Music Learning Among Digital Native Learners in Thai Higher Education

Abstract

Higher music education worldwide is experiencing a profound digital transformation, redefining how students learn, access, and engage with musical knowledge. This shift has intensified with the rise of Generation Z—often termed “digital natives.” Having grown up immersed in technology, these students demonstrate fluency in digital tools, expect immediacy, and navigate multiple information sources with ease. Their behavior differs from earlier previous generations, creating both challenges and opportunities for higher education music programs. In Thailand, music curricula remain grounded in Western classical and Thai traditional practice, typically delivered through hierarchical, instructor-centered models. However, today’s students interact with music through globalized and digitally mediated environments, revealing a gap between traditional pedagogy and contemporary learning. While previous research explored specific tools such as online tutorials or mobile applications, no comprehensive framework explains how Thai digital natives’ approach music learning in higher education.

This study aimed to construct a grounded theory explaining how digital-native music students in Thai universities learn. Its objectives were to identify causal conditions, contextual factors, strategies, and consequences shaping their learning process, providing a framework to inform curriculum design, pedagogy, and policy.

A grounded-theory approach was used to inductively build theory from participants’ experiences. Data came from five focus-group discussions with undergraduate music students born in the late 1990s–early 2000s, represented true digital natives across Thailand’s five regions and four interviews with veteran instructors. Participants, Purposive and snowball sampling ensured regional and institutional diversity. Discussions explored formal and informal, technology-mediated learning, while interviews examined pedagogical perspectives. All sessions were ethically approved, recorded, transcribed, and systematically analyzed.

Following Strauss and Corbin’s coding procedures, open coding generated over 150 initial codes. Axial coding organized them through causal–context–strategy–consequence linkages, and selective coding integrated categories into a coherent theoretical framework. Constant comparison and triangulation across student and instructor data enhanced validity, and expert peer review ensured credibility.

The core phenomenon was blended self-directed music learning, in which students combined formal instruction with informal digital learning. They demonstrated strong agency through YouTube, mobile apps, and digital audio tools to extend or substitute traditional methods. Strategies included slowing playback, looping passages, recording and reviewing practice sessions, and sharing materials with peers. Learning extended beyond classrooms, allowing pursuit of personal interests. Three major causal conditions supported this process: early digital exposure, personal musical interests diverging from approved programs, and technological affordances such as smartphones and internet access. The COVID-19 pandemic further normalized digital music-learning practices.

Institutional curricula and cultures shaped whether students sought resources beyond coursework. Teachers’ attitudes influenced whether digital learning was validated or marginalized. Infrastructure—including internet quality, device access, and software availability —either facilitated or constrained engagement. Peer networks enhanced collaboration, creating interactive learning communities.

Blended self-directed learning produced improved technical skills, creativity, autonomy, and motivation through interest-driven engagement. Many students exceeded instructors’ expectations by mastering advanced repertoire or developing innovative cross-genre projects, such as merging Thai traditional instruments with electronic production. However, risks included shallow learning, distraction, and neglect of fundamental skills. Consequently, teachers’ roles evolved from authoritative transmitters to facilitators, curators, and mentors who help students evaluate online resources, structure practice, and connect informal exploration with formal study.

The conclusion, digital-native music students in Thai higher education represent a new paradigm of proactive, technology-mediated, self-directed learning. The grounded theory positions blended self-directed music learning as the central process through which students integrate digital exploration with formal instruction, guided by personal interests and enabled by technology within institutional and peer contexts. Curricula should become flexible and student-centered, incorporating digital creativity, popular genres, and cross-genre innovation alongside Western and Thai classical foundations. Pedagogically, instructors should adopt blended approaches, curate reliable online resources, and explicitly teach digital literacy and critical evaluation. Institutions must enhance technological infrastructure and create assessment systems that value informal and digitally mediated outcomes.

At the policy level, national strategies for digital integration in arts education should be established, including the creation of Thai-language digital resources to enhance accessibility and equity. Collectively, these initiatives will help Thai music education remain relevant, inclusive, and innovative—preparing students for creative and connected musical futures in the digital era.