technology 7, no.8 (2026): 1010 – 1023. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2026787