Abstract
This study investigated the impact of music education on the mathematical foundation knowledge of preschoolers in Ibadan South West Local Government. Guided by guided by Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988), four specific purposes and four research questions, the study examined how integrating music into early childhood curricula could enhance cognitive abilities—such as memory, attention, and spatial-temporal reasoning—that underpin mathematical proficiency. Adopting a mixed-methods research design, the study employed a stratified random sampling technique to ensure representation from both public and private schools. From a total of 15 preschools (8 public and 7 private), a sample of 200 preschoolers and 30 early childhood educators was selected, with the educators chosen based on their involvement in teaching subjects that integrated music and mathematics.Data were collected using two primary instruments: a self-structured Teacher Questionnaire containing both closed-ended and open-ended questions, and a standardized Preschool Achievement Test (PAT) that assessed basic mathematical skills such as counting, number recognition, shapes, and patterns. In addition, a semi-structured Interview Guide was used to gather in-depth qualitative insights regarding the challenges and successes of integrating music into mathematics instruction. The instruments’ validity was confirmed through expert review in early childhood education and educational measurement, while reliability was established via a pilot study—yielding a Cronbach's alpha of 0.78 for the questionnaire and a reliability coefficient of 0.82 for the PAT.Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS with descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and regression analysis, whereas qualitative data were examined thematically to identify recurring patterns and themes. The findings underscored that the effective integration of music into preschool mathematics instruction enhanced both cognitive and mathematical skills and addressed educational inequities between public and private schools. Based on these findings, the study recommended that targeted professional development programmes be implemented for early childhood educators, that quality music resources be equitably distributed across schools, and that curriculum policies be reformed to incorporate music-based pedagogical strategies. These recommendations were proposed as strategic interventions to bolster academic success in early childhood education.