THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MUSIC AS A TOOL FOR BETTER STUDYING AMONG

STEM STUDENTS OF MEYCAUAYAN COLLEGE

A Research Paper Presented to the Senior High School Department of Meycauayan College

In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements

in Practical Research II

Abello, Mathew Laurence

Castañeda, Ronn Christopher

De Guzman, Maria Ana Ysabel

De Honor, Ayesha Joyce

Lopez, Maria Isabel

Ramirez, John Ray

Santos, Ralph Joseph

2020
 Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

According to studies, music is a collection of sounds that can be either pleasant or an

unwanted disturbance to its listeners. Music can be a way of entertainment to some, but in

general, it can be a way to help people in their everyday lives. Music can be a tool for everyone

to communicate with others, as it simply affects the human mind, wherein one can interpret the

idea of such music and tone immediately after hearing it. Messages can be easily transferred

through music, with the right choice or usage of tones and sounds in order to eliminate

misunderstanding. It is found out that music affects the human mind, as it can improve memory,

attention, physical coordination, and mental development; it can also enhance the mood,

intelligence, and motivation of an individual to accomplish the given task assigned to them. If

music affects its listeners, then, it can have a positive effect or impact on students, where

students can use music while studying, as it relaxes their minds. Music can also define their

uniqueness; each person has their own preferences in life, and one of it is the music they listen to

whenever they want to. There are different genres of music, but despite it all, people can only say

one thing about music; it is beneficial and is inevitable to be removed in their everyday lives. 

Imagine what life would be without music. As Jane Austen said, "Without music, life

would be a blank to me." If music is a way to communicate with others, make one be competent

in life, then, it would be definitely hard for each and everyone to become what we are today. As

music defines one’s uniqueness, it also develops his/her characteristics as an individual, in which

it affects how they respond according to what they perceive about the world because of music. It
can be a simple way to express feelings, emotions, and messages that people find overwhelming

to do so, like how people back in the days tend to use music as a way to narrate what they are

experiencing in that time to future generations. There can be many ways to how music can be

used, and one of its purpose and benefit is that it can be used by younger generations in their

academic needs, specifically when they are studying.

Review of Related Literature

Listening to music can improve self-motivation. According to Segaren (2019), listening to

music can make you a happier person, as music releases pleasurable emotions and increases

dopamine levels. Listening to music triggers the release of dopamine in our brains. Dopamine is

a neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of happiness and excitement. Studies have found that

people may be better at solving problems when they are in a positive mood compared to when

they are in a negative or neutral mood. Music that is relaxing also helps students with stress and

anxiety, thus leading them to study more efficiently. It was found that listening to music actually

lowers your cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that is usually responsible for feelings of stress

and anxiety.

Music can enhance memory recall. According to an article on jamcampus.com, integrating

music into a classroom setting can improve students' memory and recall of the target learning

material. Whether you’re playing an emotional song about World War II or a strong upbeat

rhythm to help explain electricity, music helps activate the information mentally, physically, and

emotionally. Some songs can work to improve short-term memory in our brain similar to the way

mnemonic devices operate. Although rote memorization is far from the intended goal of learning
and education on a broader scale, content-based songs may help students in the short term to

memorize key lists, definitions, relationships and establish a foundation of vocabulary.

Music can enhance reading skills. According to the Department for Education of England,

research has shown a direct link between music and improved reading ability in children. It

shows that pupils who were given certain types of music instruction had improved reading

comprehension compared to those who did not. The greatest improvement was seen when

teaching was tailored to pupils’ existing skills and abilities – for example, if reading and

language skills are of a high standard initially, more advanced musical education may be needed

to have an impact on it. There is also evidence that music education can have a significant effect

on the reading ability of pupils, who had been experiencing difficulties, particularly teaching

associated with rhythm. In addition, studies have shown that music instruction improved pupils’

ability to remember words and so improve their vocabulary, and also enhance language

development.

Evidence also suggests a link between mathematics and music, but there needs to be a

stronger match between the skills being used – for example, some types of music education can

encourage improvement in some elements of Mathematics more effectively than others. Studies

have also shown a connection between music and increased scores in IQ. In both cases, it is

rhythmic music training that has been shown to make the greatest improvement. Other studies

have demonstrated a link between music and creative skills, particularly musical improvisation

and lessons that require children to be imaginative.

The social value of music. A number of studies have demonstrated the positive impact music

can have on personal and social development, including increased self-reliance, confidence, self-

esteem, sense of achievement and ability to relate to others.

