CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related Literature

Math classroom teachers express frustration over their students' lack of

knowledge, retention, or mastery of previously taught material. Re-teaching or remedial

teaching that is required to address the lack of skill, knowledge, and retention makes the

solution time-consuming. Before the current course material can be taught, some

preparation must be made. Many students consider that the traditional teaching methods

of reading textbooks and only using paper and pencil to solve problems to be insufficient

for learning and remembering mathematical concepts. (Yoho, 2011).

Music may be utilized to teach mathematics in order to improve the retention

ability of the students. According to Nagisetty (2014), using examples from the real

world related to music may be an ideal choice to teach mathematics to teenagers. An,

Capraro, and Tillman (2013) note that teachers can utilize music as a resource to teach

and develop mathematics problems in non-routine ways, which provides students with an

opportunity to apply their mathematical knowledge in meaningful ways and connect new

mathematical knowledge to prior knowledge. Thus, according to research, music may

energize students and stimulate their brains, preparing them for the day's lessons. Math

may change dynamically when music is used, making math better for all (Study.com |

Take Online Courses. Acquire College Credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers,

n.d.). 
 9

We can improve our ability to communicate with others and learn to read by

actively engaging with music, which alters how the brain processes information and

improves our perception of language and speech (Hallam, 2010; Bokiev, Bokiev, Aralas,

Ismail, & Othman, 2018). Additionally, it's been demonstrated in numerous studies that

listening to soothing music can lessen aggressive behavior as well as feelings of stress

and anxiety (Ziv & Dolev, 2013; Goldbeck & Ellerkamp, 2012; Saarikallio & Erkkila,

2007). Teaching students to manage their emotions in healthier ways can improve their

learning potential, so this is an important factor to take into account in the classroom

(Foran, 2009). (as cited in How Can Integrating Music Into Your Classroom Benefit

Student Learning and Development? | National Center on Safe Supportive Learning

Environments (NCSSLE), n.d.)

The students are more likely to comprehend mathematical concepts when music is

used. Music enhances the likelihood that students will comprehend (Singer, 2008, as

cited in Basco, 2020). Students can actively develop their language skills while learning

math ideas by singing songs about math (Math Songs | Learner Variability Project, n.d.).

For instance, as these ideas are connected to beats, rhythm, and timing, comprehending

fractions and ratios is essential to learning to play an instrument (Estrella, 2018).

Additionally, it is believed that the multisensory use of music enhances the development

and retention of academic skills (Interactive Strategies for Using Music in the Academic

Curriculum by Michelle Lazar, n.d.). Music can aid students with mathematics. As

mentioned in the published article entitled "Correlation Between Math and Music

Ability," learning music improves math skills because, at some level, all music is math

(Correlation Between Math and Music Ability, n.d.). Similarly, music can definitely be
 10

used to help improve the mathematics skills of any student (Can Music Help Improve

Learning Mathematics?, 2022).

 Thus, music is one of the mathematical pedagogies. It is an ideal form of art to be

integrated into mathematics instruction (An, Capraro, and Tillman, 2013). Recent

research has shown that the use of musical themes in mathematics lectures has improved

student understanding and reduced mathematics anxiety (Eisner, 2002; Glastra, Hake, &

Schedler, 2004; Robertson & Lesser, 2013, as cited in An et al., 2016). Vinson, 2001, as

cited in An et al., 2016; An, Tillman, Shaheen, and Boren, 2014). It has been discovered

that using music as an alternative teaching method for mathematics can be beneficial. At

the primary school level, songs have been widely used to teach mathematics. Although

the integration of music into mathematics at the junior high school level is still a subject

of debate (Atepor, 2020). Learning-related parody music is a great way to help remember

basic information. Parody songs are an effective study aid for any upcoming tests or

quizzes, much like how mnemonic devices work (DeBell, 2020).

