Indigenosociomusicology and Curriculum Transformation: Advancing Decolonial and Inclusive Pedagogies in Music Education in a digital age

Music education in South African higher education institutions remains shaped by colonial epistemologies that marginalise Indigenous musical knowledge systems while privileging Western art music traditions. Efforts toward inclusion and transformation have often resulted in fragmented or tokenistic integration rather than substantive epistemic change. This study examines how curriculum transformation, inclusive pedagogies, and digitalisation intersect within music education, foregrounding indigenosociomusicology as a decolonial framework for reimagining knowledge production and pedagogical practice. Grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems and the philosophy of ubuntu, indigenosociomusicology conceptualises music as relational, socially embedded, and culturally situated. A qualitative systematic review design guided by the PRISMA framework structured the study. Data were sourced from major academic databases, including EBSCOhost, JSTOR, ERIC, ProQuest, and Google Scholar, covering literature published between 2021 and 2026 alongside foundational works. A total of 372 records were identified, of which 30 studies met the inclusion criteria following rigorous screening and full-text assessment. Thematic analysis, supported by a critical interpretive approach, was employed to analyse patterns across the selected studies. Findings reveal persistent Eurocentric dominance, the decontextualised inclusion of Indigenous knowledge, and tensions associated with digital platforms, including issues of ownership and cultural misrepresentation. Emerging practices centred on community engagement, oral traditions, and experiential learning demonstrate pathways toward meaningful transformation. The study argues that curriculum reform requires epistemic re-centring rather than additive inclusion. Indigenosociomusicology is proposed as a transformative framework capable of advancing inclusive, contextually relevant, and epistemically just music education in African higher education.