Music can improve behavior towards studying. According to Michale Griffin (2013),

appropriately chosen music can improve classroom behavior and atmosphere, which in turn

improves learning outcomes. As a general rule though, the more complex the learning task, the

more distracting background music becomes. Most students like having music components

impact learning mood. In particular, tonality, tempo, pitch, and texture all play an important role

in affecting our mood. Music of a major tonality is happier and more positive than minor music.

Faster tempi raise the heartbeat and music with lyrics demands more cognitive processing

resources. These musical constituents should determine playlist selections background music in

the classroom.

Music helps improve spatial/temporal skills. Retrieved from kidsu.ca, a study was found that

there's a link between spatial intelligence and music in students. This shows that music education

helps students visualize elements that belong together over time, such as with solving math

problems or working through other multi-step challenges in art, gaming, computers, or in

professions like architecture or engineering.

According to Resmana and Anggraeni (2018), Baroque music, however, falls into the

category of a passive concert. It involves slower music, in contrast to the active concert, to relax

the students’ alpha brain-wave state and soothe their mental, physical, and/or emotional rhythms

so they could absorb information better. When the music is being played, Berk states that:
“Students enter into a relaxed state of awareness, opening their minds to incoming information.

The music helps them maintain focus and concentration. By tapping into the pleasant emotions

of the limbic system, information passes into long-term memory.”

According to aforementioned explanation, Baroque music could be highly recommended to

enhance students in their learning. Related to writing as the main focus of this research, it is a

skill which requires high concentration and expanded thinking skill. The influence of Baroque

music as a passive music might increase those requirements. This is in line with the finding of

Lozanov (in Berk) that students could learn language skills at least four times faster by using this

approach compared with traditional methods, in other words, doing “accelerated learning.” The

statement is also further supported by Brewer (1995, in Berk) who had recommended that

background “passive” music can be played while students study, read, or write to increase

attention levels, improve retention and memory, extend focused learning time, and expand

thinking skills. This music can also be effective during reviews and tests. Furthermore, these

techniques also included other ways to promote a positive learning environment.

Trion Model of Cortical Organization

According to Leng and Shaw (1991), the trion model suggests that music-related activities

share underlying neural firing patterns with other cognitive mechanisms in the brain. As such,

listening to music may prime neurons for use in other capacities (e.g., spatial performance tasks).

Relatedly, near transfer theories suggest that learning during musical instruction, specifically,

may be applied in other cognitive functions.

Related Studies

Kumar, et al., (2016), stated that listening to music while studying is a common occurrence

among the student population. Different opinions have been put forward by various researchers

in this aspect. While many studies are favoring the hypothesis that, background music promotes

the cognitive performance of the students, few studies emphasized impaired performance by the

students by listening to music while engaged in complex cognitive tasks. The influence of music

on cognitive performance has also linked to personality types. The pop music, in particular,

serves as a distraction in the cognitive performance of both introverts and extroverts.

Written in the academic research of Bokiev, et al., (2018), the positive effect of music and

songs on the emotional state of young and adult language learners has been confirmed by several

studies. Notably, the study by Setia, et al., (2012), investigated the effectiveness of songs in

creating positive attitude and motivation in primary school ESL learners in Malaysia. The results

indicated that “The use of song not only helps the understanding, it also stimulates and increases

the students’ interest to learn, enjoy and engage in the learning process”.

Musliu, et al., (2017), quoted "Music is a play of tones, that is, of fixed, clearly defined

quantities. Other sounds, glissandos, cries, noises, may occur as inserts; if they are numerous, the

result is partly musical; if they predominate, it is no longer music in the proper sense of the

word’’ (Wiora, W., 1963)

Džanić and Pejić (2016) stated that using the appropriate songs is of critical importance.

Whether they are specially written for learning English or authentic, it is crucial to choose songs

that suit children’s level of English as well as their interest since, as widely accepted, children
enjoy simple and catchy songs. The love of repetition and the need to move, common to all

young children, make songs integral parts of English lessons.

They also stated the most remarkable characteristics of using songs with young learners

according to Sevik’s (2011: 1029-1030) list, listening comprehension is best taught through

songs. Songs represent the strong feature of modern primary language programs; may extend

young learners’ attention span; are a great tool for language learning at an early age; are regarded

as an excellent memory tool; provide a variety of comprehensible input; create a safe and natural

classroom ethos; extremely repetitive and result in language fluency; and abound in cultural

content.

Cuevas (2019), music is a cognitive activity that could be used creatively as another method

in the teaching-learning process that contributes in improving students’ performance and may

continuously help the students in developing and improving their problem solving and critical

thinking skills while enjoying the lesson.