Some research has found that pop culture, including music, has a positive impact

on education. In a qualitative study by Güven & Keleşoğlu (2014), they examined the

teaching practices and view of teachers on pop culture. Teacher participants in the study

who included pop culture in their teaching practices mentioned that the usage of pop

culture in education makes connections between students’ personal, real-life experiences

and students’ academics. Connecting students’ personal experiences with their academics

helped capture the interests of the students during instruction. In a similar study, Jones

and Pearson (2013) explored the use of pop culture in the classroom by integrating pop

music in math instruction to teach the basics of music theory, including identifying notes
 11

while learning their fractional values. Since students’ interests in pop music were

included during the math instruction, they were more motivated to participate in the math

activities. These findings suggest that pop culture, such as pop music, is an important

factor to consider when designing educational content and activities to help connect math

objectives to students’ lives. (As cited in Hook, 2022).

From an article entitled More than Counting Beats:Connecting Music and

Mathematics in the Primary Classroom authored by Trinick et al (2016), there are three

narratives shared by three educators that presented to establish a foundation to support

related to the field, but only two will presented as follows:

Gail narrated that, "… Without any formal planning or instruction, my

class of 32 five- and six-year-olds would often start singing, play clapping games,

or use the making table to create their own musical instruments. As a result, I

took advantage of these impromptu developments and began incorporating music

into my reading programme. We would regularly use the class kit of musical

instruments to accompany poems or shared books. Sadly, it took me longer to

develop the confidence to use music in my maths programme.

This increased confidence enabled me to use music as a tool to support

children to retain and recall early mathematical concepts like number words,

number sequence, days of the week and the names of shapes. I began to use music

regularly as a tool to help the children develop automaticity. One of the things I

did was to use tried and true singing rhymes. As we learnt the ‘Tahi is one, rua is

two….1 rhyme we used the Beginning School Mathematics 2 digit and picture
 12

cards. As the children sang the number word, they would tap the matching card

with a pointer. I also used auditory stimuli to help the children commit the correct

counting sequence to memory. While the children sat with their eyes closed I

would beat a drum or strike a tambourine, and the children would count out loud

the number of beats. Another experience that promoted auditory patterning was a

movement activity like musical statues. As I played a piece of music the children

would dance around the room. When I stopped the music, they had to stop like

statues while I created a musical pattern such as, clapping my hands four times,

or blowing a whistle three times. When my pattern was finished, the children had

to find the closest piece of paper (that I had previously distributed around the

class), and record the digit, or word, or stylised pattern that matched the count I

had created. Without doubt, I believe these musical experiences enabled the

children to commit early mathematics concepts to their long-term memory. These

experiences encouraged me to add the use of music as a tool to my repertoire of

engaging and successful teaching strategies, which I continue to use four decades

later.” (Trinick, et al, 2016).

Trinick et al discussed her narrative that, “The underlying theme in Gail’s

narrative is ‘recall versus conceptual thinking’ based on the use of music as a mnemonic

device, as evident in chants and songs. In the examples Gail shared, music played an

important role. She utilised song to engage children in mathematical learning, promoting

a positive attitude towards mathematics, while developing mathematical recall. Gail’s

narrative describes how music can enrich the mathematical learning environment for

children by encouraging participation in the learning process. Integration of music into

 13

teaching and learning programmes are able to be used by all teachers, even those with

no formal musical training (Edelson & Johnson, 2003).

It could be argued that the use of music to promote recall may not aid the

necessary conception of mathematical constructs and there is a need for children to

attain a deep structural and functional understanding of mathematical concepts (Hiebert,

2013). However, memory plays a vital role in mathematical cognition and there is

potential value in developing procedural memory to draw on fundamental tools and

information (Medina, 2002). When using music as a tool for teaching mathematics,

teachers must ensure that children are aware of the mathematical learning if genuine

understanding is to be achieved (Kassell, 1998).

The positive impact of music on memory and recall is well documented. Music,

particularly song, helps to store and release information when needed, a phenomenon

that may serve as a useful pedagogical tool when teaching mathematics (Medina, 2002;

Mora, 2000). Research on cognition has identified that storage of information in the

long-term memory relies on the proper encoding of items, and that the encoding may be

supported by the use of multiple senses and meaningful associations.

