International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue XI, November 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

The Study of Popular Music on the Academic Performance of Students with in Agogo Asante Akyem -North District: Any Association for Academic Discourse?

Richmond Amoh-Yeboah¹, Isaac Nyarko², Matilda Quainoo^3
1,2Agogo Presbyterian Women’s College of Education, Agogo Asante Akyem North
³Methodist College of Education, Akim Oda

Abstract:- There remains an age -long perception that listening to music whilst undertaking an academic examination/exercise enabled students to subdue stress and augment their concentration leading to higher scores. Nonetheless, there are varied perceptions as regards the subject matter as others posit that music at the background of an examination hall or class only leads to divided attention of examinees, wasting their precious time and that performance of students ebbs more on talent or motivation other than mere playing of music at the background.

These uncertainties and ambiguities informed the basis of this quantitative study using primary data in the form of questionnaires administered to 130 respondents from a population of 350. The researchers hypothesized: students studying music performed better than their counterparts without music orientation and the results confirmed the hypothesis especially for quantitative courses, leading to a recommendation that the study of music should be taken seriously by educational stakeholders due to its industrial and academic opportunities in sub -Saharan Africa, especially Ghana.
The researchers further recommended that a general stance should not be taken against students listening to music during studies but should be treated on individual course merit since most students indicated in this research that they can comfortably listen to music and concurrently study when it comes to quantitative or numerical courses such as Mathematics etc.

Key words: Academic performance, popular music

1.0 Introduction

According to Adjepong and Obeng,(2018), the importance of music is known in every society in the world. Music exists everywhere and there is no part of the world or society where music is not used or made in one way or the other. As such, music, the oldest of all the arts is used in various ways in societies all over the world. All societies have developed a structure for shaping sounds that fit into their cultural environment which they refer to as their music. Most societies use music as a means of expressing their emotions and social sentiments. This is because, music has the power to create feelings and emotions in a quick and effective manner. What in a book, would require many sentences for description, in music, can often be conveyed by just one measure or one chord (Adjepong et al., 2018). In a discussion on music and meaning, Nyarko (2016), posited that music excites emotions through its capacity to inhibit a tendency to respond to expected musical structure. Adjepong et al., (2018) expanded on Nyarko’s ideas and concluded that the expressive qualities of music engender affective (emotional) response.
Amoh-Yeboah (2011) joined the discussion by saying “the music making of the African was rooted in the day to day activities of society from birth through life to death. Naming ceremonies, funeral rites, work and other social celebrations were some of the contexts for the production, performance and consumption of music. As such, wherever the African and for that matter the Ghanaian child finds him or herself,he or she plays or makes music in one way or the other. The technology of the day which has aided the emergence of radio or FM stations, information centers in almost every community in cities, towns and villages and the availability of mobile electronic gadgets such as laptops, mobile phones, iPod and tape recorders have made the average Ghanaian child of school going age gained access to all kinds of music very easily.Most students do listen to music while at home, playing, working, learning or doing school assignments. Collins (2002) added his voice to this assertionwith his study which found that 50% of pupils study at home with music playing in the background. Similar research byArnaud Cabanaca, LeonidPerlovsky ,Marie-Claude Bonniot-Cabanacd and Michel Cabanac (2013) confirmed that majority of students who were questioned attested to the fact that they studied