He founds that the intervention using science pop-songs combo was effective in improving

the students’ performance in science. There was a highly significant difference in the post-tests

as well as in the mean scores of the experimental group registering higher mean compared to the

control (traditional method) group.

From the work of Bugter, and Carden (2012), it was hypothesized that there would be a

difference between the three conditions (classical, rap, and silence) on memory scores that

resulted from playing the Concentration game. The results indicated that there was a difference

between the three groups on the scores of the memory task. Participants in the classical group

scored significantly better on the memory task than those in the rap group. No other differences
between groups were found. These findings are consistent with the work of Hallam, Price and

Katsarou (2002) that found that participants performed better on memory and cognitive tasks

when exposed to calming music as opposed to aggressive music. Secondly, the current results

supports the existing research suggesting that working in silence neither increases nor decreases

performance (Anderson and Fuller, 2010).

Lehmann, and Seufert (2017) states that when considering comprehension we did find an

interaction between background music and working memory capacity: the higher the learners’

working memory capacity, the better they learned with background music. This is in line with

the seductive detail assumption.

On the other side, according to Musliu, et al., (2017), music affects memory negatively

resulting that students are able to memorize better without music. This research also concludes

that silent is a key factor to recognize the same nonsense syllables.

Cárdenas (2000) stated that in most cases listening is carried out through practices that

produce boredom, panic or frustration. In order to avoid these circumstances, music may be

useful to improve the conditions of the listening activities thanks to its entertaining and authentic

nature. In fact, many authors agree that songs help to increase motivation.

 In fact, many authors agree that songs help to increase motivation. Another reason is the

teaching possibilities that the lyrics of songs provide in order to design exercises for an English

class.

Concerning these possibilities, Lopera (2003), mentioned that songs provide the opportunity

to work on specific teaching points. Among others, these are to have a contextualized topic for
compositions or discussion; to make associations in English with other aspects of our lives; to

facilitate translation exercises; and to provide listening material.

In addition, Guerrero (1999), states that listening and reading interact reciprocally with

each other, since the words that could not be heard can be understood in the written text and vice

versa. Concerning this, Dubin and Olshtain (1977), considered that “listening-comprehension

and reading are linked to each other since they both represent language understanding at deep

levels of cognition.”

Anderson and Fuller, (2010), found that about 70% of students listen to music while

studying. If most students study while listening to music, concern could arise that listening to

music may have negative effects on cognitive performance.

Hallam, et al., (2002), stated that in a study of primary school children, found that

participants performed better on a cued recall task in a calming music condition than an

aggressive music condition or silence.

Saeki (ibid.) says that music can be used for many purposes in language teaching: “BGM

(background music) is important because I believe it can do the following: (1) relax students, (2)

activate students, (3) get students to be attentive, (4) let students have fun, (5) Change the

classroom atmosphere, (6) create learning situations”. Saeki also mentioned a very interesting

fact dealing with the psychological aspects of the use of music, “Music may also engage the right

hemisphere of the brains more, and make learning a more holistic experience”.

In addition, Segura and Villalba, (2005, p. 70), mention that using songs related to the

students’ interests can help the class to engage willingly and meaningfully in the activities

involving things they like.

 Salamé and Baddeley (1989), postulate firstly, that it is impossible not to process auditive

information and secondly, that auditive information is always processed first. Thus, only if

working memory capacity is high enough do learners have sufficient capacity to invest in the

learning task after processing the auditive information. In this case, appropriate background

music could be of benefit to learners by influencing their mood and arousal level to an optimal

state, thereby fostering the learning process. However, even for those learners melodies should

be chosen that only pose a small burden on working memory. Comparing instrumental music

with songs with lyrics, it seems plausible that when lyrics are present they would need to be

additionally processed. 

Therefore, when attempting to foster learning for high-capacity learners by improving

mood and arousal, one should use music without lyrics. In this case learners may be able to

process the learning material as well as the song.

Relevant Theories

The following theories are seen of important value for the present study.

Mozart Effect. According to Dr. Gordon Shaw, early 1990s, the most famous theory linking

music and cognitive performance is the ‘Mozart effect’, the popular idea that listening to Mozart

makes you smarter. The research itself was interested in the relation between Mozart and

‘spatial-temporal reasoning’, or knowing how to fit things into other things, basically. The idea

that music - particularly classical - can improve exam results has endured, with websites such

mozarteffect.com selling music supposedly designed to “charge the brain.”

