Abstract:
The poor performance of the music students in Nigerian Colleges of Education has been a major concern of educational stakeholders over the years. Finding solution to this problem motivated this study. The study examined attitude and interest as predictors of music students’ achievement in Nigerian Colleges of Education. Purposive and multistage random techniques were used to select 141 students (96 from Federal College of Education, Abeokuta and 45 from Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo) for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. Data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, charts, line graphs, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Findings showed that majority of the respondents’ attitudes to music as a chosen course of study were: using and practicing musical instruction leads to high music achievements (=4.36) and correct use of western and traditional instruments requires a lot of training (=4.33). It revealed that the major areas of interest are: music education (=2.72), outdoor practical industrial attachment (=2.69) as well as dance and choreography (=2.65). Furthermore, the students’ academic achievement in relation to their GPA was average (merit). Analysis of variance showed that there is a significant difference in students’ achievement in music across the study location. (F = 25.57, P < 0.05). There was a positive but significant correlation (r= 0.181, p < 0.05) between students’ attitude and achievement. The study concluded that the students’ attitude influences their achievement in music. It was therefore recommended that students’ interest should be one of the criteria for selecting a course of study.