Sustained practice over time is the key to retention, and rehearsal or practice can

help to consolidate new learning into long-term memory (Hunter, 2004). Through

singing, children can make meaningful associations and rehearse or practise

mathematical concepts, increasing the chance for new learning to be anchored and

strengthened.
 14

The use of music as a mnemonic device is evident in many contexts, ranging from

the passing down of tribal histories through traditional songs and chants (Levitin,

2008;Van Gunten, 2006). The powerful medium of advertising jingles that get ‘stuck in

our heads’ is well recognised. The associations made between particular songs and

memories and images suggests that songs work on both long and short-term memory and

leave a deep trace when associated with the affective aspects of music (Mora, 2000;

Tomaino, 2010). Gail used the number songs and rhymes the children knew to support

their learning of numeral recognition. The powerful connection between music and

memory is also associated with the claim that songs are not only catchy and repetitive

but are also stored in memory as both speech codes and musical codes (Lake, 2002;

Samson & Zatorre, 1991).

Instant knowledge, and recall of mathematical concepts can take longer for some

children than others. Research on children with cognitive learning delays has found that

some of these children may experience difficulty when it comes to automatic mastery of

basic concepts such as the correct sequence of counting wordsb(Kroesbergen & Van

Luit, 2005; Porter, 1999). It is important that the learning is carefully observed to avoid

errors being over-learned. Improving access to memory is extremely important if students

are to experience success and continued access to mathematics (Conners, Rosenquist, &

Taylor, 2001). Using teaching strategies that make rehearsal and practice more

meaningful can result in increased automaticity (Laws, MacDonald, & Buckley, 1996;

Porter, 1999), and music is suggested as a vehicle to help students commit foundational

mathematical knowledge to long-term memory (Horstmeier, 2004).”

 15

Roby narrated,” I instinctively used songs, chants and rhythm patterns to

aid children in recall, and to visualise patterns. I have always been intrigued by

patterns – visual, musical, numerical (and) linguistic. Patterns provide structures

and frameworks, aid logic and prediction, and enable transferability. This was

particularly evident in a mathematics context. For example, when working with

number, I would encourage children to recognise groups and name numbers

without counting. I would throw dice where dots represented the numbers and the

children would call out the number that matched the dot pattern. I would also

apply this concept when listening to music, and children would identify whether a

musical excerpt was grouped in three or four beats, which gave the music a

particular ‘feel’. The children would also listen for repeated patterns in recorded

music from a range of genres. They would identify instruments that played

particular patterns, and when the patterns, stopped, started or changed. We then

added another dimension by visually representing the patterns using colour and

shape. My music expertise enabled me to see music possibilities in mathematics

and vice-versa. Many of the activities I used were musically sophisticated, and not

transferable to other teachers who are less confident with music, but I capitalised

on my own interest and strengths in my teaching role. With increasing demands

for assessment and other aspects of compliance in today’s classrooms, I believe

there is a tendency for educators to be less creative in their approach to teaching

and learning. Consequently, opportunities to maximise learning opportunities

are missed.” (Trinick, et al, 2016).

 16

Trinick et al discussed as well that, “A strong theme evident in Robyn’s narrative

is ‘patterning’, a key concept of mathematics. There are patterns in both music and

mathematics that could be regarded as building blocks for future learning. While

patterns and associated materials are often visual, music is predominantly made up of

aural patterns, such as rhythmic, melodic, harmonic and structural patterns, which may

be presented visually. Geist et al. (2012) identify three types of patterns, each of which is

found in both music and mathematics: repeating patterns, growing patterns and

relationship patterns.

Another form of patterning that is evident in Robyn’s narrative involves the

concept of subitising, when children show recognition of a set without counting. Robyn

described how the children in her class identified the grouping of beats in the music they

listened to. In mathematics she talked about the children naming the dot patterns on the

dice, recognising that a dot in each corner and one in the middle represented five.