Arousal-mood-hypothesis. Husain et al., (2002), the hypothesis postulates that music listening

does not function on the subsequent cognitive functioning directly. Rather, music listening
affects subsequent cognitive functioning through the indirect effect (or the mediation effect) of

emotional reactions. In other words, listening to music does not necessarily lead to an

improvement in subsequent cognitive functioning; rather, individuals’ emotional reactions play a

critical role that determines whether music listening has a beneficial effect on subsequent

cognitive functioning.

Conceptual Framework

Concept Process

Type of Music Defining music in

terms of genre and
 genre classification as to local
 local/ foreign or foreign.
Effectiveness of Music Assessing the
as a Tool in Studying effectiveness of music
 usability as a tool in studying.
 ease Describing the effect of
 practicality music to studies.
Effect of Music to
Studies

 motivation
 productivity
 academic skills

Figure 1: Research Paradigm

This study adopts the Concept-Process Model. It consists of two frames. Frame 1 is

Concept consisting the Types of Music which includes genre and local/ foreign, Effectiveness of

Music as a Tool in Studying which includes usability, ease, and practicality, and Effect of Music

to Studies that includes motivation, productivity, and academic skills. Frame 2 is the Process
consisting defining music in terms of genre and classification as to local or foreign, assessing the

effectiveness of music as a tool in studying, and describing the effect of music to studies.

Statement of the Problem

General Problem:

How effective music is as a tool for better studying among selected STEM students of

Meycauayan College during school year 2019-2020?

1. How may the type of music used by the respondents in studying be described in terms of:

1.1 genre;

1.2 local; and

1.3 foreign

2. How may the effectiveness of music as a tool in studying be described in terms of:

2.1 usability;

2.2 ease; and

2.3 practicality

3. What are the effects of music in studying as perceived by the respondents?

3.1 motivation;

3.2 productivity; and

3.3 academic skills

Significance of the Study

The study will be beneficial to the following:

To the Students. The tools students use when studying greatly affects the interpretation and

understanding about the lesson. These tools may either help or complicate students' way of

learning. It will also help explain why some students excel while using music when studying.

To the Teachers. This study will help them discover techniques that they can use to enhance

their teaching strategies and will encourage them to use those in their teaching, because music

bring different effects to students' way of studying. Through this, educators can make their

students engage in studying through the use of music.

To the Future Researchers. This study will serve as an additional reference on the effectiveness

of music for the better studying of students.

Scope and Delimitation

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of music as a learning tool for better

studying among STEM students. This was also covered on gathering information regarding the

factors affecting the effectiveness music and the effects it could bring to the students. This study

is limited to the STEM students of Meycauayan College during the Second Semester of the

Academic Year 2019-2020. The respondents were chosen on the high probability that STEM

students are the most knowledgeable about the subject. The information needed was gathered

with the use of survey questionnaires on a total of 50 students, with 10 respondents per section.

The survey was conducted during February 5 – 6, 2020.

Definition of Terms

The following terms were defined either conceptually or operationally.

Academic Skills. Helping someone become a more effective learner and developing the research

and study skills that will be of help now and in the future.

Ease. Lack of difficulty; reduction of or freedom from pain; to lessen the pressure or tension.

Foreign. International music is defined as a general category term for global music, for instance

folk music and etc.; this term is also referred to as the classification of music which combines

Western music style together with other genres of non-western style.

Genre. A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature; characterized by similarities

in form, style, or subject matter.

Local. Traditional Local Music; The concept of traditional music: this is generally music that is

created in a common manner, has continued from the time of its production right down to the

present day, is popular and frequently played and recited in its region and by local people, and is

usually anonymous.

Motivation. It refers to the condition of being eager to act or work; a force that causes someone

to do something.

Practicality. It refers to a project or idea as being capable of being done or put into effect;

appropriate or suited for actual use; part of a situation that involves the sensible or usable part of

doing something.

Productivity. It refers to the rate at which goods are produced or work is completed.

Usability. The ease of use and acceptability of a system or product for a particular class of users

carrying out specific tasks in a specific environment; it is a quality attribute that assesses how
easy user interfaces are to use; refers to whether an item is capable of being used for its intended

purpose.

Chapter II

METHODS OF RESEARCH

This chapter describes and explains about the different procedures including the research

methods and techniques, population and sample of the study, the research instruments, data

collection procedure, as well as the data processing and the statistical treatment that is used in

conducting this study.

