A gap existed in the literature focusing on research overall between music aptitude and mathematical achievement within a South African context. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of music aptitude on mathematical achievement and to evaluate the most appropriate instruments for measuring musical talents and juxtaposing them with mathematical achievement using Gordon's AMMA tool to establish the connection between musical acumen and mathematical achievement in randomly selected learners. This study presented data that is now available for use by other researchers. The researcher used exploratory designs to generalise, assess, and test qualitative exploratory results, and to see if they could be generalised to a sample and a population as outlined in this dissertation. This research was evaluated in both qualitative and quantitative phases. The researcher focussed on how students of different ages, gender, intelligence levels, and musical abilities reacted to the AMMA (music aptitude test).
The researcher was intrigued to see that most of the music students in the secondary school could compose with ease without prior knowledge of composition thus demonstrating an excellent theoretical background, which was prevalent in his discussions with colleagues. Having studied the previous school curriculum, they were exposed to since their childhood in primary school, the researcher could not find any relevant material linked to composition, form, structure or even analysis. Conversations with colleagues in the mathematical department revealed that the same students were doing extremely well academically in their mathematical subjects. This raised further questions for the researcher; was this merely a coincidence or was this increase in academic achievement due to the impact of their music studies?
Most parents in the community encouraged their children to attend private schools and went out of their way financially to provide for a good education reinforcing good will and intentions to foster a brighter future for these learners. For students to achieve excellent results, aptitude played a prominent role in their musical development.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 RATIONALE
1.2.1 MIDDLE AND SECONDARY (HIGH) SCHOOL
1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.4 AIMS OF THE STUDY
1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.6 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1.8 RESEARCH APPROACH
1.9 RESEARCH DESIGN
1.9.1 SAMPLING STRATEGY (RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS)
1.9.2 TRIANGULATION OR VALIDATION OF THE RESEARCH
1.10 DELIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH
1.11 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
1.12 VALUE OF THE STUDY
1.13 LAYOUT OF THE THESIS
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
2.2 DEFINING THE KEY CONCEPTS/TERMINOLOGIES
2.3 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.3.1 INTELLIGENCE AND MUSICAL ABILITY
2.3.2 THE MUSIC APTITUDE OVER DECADES
2.3.3 AUDIATION
2.3.4 MUSIC LEARNING THEORY (MLT)
2.3.5 THE ADVANCED MEASURES OF MUSIC AUDIATION (AMMA)
2.3.6 THE IMPACT OF MUSIC EDUCATION ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
2.4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.4.1 THE THEORY OF SOUND
2.4.1.1 AMPLITUDE
2.4.1.2 FREQUENCY
2.4.1.3 THE HUMAN EAR
2.4.1.4. NOISE
2.5 THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IDENTIFIED IN LANGUAGES EXPLORED THROUGH MUSIC WITHIN A SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT
2.5.1 CULTURAL IDENTITY WITHIN MUSIC
2.6 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH APPROACH, DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
3.1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION
3.2 RESEARCH APPROACH
3.3 CONSIDERATIONS FOR USING MIXED RESEARCH METHODS
3.3 DEFINING AND CONCEPTUALISING THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS
3.4 SAMPLE DESIGN AND METHODS
3.4.1 MIXED METHODS APPROACH EMPLOYED
3.4.2 DEFINITION OF MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
3.4.2.1 QUANTITATIVE PHASE
3.4.2.2 QUALITATIVE PHASE
3.5 RESEARCH DESIGN
3.6 RESEARCH METHOD
3.7 DATA COLLECTION METHODS: SAMPLING STRATEGY
3.8 COMPARING METHODOLOGIES OF PREVIOUS STUDIES
3.9 TRIANGULATION OR VALIDATION OF THE RESEARCH
3.10 LITERATURE REVIEW, INTERVIEWS, QUESTIONNAIRES, OBSERVATIONS, CASE STUDIES AND SURVEYS
3.11 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 4
RESULTS: PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION
4. INTRODUCTION
4.2 DATA CAPTURING AND ANALYSIS
4.2.1 QUANTITATIVE DATA
4.2.2 COMPARING THE FINAL DATA OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 12 (N=2), LSS
4.2.3 COMPARING THE FINAL DATA OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 13 (N=2), LSS
4.2.4 COMPARING THE FINAL DATA OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 14 (N=2), LSS
4.2.5 COMPARING THE FINAL DATA OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 12 -14 (N=6), LSS
PART OF THE STUDY (QUANTITATIVE)
QUESTIONNAIRE
DATA ANALYSIS OF FURTHER QUANTITATIVE STUDY
YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCES
AGES
QUANTITATIVE RESPONSES
RESPONDENT A
RESPONDENT B
RESPONDENT C
RESPONDENT D
RESPONDENT E
RESPONDENT F
MUSIC TEACHER RESPONSES TO QUESTIONNAIRE
FURTHER QUANTITATIVE STUDY RESPONSES OF 30 MUSIC TEACHERS
4.2.3 QUALITATIVE RESPONSES FROM RESPONDENTS A – F (N=6)
4.2.4 QUALITATIVE - INTERVIEW AND OBSERVATIONS WITH MUSIC TEACHER
4.3 SAMPLE PROFILES
4.4 SUMMARY (CONCLUDING INTERPRETATIONS)
SUMMARY OF QUANTITATIVE STUDY (30 RESPONDENTS)
SUMMARY OF THE RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS 1 - 10 PRESENTED TO THE RESPONDENTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE:
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES TO COMMENTS MADE MY ALL 30 RESPONDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS QUANTITATIVE STUDY
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 SUMMARY OF THE STUDY
5.2.1 JANG’S (2000) VERSUS THE RESEARCHER´S (2021) RESEARCH
5.2.2 KARMA’S (1993) VERSUS THE RESEARCHER´S (2021) RESEARCH
5.2.3 MILOVANOV’S (2009) VERSUS THE RESEARCHER´S (2021) RESEARCH
5.2.4 GILLEECE’S (2006) VERSUS THE RESEARCHER´S (2021) RESEARCH
5.3 OVERALL CONCLUSION
5.5 POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MUSIC APTITUDE AND MATHEMATICAL ACHIEVEMENT
5.6.1 SIMILARITIES BETWEEN MUSIC APTITUDE AND MATHEMATICAL ACHIEVEMENT:
5.6.2 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MUSIC APTITUDE AND MATHEMATICAL ACHIEVEMENT:
5.7 LIMITATIONS AND SHORTCOMINGS
5.8 RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCH
5.9 DIRECT AND PARTIAL INFLUENCES FOR MUSIC APTITUDE AND MATHEMATICAL ACHIEVEMENT
5.10 RECOMMENDATIONS
5.11 CONCLUDING COMMENTS
5.12 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
Research Objectives and Themes
The study investigates the impact of music aptitude on mathematical achievement among Grade 8 and 9 students at a secondary school in Johannesburg, South Africa, through a mixed-methods lens by employing the Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (AMMA) test to examine the correlation between musical potential and academic performance in mathematics.