Subitisation begins non-verbally as a language-independent skill moving from perception

to conceptual thinking (McDonel, 2014), and is considered a critical foundation for

learning number (Clements & Sarama, 2008). In a similar vein, musical audiation, or

‘inner-hearing,’ without the presence of physical sound, involves perception of sounds

long before conception (McDonel, 2014). McDonel (2014) aligned the development of

young children’s musical thought (from subjective audiation to objective audiation) with

the processes in their mathematical development. For example, children respond to the

grouping of beats in a bar a long time before they develop a conceptual understanding of

musical metre. This knowledge may be transferred to an understanding of fractions –

 17

note length into ratio, and symmetry into texture and harmony (Goulder & Lodge,

2008).”

Evidence is clear that there are many benefits of using music as well as many

means of incorporating it into instruction. In a Curriculum Review article (2007) “A

Little Bit of Rhythm & ‘Rithmatic”, as cited in Yoho (2011) references are made to

studies of music education on a variety of areas including math skills and spatial sense,

among others. Results are not concrete but do indicate music helps memory. According

to Singer (2008) music increased the chance students had to learn, with music having

been a strategy to assist in the recall of information. In early grades, especial

kindergarten, music was an integral part of the classroom environment. It was a means

for teaching, as with the alphabet, which welcomed students to the classroom, assisted

with transitions between activities, and created an atmosphere of fun, relaxation, and

readiness. Barker (2008) discussed how music brought more to learning. Lyrics make the

lessons seem cool and fun. Lyrics were also able to deliver a positive message about

doing well in school. According to Binkiewicz (2006) “Songs are powerful pedagogical

tools that enliven a classroom and enhance student learning in an enjoyable manner” (p.

515). Binkiewicz (2006) continued discussing the idea that the creation of a positive and

enjoyable atmosphere helped develop a feeling of inclusion for students and had learning

value for them. The words and tunes the teachers used were a good way to assist students

in the recollection of material they had been taught. When students utilized music in

learning, positive results occurred in achievement. Music showed positive impacts on

achievement. The connection between music and cognitive benefits, especially in math

skills, was generally traced to the ancient Greek, Pythagoras, who in the fifth century
 18

B.C.E. suggested that mathematical relationships were integral to physical properties,

including those in music (Southgate and Roscigno. 2009). Aside from a teaching tool,

music benefitted students in other ways. Paquette and Rieg (2008) stated, “Music can

also improve listening and oral language development, improve attention and memory,

and enhance abstract thinking” (p. 228). Increases in attention and listening brought the

benefits of music to every subject, as well as helped improve classroom behavior. These

authors also recognized the environmental transformation of classrooms, which supported

students’ academic, social, and emotional success. There were many ways to incorporate

music in math instruction. Singer (2008) suggested having students write songs and

music for them to remember information. The author also suggested that students write

math facts in poetry form. Facts written in poetry form made it easier to create a song

with the words. Pariakian and Lerner (2010) observed that patterns could be practiced

with music. Students built stronger life connections, increased knowledge retention and

their understanding of numbers through pattern recognition. (As cited in Yoho, 2011)

Mabborang-Caban (2016) cited those learners in order to have a positive attitude

towards their subject should develop a great deal of attention and listening ability. These

factors contribute effectively in the learning process. Undoubtedly, songs help enhance

these skills which reinforce learning. Songs are precious resources to develop and

encourage extensive listening. Considering a song’s power to motivate and to develop

active listening and involvement which lead to greater attention could favorably change

students’ attitude toward their subject. In effect, their achievement in their subject could

be greater. Likewise, songs effectively enhance this requisite skill. When exposed to

songs, students learn better and develop wholesome attitude toward a subject.
 19

Simple songs are used to teach children important life skills in fun ways. These

songs have the power to affect your child’s life forever: You likely remember songs from

your childhood that taught your life lessons and new words that you can probably still

recall to this day. Likewise, the use of songs in everyday activities can improve your

child’s ability to learn and retain new information (How Songs Can Help Your Child

Learn and Retain Information, 2022).

