Upshot of Music-Blended Teaching on Anxiety, Interest and Performance of Students with Mathematics Learning Disability

Abstract

Music is concerned with the physical and emotional wellbeing of any human being. Listening to pleasant music in the background while doing an arduous task can make it seem so much easier, or in some cases, music may not increase positive attitude, but will ease the strain of an activity. This study assessed whether music blended teaching helps the learners who face difficulties while learning mathematics. The sample consisted of 42 students identified with mathematics learning disability. The experimental group was taught mathematics with violin instrumental music played in the background of the Mathematics classroom. The control group was taught through conventional teaching. The treatment lasted for 44 days, 45 minutes per day. For collection of relevant data, the investigator used two standardised tools namely, Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) and PrWi’s Mathematical Ability Test (PMAT). The self-made tools were: Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT), Scale on Interest in Mathematics (SIM) and Mathematics test Anxiety Scale (MAS). The pre and post-test analyses disclosed that the experimental group students exhibit lesser mathematics test anxiety in the post-test than the pre-test. In the gain scores it was found that both the control and experimental groups did not show any difference in the achievement, interest and anxiety scores in mathematics. In delayed post-test, the experimental group showed better performance in the learning objective - knowledge than the control group. Also the experimental group students with high level intelligence exhibited better scores in the learning objective – knowledge than the counter parts in control group. No significant difference was found in the delayed post-test in interest and anxiety of both the control and experimental groups. It is also true with regard to the level of intelligence.