Chapter I

THE PROBLEM

Introduction

All people are born with intelligence or capability of thinking and

doing on their own. Intelligence as the ability to think, interact, decide, manage

thoughts and execute activities is usually define in different ways. This definition

includes abstract thought, understanding, self – awareness, communication,

reasoning, learning, emotional knowledge, retaining, planning and problem

solving. Which shows a complex and diverse idea of the term.

This diverse idea of intelligence can be described and be tested by limited

tools. Helding in 2009 suggest that Standard IQ test measure knowledge gained at

a particular moment in time which may only provide a freeze – frame view of

crystallized knowledge. Which cannot assess or predict a person’s ability to learn,

to assimilate new information, or to solve new problems.

Having this in mind it is necessary that a Multiple Intelligence introduced

by Gardner in 2003 be familiarized as it deals with eight criteria of intelligences

namely spatial, linguistic, logical –mathematical, bodily kinesthetic, musical,

interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistics. This gave a chance to measure a

specific intelligence differently as Gradner believe that the brain has evolved over

millions of years to be responsive to different kinds of content in the world.

Among the eight intelligence enumerated, Musical intelligence shows

popularity among the society. This intelligence is obviously manifested by music

artists, music teachers, ensemble conductors, band members, musical directors and

students.

Musical intelligence is the ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch,

and timbre which deals with the appreciation of the forms of musical

expressiveness. It involves skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation

of musical patterns. (Mills, 2010)

This intelligence are very popular and visible to many schools today

through music program, choir, band, singing contest and also in dance group.

Mills (2001) stated that musical intelligence is often regarded as a talent derived

from natural ability, or a gift that only certain people possess. Which suggest that

musical understanding does not always relate to superior levels of achievement in

other academic areas. Yet MI theory holds that the nurturing and development that

takes place in musical learning is autonomous and on part with the processes that

take place in studying languages, mathematics and the sciences.

The relation of musical intelligence with the academic performance of the

learners is important to know because the focus of today’s curriculum is to

develop the learners based on their unique capabilities and intelligences. Multiple

Intelligence International School of Manila (2008) believed that teaching through

the intelligences provides the learners a lot ways of understanding and motivates

them to excel academically. They stated that intelligences are interconnected and

significantly affect each other. Having the awareness on this matter can give wider

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understanding to the educators on what better approach they can do in their classes

or in their school programs.

All the enumerated concepts serves as the fundamental platform of this

study, the researchers as future MAPEH teachers believes in the importance of

multiple intelligences like musical intelligence as a way of improving students’

academic performances. With this in mind, the researchers aims to determine the

musical intelligence and academic performance of education students in order to

have a center stage of developing multiple intelligences among students.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to assess the musical intelligence and academic performance

of education students of Batangas State University Malvar for the academic year

2012 – 2013.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 sex;

1.2 year level;

1.3 course; and

1.4 field of specialization

2. What is the level of the musical intelligence of the respondents?

3. How is academic performance of the respondents be described?

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4. Is there a significant relationship between the respondents’ profile and the level

of their musical intelligence?

5. Is there a significant relationship between the respondents’ musical intelligence

and their academic performance?

6. What course of action may be proposed to improve the academic performance

of respondents in relation to musical intelligence?

Significance of the Study

This study deals with the Musical Intelligence and Academic Performance

of Education Students from Batangas State University Malvar Campus. The result

of this study will be of great value to the people in the academe. Specifically this

will be significant to the following;

The administrator of the campus will be encouraged to support the

integration of multiple intelligence approach in the teaching process of the

instructors.

The teachers will gain from this study by means of being aware of the

effect of musical intelligence to the academic performance of their students. They

can also make better lesson strategies considering the different intelligences of the

learners.

Students will also be benefitted from this study because they will realize the

influence of their intelligence or intelligences to their performance in school. They

can create their own enjoyable study habit which can result for them to excel in

their classes

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 The researchers will gain knowledge and experiences through the discovery

of what to be improved in their future profession.

Other beneficiaries of this study are the future researcher who are also

taking up as their MAPEH major or other who have the same interest in this field.

This research will serve as reference and inspiration to those who has same

passion in Music.

Scope and Limitations

This study aims to determine the musical intelligence and academic

performance of education students of Batangas State University for the academic

year 2012 – 2013. Primarily this study aims to assess the musical intelligence and

academic performance in relation to respondents’ profile in terms of sex, year

level, course and field of specialization. The respondents of the study was limited

to 299 education students from all year level of BEEd and BSEd program from

Batangas State University – Malvar; wherein 58 are males and 241 are females.

This study is limited only to the answers of the question posed in the problem.

This doesn’t include any involvement of other respondents and does not tackle any

other issues concerning music intelligence and academic performance.