Lining up the various content areas in mathematics, the area which is full of

interesting problems, has a long history tied to the development of mathematics, and with

its integral part closely linked to the development of mathematics is geometry (Jones,

2014, as cited in Atepor, 2020). In the Philippines, K-12 Mathematics Curriculum

outlines in grade 7 math, students should be able to explain their understanding of

fundamental ideas and principles in the following areas: measurement (conversion of

units of measurement); patterns and algebra (algebraic expressions and properties of real

numbers as applied in linear equations and inequalities in one variable); geometry (sides

and angles of polygons); statistics and probability (data collection and presentation, and

measures of censure) (K-12 Mathematics Curriculum Guide, 2016).

Amin Hasmin, Farhana and Tasir (2022) revealed that students perceived a higher

rate of low-level cognitive engagement but, interestingly, a high level of cognitive

retention and motivation. Meanwhile, a significant relationship was observed between

students' cognitive engagement, motivation and cognitive retention. In addition, highly

motivated students often exhibit better academic performance than less motivated

students (Seli, Wammes, Risko, et al, 2015).

Related Studies
 20

As this study focuses on the effects of Math-Jingles to the students’ retention

ability, motivation and attitude in learning mathematics, a study conducted by Hamilton

et al. (2018) is related. It is a pilot study that aimed to teach mathematics through music,

where they analyzed eleven year 7 students at Bankstown Girls’ High School. They

found in this small trial that student engagement can be increased by introducing musical

instruments and other hands-on activities. It also showed that each student improved from

their pre-test results, and some students exhibited extraordinary increases in performance.

Nagisetty (2014), a study that examined a strategy that uses music-related

concepts to teach math. A quasi-experimental study of two high school remedial

geometry sections was conducted during a review lesson of ratio, proportion, and cross

multiplication among 29 students and taught by two different teachers at a suburban

school in Northwest Oregon. He found out that using a music-related activity like Get the

Math in Music is more effective than normal instruction in fostering better academic

performance and also that students like math more after taking part in the Get the Math in

Music activity, which had a neutral response that suggested that there was a widespread

apathy among the students in those sections when it came to learning math. In summary,

teaching math to adolescents with music-related activities might still be an effective

strategy.

 An, Capraro, and Tillman (2013) carried out another study to look into how

teachers incorporate music into their regular mathematics courses and the benefits of

music-mathematics interdisciplinary lessons on elementary school students' modeling,

strategy, and application skills. A total of 46 students from two classrooms of first and

third graders, two teachers, and participated in the study. Over the course of five weeks,
 21

the two educators created and put into practice music-related activities as an integral

element of their normal mathematics lectures. They discovered that both teachers

included a range of musical exercises with various mathematical concepts, and the

interdisciplinary music-math courses had a favorable impact on a number of

mathematical skill domains.

The close study of Apero (2020) investigated the effects of music-supported

geometry instruction on basic eight students' attitudes and academic performance. He set

out to find out how 88 Basic Eight pupils from the Winners School Complex in Hohoe

responded to participating in geometry sessions that were accompanied by music in terms

of their attitudes and academic performance. The main conclusions were that students

believed geometry to be difficult and formula-related, that music-supported geometry

classes motivated children to learn geometry, and that the experimental group's increase

in geometry achievement was significantly greater than that of the control class The

conclusion reached after testing the null hypothesis that "there is no significant difference

between the achievement of students taught geometry without music and with music

using ANCOVA" was that creatively used geometry songs have a positive impact on

students' attitudes toward geometry and that students are likely to achieve more in

geometry when taught with music as a support.

Martinovic-Trejgut (2010) studied about the effect of movement instruction on

memorization and retention of new-song material among first-grade students. Participants

for this study consisted of 92 first-grade students selected from a suburban public school

in Northeast Ohio. These students were tested in two experiments. Through a group

treatment procedure, using the whole-song approach, and individual testing of song
 22

learning across two time periods, a quantitative analysis measured the effects of

movement versus non-movement instruction for the variables of text, pitch, rhythm, and

melodic contour. Using the same whole-song approach, the same children, and the same

testing procedures, a second experiment was conducted to determine the effects of

locomotor and nonlocomotory movement instruction on text, pitch, rhythm, and melodic

contour. Hence, the results of the two experiments indicated that movement instruction

significantly enhanced memorization of text, rhythm, and pitch.

