Abstract
Introducing music in the early childhood can help influence students to have a positive attitude in pursuing music in a higher level of education. Examining the developmental aspects of the decision to continue music studies among undergraduate music students is necessary in order to determine which factors had the most influences. This study investigates factors influencing choice of music studies among undergraduate music students in Malaysian public universities namely institutional factors, academic factors, financial factors, and personal/social factors. A survey method was adopted, and 489 respondents were chosen using proportionate stratified random sampling to answer the questionnaire. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The finding showed that academic factors was ranked as the most influential factor on choice of music studies among music students. The results on inferential statistical analysis using independent-samples t-test and the One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test showed that there were significant differences on factors influencing choice of music studies between ethnicities, universities attended, and instruments played. It is hoped that the findings will be beneficial to students, educators, and the university music programmes. Educators will also have access to the most up-to-date information in order to come up with strategies in encouraging students to study music.
Highlights
Students’ participation in music during their early school years has bring benefits in terms of their spiritual, physical and psychological development
This study has presented the findings of factors influencing choice of music studies among undergraduate music students in Malaysian public universities
Financial assistance and understanding of the financial procedure had influenced parents and students to attend to an affordable university (Cabrera & La Nasa, 2000)
Summary
Students’ participation in music during their early school years has bring benefits in terms of their spiritual, physical and psychological development. Music education in Malaysia is often considered as optional (Nor, 2011). The study in this research has gathered music students from different ethnicities and religions in Malaysia. Three major ethnic groups are defined as the Malays, Chinese and Indian races, which equals to culturally diversified backgrounds. The Chinese and Indian people are categorised under the Non-Bumiputera
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