Methods and Techniques of the Study

The descriptive method was utilized in the study. According to (questionpro.com),

descriptive research is a research method that describes the characteristics of the population or

phenomenon that is being studied. Also, this method focuses more on the “what” of the research

subject rather than the “why” of it. In other words, descriptive research primarily focuses on

describing the nature of a demographic segment, without focusing on why a certain phenomenon

occurs. Descriptive research is an appropriate choice when the research aim is to identify

characteristics, frequencies, trends, correlations, and categories. The researchers used descriptive

method in order to identify the effectiveness of music as a tool for better studying among the

STEM students of Meycauayan College. The goal of the descriptive method is to collect data in

order to give out information and studies about the effect of music in studying among students.
This method may result in the discovery of new information that can be used in an institution or

new study.

Population and Sample of the Study

The population of the study are Grade 11 and 12 STEM students of Meycauayan College

School Year 2019-2020. Presently, the researchers decided to get a sample from the said

population and the sample they will get will be according to the number of sections in the Senior

High School STEM strand. Researchers will get twenty (20) respondents from each section –

Grade 11 STEM sections 1, 2, and 3 and Grade 12 STEM sections 1, and 2 – having a total of

100 respondents.

The researchers will use Simple Random Sampling, a probability sampling technique

wherein the researcher will randomly select respondents from the population.

Table 1

Presentation of the Distribution of the Respondents

Grade Level and Section Total Number of Students Sample Size

Grade 11 – STEM 1 44 10
Grade 11 – STEM 2 40 10
Grade 11 – STEM 3 40 10
Grade 12 – STEM 1 37 10
Grade 12 – STEM 2 41 10
Total: 202 50

Research Instrument

The researchers constructed a survey questionnaire to know the perspective of

Meycauayan College STEM students about the effectiveness of music as a tool for better

studying. The questionnaires then were presented to the research adviser for validation purposes.
The researchers used random sampling method to select the respondents that will answer the

prepared survey questionnaires. The answers gathered will be evaluated using the 5-point likert

scale. The questionnaire uses a 5-point Likert Scale to show the range of different answers or

options from “Always” to “Never”. The 5-point Likert Scale is used in the questionnaire because

it can produce more granular feedback unlike using binary questions which can only give two

answers or options. This method will let the researchers uncover degrees of opinion that could

make a real difference in understanding the feedback they are going to get.

The questionnaire is an eighteen (18) item indicator that assesses the effectiveness of

music as a tool for better studying among the STEM students of Meycauayan College.

Data Collection Procedure

All in all, the study was composed of 100 students from the Senior High School

Department of Meycauayan College, all under the STEM strand.

The researchers started to conduct an investigation about music by studying the said

subject through reading literatures and articles about its effectiveness and benefits to its listeners.

The information that the researchers gathered made them come up with such questions regarding

whether if it has an effect to humans’ lives, especially to students, when studying. The

researchers thought of conducting a research about the effectiveness of music among STEM

students of Meycauayan College, and asked the research adviser to have a survey as regards to

the awareness of students in effects and benefits of music especially when used while studying.

The researchers made survey questionnaires that are appropriate and can easily be understood by

the participants, then was given out to Grade 11 and 12 STEM students. Lastly, after all the
survey that were given was answered, the researchers interpreted the data and tallied the scores

according to the participants’ responses.

Data Processing and Statistical Treatment

To interpret the data effectively, the researcher will employ the following statistical

treatment. The Percentage and Mean are the tools use to interpret data using the 5-Point Likert

Scale to determine if the athletic participation among high school students in Meycauayan

College impacts positively or negatively in terms of academic participation.

Percentage Distribution. This is used to express the relative frequency of the survey

responses.

Formula:

P% = ( fn )(100 %)
i

Wherein:

P% = refers to the percentage

f i = refers to the number of respondents

n = refers to the number of sample

100 % = constant

Average Weighted Mean. This will be used to determine the assessment of the

respondents with regards to the response given from the questionnaires.

Formula:

x́=
∑ vx
50

Wherein:

x = refers to the number of respondents

v = refers to the value in the 5-point Likert Scale

50 = refers to the number of sample (constant)

To interpret the mean, the researchers used the 5 Point Likert Scale.

Point Interpretation Mean Range

5 Strongly Agree 4.21-5.00
4 Agree 3.41-4.20
3 Fair 2.61-3.40
2 Disagree 1.81-2.60
1 Strongly Disagree 1.00-1.80

Point Interpretation Mean Range

5 Always 4.21-5.00
4 Often 3.41-4.20
3 Sometimes 2.61-3.40
2 Seldom 1.81-2.60
1 Never 1.00-1.80

The resulted data given by the survey questionnaire will be interpreted by the researchers.

