EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF MUSIC-BASED INSTRUCTION ON STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS SOCIAL STUDIES

Abstract

Music has long been recognized as a powerful pedagogical tool capable of enhancing students’ emotional engagement and fostering a positive attitude towards learning. Its rhythmic and expressive qualities can transform classroom experiences. Despite its established relevance across educational contexts, few empirical studies have investigated the effect of music-based instruction on students’ attitudes towards Social Studies—a subject central to national development and citizenship education. Hence, this study aims to fill that gap by investigating how the use of music-based instruction as a teaching method influences students’ attitudes towards Social Studies. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted, involving 188 junior secondary school students studying Social Studies. The experimental group was taught using a music-based instructional method, while the control group received instruction through the conventional lecture method. Data were collected using the Attitudinal Scale Questionnaire for Social Studies Students (ASQSSS), which was validated by experts in educational research and Social Studies pedagogy. The instrument yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.75. Data were analysed using mean, standard deviation, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results revealed a significant difference in the attitudes of students taught using music-based instruction compared to those taught using the conventional lecture method, in favour of the music group [F(1,185) = 43.49; p < 0.05]. However, no significant difference was found between the attitudes of male and female students exposed to the music-based instruction [F(1,95) = 1.33; p > 0.05]. The study concludes that music-based instruction can be effectively employed to enhance students’ attitudes towards Social Studies.