- Correlation between musical aptitude and mathematical achievement.
- Evaluation of instruments for measuring musical talents (specifically Gordon's AMMA tool).
- Exploration of students' reactions to music aptitude tests across different demographics.
- Influence of socioeconomic factors on music engagement and academic success.
- Development of pedagogical strategies for integrating music in secondary education.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 INTRODUCTION
After returning to South Africa and accepting a new position at Liverpool Secondary School, and working with magnet music schools the researcher discovered that students were brilliant in both mathematics, and music. This is a school where the ratio of African students has increased remarkably and produced excellent results overall to the academic demands of the Department of Education and stakeholders of the school. According to the Principal in an interview:
The reason why students were obtaining excellent results is due to the constant commitment, devotion and consistent hard work of dedicated teachers ensuring that most students were ready for their final examinations despite where they came from, their gender, race or culture? Students in comparison to some of the private schools were obtaining 6 – 7 A results for subjects including mathematics. Half of the time these students never had access to extra tuition, study leaders guiding them further but had a high level of perseverance, and competence and continued to progress in obtaining results, which made the school leaders proud of their achievement overall and testimony that anything is definitely possible (Maharaj, 2018).
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1: Provides the orientation, background, and personal motivation for the study, including defining the research questions, design, and methodology.
CHAPTER 2: Presents the comprehensive literature review focusing on intelligence, musical ability, audiation, and the impact of music education, while establishing the theoretical framework based on the "Theory of Sound."
CHAPTER 3: Details the research methodology, including the design, sample selection, data collection instruments, and statistical approaches used for the study.
CHAPTER 4: Presents the primary empirical findings, including the quantitative music aptitude test results of the students and responses from questionnaires, followed by qualitative interview and observation data.
CHAPTER 5: Concludes the thesis by summarizing findings, reflecting on the study’s limitations, and providing specific recommendations for future educational practice and research.
Keywords
Advanced Measures of Music Audiation, Correlation, Mathematical achievement, Music Aptitude, Rhythm, Tonality, Audiation, Music Learning Theory, Educational performance, South Africa, Secondary education, Mixed research methods, Musical ability, Cognition, Statistical significance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary scientific focus of this thesis?
The thesis explores the potential correlation between music aptitude and mathematical achievement in students to determine if musical skills positively influence academic performance in mathematics.
What are the central thematic areas explored?
The study examines intelligence and musical ability, the historical development of music aptitude tests, audiation, the impact of music education on academics, and cultural differences within the South African educational context.
What is the main research question of this study?
The central question is whether the Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (AMMA) music aptitude test corroborates the mathematical achievement observed in the study's student participants.
Which research methodology was utilized?
The researcher employed a mixed-methods approach using a Sequential Explanatory Design, which integrates both quantitative data gathering (AMMA tests and surveys) and qualitative research (interviews and case study observations).
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The work covers a thorough literature review, a theoretical framework centered on sound theory, an analysis of music aptitude tests, the presentation and discussion of student data, and a final section on conclusions and recommendations.
How would you characterize the core keywords of the research?
The research is defined by key concepts such as Music Aptitude, Correlation, Mathematical Achievement, Audiation, and Music Learning Theory (MLT) within a South African secondary education context.
How was the student sample selected for the case study?
The sample consisted of students in Grades 8 and 9 at Liverpool Secondary School in Benoni, Johannesburg, selected for their availability and involvement in the high school classroom setting.
What role does Edwin Gordon's work play in this study?
Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory and his specific assessment tools, particularly the Advanced Measures of Music Audiation (AMMA), form the primary theoretical and methodological foundation used to test the students.
What were the specific outcomes regarding music and mathematics correlations?
The findings indicated that musical aptitude tests generally impacted the mathematical achievements of the participating students, suggesting a positive relationship between these two cognitive domains regardless of background.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Mario Maxwell Müller (Autor:in), 2023, The correlation between music aptitude and mathematical achievements of students. A case study of six individual students from a High School in Johannesburg, South Africa, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1390262