Chapter III

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

In this chapter, collected data were presented, analyzed, and interpreted using statistical

tools to know the effectiveness of music as a tool for better studying among STEM students.
Table 2

Assessment on What Type and Genre do Selected STEM Students Prefer to Listen While

Studying.

1.1 Type of Music Frequency Percentage

Local 19 38%

Foreign 31 62%

Total 50 100%

1.2 Genre of Music Frequency Percentage

Classical 21 19%

Pop 22 20%

Rock 15 14%

RnB 17 16%

Jazz 10 9%

Instrumental 16 15%

Others 8 7%

Total 109 100%

In table 2, the type and genre of music that STEM students prefer to listen to are

assessed. For the type of music, local type got thirty-eight percent (38%) while foreign music got

sixty-two percent (62%). For the genre of music, a total of one hundred nine (109) votes are

gathered. Nineteen percent (19%) preferred classical genre of music and ranked second in the

preferred music genre of the respondents. Pop music are the most preferred genre with the

percentage of twenty percent (20%). For the rock music, the percentage of fourteen percent

(14%) of the respondents preferred to listen to it. In terms of RnB, the result is sixteen percent

(16%). Jazz music results to a percentage of nine percent (9%). Instrumental indicates fifteen

percent (15%). Lastly, other genres of music shows seven percent (7%). A total of one hundred
percent (100%) for the fifty (50) respondents in type and one hundred nine (109) answers in

genre.

Table 3

Assessment on the reason why the type and genre of music the respondents prefer find it helpful.

Respondents Response Theme

The respondents find their preferred type

1 I enjoyed the way I played music. and genre of music helpful as it makes

them relaxed.

2 Calm and relaxing.

It does not have lyrics so I don’t get

3
distracted.

I feel relaxed when I listen to these types

4
and genre.
5 It’s good.
6 Because I like it.
7 Coping sadness.
8 I prefer to be quiet.
There are no lyrics which may distract me
9
from reading.
10 Because I enjoy it.It
11 Because I enjoy it.
12 It’s good.
13 It sounds good.
It calms me in a way, and it’s really
14
immersive.
When I listen to music, I feel happy and
15
relaxed.
16 It reduces boredom.
17 Listening to music while studying.
Smooth flow or rhyme is my type of
18
relaxation.
19 Listening to music randomly.
20 It makes me relaxed.
21 It’s good.
22 It boosts my memory or mind.
23 It motivates and energizes me.
24 It makes me calm or feel the mood.
25 It gives me nostalgia.
26 Relaxing.
27 Relax my brain.
28 Satisfying.
29 So that I can chill and relax as I study.
30 It relaxes me.
31 It is cool.
It is relaxing and it is not distracting when
32
I’m studying.
33 I enjoy the music.
34 I enjoy it.
35 I better understand the lesson.
36 I enjoy that genre.
37 Instrumental is good.

38 I enjoy that genre.

39 Because it helps me focus on my studies.

40 I enjoy it.
Because I find it solemn and it relaxes my
41
mind.
Because I’m a classical pianist so it helps

42 me to memorize the pieces and it helps

me focus and relax.

It gives me different vibe which boosts
43
my energy in studying.
44 Because it’s calming.

Foreign type and instrumental music

aren’t as distracting compared to music

45
with lyrics thus helping me focus on the

task at hand.
It usually keeps my mood for studying
46
while not totally distracting me.
47 Relaxing.
48 It’s relaxing to hear.

Because it boosts my mood and isolates

49
me.
 50 It calms me down and lets me focus.

Table 4

Assessment on the perception of respondent on how music helps them in studying.

Respondents Response Theme

The respondents find music helpful in

1 Stress reliever. studying as it relieves their stress and

makes them focused.

2 It’s relaxing.
It helps me ignore the noise in my
3
surroundings.
Music helps me boost my motivation

and productivity but there are times

4 where I think of music as a distraction

when I’m studying as it makes my

focus stay with the music.

5 It makes me relax.
It helps me to be more focused on
6
reviewing.
7 Eases my mind and reduces stress.
It doesn’t help me at all but distracts
8
me.
9 It makes studying enjoyable.
10 I enjoy studying and focus on it.
11 It keeps me awake.
12 It makes me awake.
It makes me forget that there is a ton of

13 studying to do. It relieves stress caused

by the school.
.Helps you focus on your solitude and
14
helps you shut the world out.
15 Because it relaxes my mind.
16 Relax and Chillin’.
17 I listen to music while studying.
It helps me to get in proper mood by
18
listening to a couple of songs.
 It gives me a relaxing mind and
19
invigorating.
20 Because it relaxes my mind.
21 It makes me relaxed.
22 It keeps me alive or energized.
23 It helps us a lot.
24 It relaxes me with its melody.
25 It reduces stress.
26 It’s so relaxing.
27 It improves my energy.
28 It helps me to relax and relieve stress.
It helps me to become more productive
29
in studying.
30 Helps me focus and relax.
31 It relaxes me.
32 It does not help me.
33 It makes me calm.
I enjoy while studying. It gives me
34
energy.
35 I makes me relax.
Music helps me in studying because it

36 relaxes me and it makes me feel like

I’m on the other world.