A study on the impact of background music on students' academic performance,

thought patterns, test anxiety, and disposition was done by Sagge Jr. in 2014. The results

showed that all three groups' pretest mean scores in mathematics achievement were

"low," all three groups' pretest mean scores in mental habits were "not developed,"

groups A and B's pretest mean scores in test anxiety were both "moderate," while group

C's pretest mean scores were "high," and groups A and c's pretest mean scores in

disposition to music were both "partially liked," while group B's were all "liked." He

noticed that every piece of background music utilized had an effect on how much the

arithmetic test results of the pupils had improved.

 Basco (2020) conducted a study to determine how well the SoDriGa (Song, Drill,

and Game) method of teaching mathematics to 4th-grade students at the ARASOF-

Nasugbu Laboratory School of Batangas State University performed. He discovered that

SoDriGa was a useful study tool since it improved students' understanding and retention

of the concepts being taught while also increasing cognitive gains, motivation, and a

positive attitude toward learning mathematics. SoDriGa can therefore be modified and
 23

put into use in schools to increase mathematics instruction and further enhance student

performance.

Cobilla-Abunda (2014) conducted a study of lessons integrating songs to enhance

the reading skills of the grade five pupils of Tabgon Elementary School. He developed

seven lessons integrating songs. He concluded are the following: (1) The seven reading

skills in grade five of the third and fourth rating period of the BEC-PELC are necessary

skills to develop critical and creative thinking. Inadequate reading materials affects poor

teaching habits among pupils. Incompetent teachers in teaching reading produce poor and

non-readers; (2) The Lesson developed were proven potent tools in teaching reading in

English in grade V. The Lesson plan are lesson exemplars, hence effective teaching tool.

The lesson integrated lyric poems as selections deal on true to life experiences of the

learners, hence they captivated learners’ interest, attention, and active participation. The

learners were inspired, happy, motivated, and activated when lyric poems were sung. The

songs proved the learners meaningful and rewarding experience as manifested by their

favorable responses. The use of songs tapped the multiple intelligence of the learners.

Furthermore, the use of songs enhanced the rapport between the teachers and the learners

as they can relate with each other through music. Therefore, the using the lessons

integrating songs are potent materials in attaining learning objectives in reading.

Buevlo (2011) conducted a study of proposed musical activities to enhance

learning mathematics in grade VI. He concluded from the findings of his study, as

follows: (1) Any type of music integrated in Mathematics could be interesting in

enhancing learning the subject; (2) Melody and rhythm are the elements of music that are

easily and consciously conceived by the students, thus could contribute to the
 24

performance of pupils in Mathematics; and, (3) To enhance the learning Mathematics

using music integration songs that are melodious and rich in rhythm that may be

translated into bodily movements may be used. Therefore, one of his recommendations

was music should be integrated in teaching of mathematics or any other subjects.

Mabborang-Caban (2016) conducted a study about the effect of songs on

students’ attitude and achievement. A repeated measure experimental design was used,

wherein one class was exposed to two different conditions. Two types of tests were

administered. First, the attitude scale test which measure the ideas, feelings and

predispositions of students in the learning of Social Studies 1. Second, the achievement

tests which was administered as a post-test. The achievement tests exhibited cognitive

complexity because it measures knowledge, comprehension and higher order thinking

skills. The mean and the standard deviation were used to determine the achievement and

attitude scores while the t-test was used to compute the significant difference between the

mean achievement scores and the mean attitude scores. It was found out that the attitude

and the achievement of the students was better when they were taught with the use of

songs. Therefore, the use of songs improves academic achievement and enhances positive

attitude toward a subject.

Synthesis of Reviewed Literature and Studies and Gap Bridged by the Study

Music may have been utilized as a tool for mathematics in order to improve the

retention ability of the students, which is one of the things to be addressed (Yoho, 2011).

