Effect of Frequently Studying with Instrumental Music on Academic Achievement in Physics among Secondary School Students: A Case Study of Kodero Bara High School

Abstract

Listening to music while performing other tasks is a common feature in multi-tasking. Instrumental music is known to have beneficial effects to learning subjects while multi-tasking by increasing multiple intelligences, increasing concentration and creating a relaxed learning environment. Instrumental music is a resource that is not financially burdening and is easiest to implement when infused in studying. This paper explored academic achievement of students in physics experiments when they frequently study while Instrumental music is playing in the background. Quasi- experimental study design was used in this study. A control group studied physics during prep without Instrumental music playing in the background while experimental groups studied physics during prep while Instrumental music was playing in the background. There were two experimental groups. One experimental group frequently studied physics during prep while Instrumental music was playing in the background for all their study periods. The other experimental group frequently studied physics during prep with Instrumental music playing in the background for half of their study periods. The study targeted 987 Form Three physics students in Rongo Sub- County. Purposive sampling was used to select one school that has a relatively bigger population of students taking Physics. All Form Three students in the sampled school formed the sample population of 93 students. Data was collected using achievement tests and a questionnaire. Qualitative data was analysed thematically and presented using descriptive statistics. ANOVA was used to analyse quantitative data and test the study’s hypothesis. The study found no significant difference in achievement between students who frequently study with Instrumental music and those who do not. It is important however to note that the group that studied with Instrumental music for all their study periods performed minimally better than the group that studied in silence for all their study periods (mean of 40.0 and 39.625 respectively). Therefore, based on the findings of the study on this objective, it does appear that Instrumental music does not negatively affect the achievement of students in achievement tests when they frequently study with Instrumental music playing in the background.