37 It helps to be focused.
It helps me in memorizing the certain
38
topic.
Because it keeps me awake while
39
reading.
40 I enjoy it while studying.
It helps me associate info with the
41
sounds I learn.
Personally, I think music prepares my

mind before the study proper. It is like a

42 head start and a warm up that prepares

me to understand harder paces of the

lessons easier and more efficient.

By helping to achieve a peace of mind;
43
focus.
44 It relaxes my mind and makes me feel

at ease that’s why I can easily retain

 informations.
45 It removes a bit of stress.
It helps me get into the zone of wanting

46 ti study and helps me not to get bored

or unmotivated.
By boosting my mood. Usually, when
47
the silence starts, it becomes deafening.
48 It calms me.
It brings relaxation as well as peace of
49
mind.
It gives me peace an isolation. It also
50
gives motivation in thinking.

Table 5

Assessment on the Effectiveness of Music as a Tool for Better Studying among STEM students in

Terms of Usability, Ease, and Practicality.

Not
Extremely Very Slightly
2.1 Usability Effective Effective At Mean Interpretation
Effective Effective Effective
All

a. I listen to
music while
studying because 9 15 19 4 3 3.46 Very effective
it helps me to
learn.

b. Music serves
as a tool in my
studying because
it is within the 10 13 15 9 3 3.36 Effective
reach all
throughout the
day.
c. I use music
because it
indirecrly boost
10 9 17 7 7 3.16 Effective
my memory
formation while
studying.
 Overall mean 3.33 Effective
Not
Extremely Very Slightly
2.2 Ease Effective Effective At Mean Interpretation
Effective Effective Effective
All
a. I listen to
music because it
helps me
7 12 19 8 4 3.2 Effective
understand
information
easier.
b. I listen to
music because it
makes it easy for
10 9 21 7 3 3.32 Effective
me to apply the
leassons I learned
while studying.
c. I use music
while studying
because it helps
5 19 14 8 4 3.26 Effective
me to effortlessly
retain
information.
Overall mean 3.26 Effective
Not
Extremely Very Slightly
2.3 Practicality Effective Effective At Mean Interpretation
Effective Effective Effective
All
a. I use music as
a tool for
studying because 13 15 11 9 2 3.56 Very Effective
itbis easy to be
accessed.
b. I listen to
music because it
relaxes my mind
15 16 13 5 1 3.78 Very Effective
which makes my
understanding
better.
c. I use music
because it makes
myself more
receptive to 11 9 18 9 3 3.3 Effective
taking in
information while
studying.
Overall mean 3.55 Very Effective
Grand Weighted
3.38 Effective
Mean

Table 5 presents the assessment on the effectiveness of music as a tool for better studying

among STEM students in terms of usability, ease, and practicality. In terms of usability, the

overall mean is 3.33 with an interpretation of "Effective". With regards to ease, the overall mean

is 3.26 and the interpretation is "Effective". While in practicality, the overall mean is 3.55 and
the interpretation is "Very Effective". The grand weighted mean in terms of usability, ease, and

practicality has an overall mean of 3.38 with an interpretation of "Effective".

Table 6

Assessment on the Effects of Music in Studying as Perceived by the selected STEM students in

terms of Motivation, Productivity, and Academic Skills.

3.1 Motivation Always Often Sometimes Seldom Never Mean Interpretation

a. Listening to
music motivates 19 19 6 4 2 3.98 Often
me to study.
b. Music gives
positive mental
benefit which is 18 17 12 2 1 3.98 Often
useful for my
studying.
c. Listening to
music improves
my attention al
15 11 12 8 4 3.5 Often
well as
concentration
towards studying.
Overall mean 3.82 Often

3.2 Productivity Always Often Sometimes Seldom Never Mean Interpretation

a. Music makes
me more 21 15 11 1 2 4.04 Often
productive.
b. I do and
understand more
things while
11 20 10 7 2 3.62 Often
listening to
music.