Utilizing music as a resource (An, Capraro, and Tillman, 2013) and developing

mathematics problems and examples from the real world related to it (Nagisetty, 2014)

will improve math skills. In addition, all articles and published reviews mention that
 25

mathematical concepts may compose and organize into music because when singing

songs about math, people will be active and motivated, as well as comprehend

mathematical concepts (Singer, 2008, as cited in Basco, 2020).

The parody songs (DeBell, 2020) and chants effectively aid in retaining concepts in

the minds of the students. Having background music (Sagge Jr., 2014) and integrating

pop music in math instruction (Jones and Pearson, 2013 as cited in Hook, 2022), they are

more motivated to participate in the class. Further, Singer (2008, as cited in Yoho, 2011)

suggested having students write songs and music for them to remember information, like

writing math facts in poetry form, which is easier to create a song with the words.

Trinick et al. (2016) presented a foundation to support it and made it clear that there

are benefits to incorporating music into instruction (Nagisetty, 2014; An, Capraro, and

Tillman, 2013; Apero, 2020; Martinovic-Trejgut, 2010; Sagge Jr., 2014; Cobilla-Abunda,

2014; Buevlo, 2011), thus, music is one of the mathematical pedagogies (An, Capraro,

and Tillman, 2013). Additionally, the connection between music and cognitive benefits,

especially in math skills, was generally traced to the ancient Greek, Pythagoras, who in

the fifth century B.C.E. suggested that mathematical relationships were integral to

physical properties, including those in music (Southgate and Roscigno. 2009). Aside

from a teaching tool, music benefitted students in other ways.

There are numerous studies showing that integrating it into mathematics

instruction has effects on academic performance (Nagisetty, 2014; Hamilton et al., 2018;

Sagge Jr., 2014), attitude (Apero, 2020; Mabborang-Caban, 2016), and retention

(Martinovic-Trejgut, 2010; Basco, 2020). For instance, using the lesson to integrate songs

is good material for attaining learning objectives in English reading class (Cobilla-
 26

Abunda, 2014), and the type of musical activities integrated in mathematics could be

interesting (Buevlo, 2011). An, Capraro, and Tillman (2013) noted that interdisciplinary

music-math courses had a favorable impact on a number of mathematical skill domains

as well.

Therefore, there are no general studies conducted on the effects of math jingles on

students' retention ability, motivation, and attitude in learning mathematics, although

there are studies that have been done in music integration with mathematics that included

geometry topics as mathematical concepts utilized, and also significant relationship

between retention and attitude and retention and motivation. Those are the gaps this study

aims to fill.
 27

Theoretical Framework

Several theories will be served as background for this study. These theories

including Gordon's Music Learning Theory, Pavlov's Classical Conditioning theory, and

Zajonc's Mere Exposure Theory could help to improve the retention skills and attitude of

students in Mathematics, as shown in figure 1.

Music Learning Theory. It is a theory by Edwin Gordon from the mid-1950s to

the present that implies how humans learn music through audiation (The Gordon

Approach: Music Learning Theory, n.d.), which is defined as the ability to hear music

and understand that music, for which the sound may or may not be physically present

(Mullen, 2020). In music education, it is used to teach patterns or musical words to the

students logically, which yields musical understanding. There is a method called Whole-

Part-Whole wherein notes are given step by step to teach music (Mullen, 2022). Simply

put, once students can hear, they will become independent musical thinkers who can read,

write, and improvise with comprehension (Mullen, 2020). In connection with the study,

the researchers will develop the math jingles that will be used in the mathematics regular

session. To develop the said jingles, we will take note that to retain the mathematical

concepts in the mind of the student, familiarity with melodies or tunes and the exact

syllabication of the lyrics must be applied. In the said theory, the acquisition is the goal,

whereas retention is the main goal of the study. To retain these jingles, the whole-part-

whole method will be used, which first presents the whole lyrics and tune to understand

the context, then teaches the whole logically through pattern teaching, and finally has the

students sing along. 

