A Case Study on Social Interaction Through Music Activities Among Three-Year-Old Children in a Childcare Centre in Kuala Lumpur

Toh, Yin Ru (2026) A Case Study on Social Interaction Through Music Activities Among Three-Year-Old Children in a Childcare Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Socal Interaction Through Music Actives. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Music is widely recognized as an effective medium that supports communication, cooperation and emotional expression among young children. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of both teacher-led and child-led music activities in promoting social interaction among children. Five three years old children were selected from the childcare centre selected using purposive sampling. Data was collected through non - participation observation during music activity sessions over a three week period. An adapted instrument from Hubbell’s Final Codebook for Shared Music Interaction and Shared Music Understanding were used to record behaviours related to social interaction, listening and shared focus and shared understanding. The data was analysed by categorizing the interaction observed during teacher-led and child-led music activities.The findings showed that both teacher-led and child-led music activities supported social interaction among three-year-old children. Teacher-led activities promoted structured interactions such as turn-taking, imitation, and shared attention, while child-led activities encouraged spontaneous interaction, including peer communication, cooperative play, and creative engagement. Overall, music activities enhanced social interaction, with both approaches contributing in complementary ways.This study provides insights into how music activities can facilitate young children’s social interaction and support early childhood educators in creating meaningful music-based learning experiences in childcare settings.