c. I use music to
gain focus and
improve my 18 15 11 4 2 3.86 Often
mood while
studying.
Overall mean 3.84 Often
3.3 Academic
Always Often Sometimes Seldom Never Mean Interpretation
Skills
a. Listening to
music while
studying makes 13 12 15 7 3 3.5 Often
my reading skills
better.
 b. Music helps
me improve my
spatial skills or
8 18 13 7 4 3.38 Sometimes
visualizations in
such problems
while studying.
c. I use music to
develop my 12 23 9 5 1 3.8 Often
language skills.
Overall mean 3.56 Often
Grand Weighted
3.74 Often
Mean

Table 6 presents the assessment on the effects of music in studying as perceived by the

selected STEM students in terms of motivation, productivity, and academic skills. In terms of

motivation, the overall mean is 3.82 with an interpretation of "Often". Regarding productivity,

the overall mean is 3.84 and the interpretation is "Often". With regards to academic skills, the

overall mean is 3.56 and an interpretation of "Often". The grand weighted mean in terms of

motivation, productivity, and academic skills has an overall mean of 3.74 with an interpretation

of "Often".

Chapter IV

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary of the research works undertaken, the conclusion, and

the recommendations made as a result of this study. This study focuses on the effectiveness of

music as a tool for better studying among STEM students.

Summary

The general problem of the study is "How effective music is as a tool for better studying

among selected STEM students of Meycauayan College during school year 2019-2020?”

Specifically, the researchers aimed to answer the following questions:

1. What type and genre do students prefer to listen while studying?

1.1 genre;

1.2 local;

1. 3 foreign

2. The effectiveness of music as a tool in studying be described in terms of:

2.1 usability;

2.2 ease;

2.3 practicality

3. The effects of music in studying as perceived by the selected STEM students in terms of:

3.1 motivation;

3.2 productivity;

3.3. academic skills

The respondents of this research were restricted to the students of Meycauayan College

particularly the Grade 12 students during the school year 2019-2020.

 A survey was conducted to answer the questions. The statistical measures were limited to

percentage distribution and mean. This study used the descriptive research wherein survey

method was conducted. It used questionnaire and survey as the techniques in data collection

procedure. Descriptive survey method of research provides numerical data which can be

interpreted or evaluated.

Findings

Using the procedure illustrated in the foregoing graphs the answer to the specific

problems raised in the study was established and can be summarized as follows:

1. Among the responses, 62% chose foreign and 38% chose local as their preferred type of

music. When asked about their preferred genre, 20% chose pop, 19% for classical, 14%

chose Rock, 16% for RnB, 9% chose jazz music, 15% for instrumental music, and 7%

chose others.

2. The respondents were assessed on the reason why the type and genre of music they

prefer find it helpful for them. Most of them responded that their preferred type and

genre of music is helpful as it makes them relaxed.

3. The assessment regarding the perception of respondents on how music helps them in

studying are done. Most of th respondents answered that they find music helpful in

studying as it relieves their stress and makes them focused.

4. The respondents were assessed about the effectiveness of music as a tool for better

studying in terms of usability, ease, and practicality. The respondents answered that it is

effective in usability and ease, and very effective in terms of practicality. Overall, the
 effectiveness of music as tool for better studying in terms of usability, ease, and

practicality is effective for STEM students in Meycauayan College.

5. The respondents were assessed about their perception about the use of music in terms of

motivation, productivity, and academic skills. It was found out that music often helps for

motivation, productivity and, academic skills. Overall, the perception of the selected

STEM students regarding the effects of music in studying in terms of motivation,

productivity, and academic skills is often helpful.

Conclusions

Based on the data gathered and the study conducted by the researchers, the following

conclusions were presented:

1. The type of music that most STEM students prefer to listen is foreign music and their

most preferred genre is pop music. Most of the students stated that certain types and

genre of music give them relaxation and maintain their concentration while studying their

lessons.

2.

3. Most respondents described the effectiveness of music while studying in terms of

usability and ease as effective while its effectiveness in terms of practicality were

described as very effective. Therefore, the overall effectiveness of music in terms of

usability, ease, and practicality is effective.

4. The effects of music in studying of most STEM students in terms of motivation,

productivity, and academic skills were described as often. Therefore, the overall effect of

music in studying in terms of motivation, productivity, and academic skills is often.

Recommendations
1. The researchers recommend to research deeper on different types of music to know the

other effects of it when studying.

2. The researchers recommend that the future researchers should do their study on a larger

population to provide more accurate data.

3. The researchers recommend to conduct an interview to students to know further explain

the reasons on the type of music they usually use.