 28

Theoretical Paradigm

Figure 1. Theoretical Paradigm

 29

Classical Conditioning Theory. Classical conditioning is one of those

unconscious learning methods and is the most straightforward way in which humans can

learn (Rehman et al., n.d.). Ivan Pavlov (1849–1936) defined Classical conditioning

refers to the learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus (e.g., a tone) becomes

associated with a stimulus (e.g., food) that naturally produces a behavior (Stangor, 2014).

In terms of education implications, for instance, teachers can apply classical conditioning

in the classroom by creating a positive classroom environment to help students overcome

anxiety or fear (How Classical Conditioning Works, With Examples, 2022). To make it

simple, one must be capable of practicing and effectively mastering a task before

switching to a new one (Author - Yogi Raj, 2021). Therefore, the present study involves

improving retention skills and the attitude of students in mathematics; thus, the math

jingles to be developed will be used as conditioning in the mathematics 7 class. When it

employs, it may lead grade 7 students to think that they will sing along because whenever

a song plays, it is associated with singing and memorizing lyrics as a result of retaining

the concepts in the mind and their behavior toward the said subject as well. 

Mere Exposure Theory. This theory is one of the theories of attitude formation

and change. According to Zajonc (1968), repeated, unreinforced exposure to a stimulus is

sufficient to enhance its effective standing. Repeated exposure to a stimulus leads to

familiarity with that stimulus, which in turn leads to liking (Hekkert et al, 2013). In

addition, the simple act of repeated exposure automatically triggers an increased positive

association in our brains (Logos, Website, Graphic Design, Product Design, Naming &

More, n.d.). Zajonc as cited in Crisp and Turner (2007) describes the Mere Exposure

effect as the ability to develop more positive feelings toward a subject or concept and
 30

individuals as the frequency of exposure to those objects is increased (Atepor, 2020).

Thus, the present study will bring an improvement in attitude toward mathematics,

specifically geometry, by introducing Math Jingles as grade 7 students sing along to it

over and over, as well as retained concepts in their minds.

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual paradigm is shown in figure 2. It provides the overall structure of

the study and the specific aims of the research to attain the objectives. 

The first thing to do is to develop math jingles based on learning the topics in

Mathematics 7, specifically key concepts of geometry under the third quarter of

Mathematics 7. The next arrow that goes down will be evaluated by the experts on the

said jingles and about the evaluated data will be analyzed and interpreted using statistical

tools. After that, administer a pre-posttest on the effects of the said jingles on the

retention ability, motivation, and attitude of the grade 7 students, and about data will be

analyzed and interpreted using statistical tools as well.

Then determine the significant relationships between retention and attitude and

retention and motivation through the test scores will be obtained on those tests.

Lastly, collect the journals of the students regarding their notable experiences in

exposing them to the uses of the said jingles. Collect suggestions and recommendations

from the teacher as well through a survey method.

 31

Conceptual Paradigm

Figure 2. Conceptual Paradigm of the Study

 32

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined operationally:

Effects. This study refers to the bringing about of math jingles in retention ability,

motivation, and attitude of the grade 7 students in learning mathematics 7.

Math Jingles. It is defined as an educational parody of songs that will be used to retain

the concepts, motivate, and change attitude of the grade 7 students in learning

mathematics in this study.

Students' Success Predictors. It refers to the retention ability, motivation, and attitude

of grade 7 students in this study.

Mathematics. In this study, it is a subject to be taught, particularly mathematics 7 which

focuses on key concepts of geometry.

Pedagogical Value. In this study, it is a criterion about whether the Jingles in aligned

with educational value.

Musicality. In this study, it is a criterion about jingle writing style, technique, song

selection, and song recording.

Relevance. In this study, it is a criterion about whether the Jingles is relevant to the

knowledge of the key concepts of geometry.

Retention Ability. This study, it is referred to the retention ability in learning

geometrical concepts in Mathematics 7.

Retention. This study, it is referred to keeping and retaining geometrical concepts in the

mind.

Motivation. This study, it is referred to the motivation to learn geometry.

Attitude. This study, it is referred to the attitude toward learning mathematics.

 33

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