Students involved in instrumental music show higher levels of math proficiency
|
Category:
Research Report |
Issue(s) Addressed:
Supporting learning in other subjects Long-term success of students |
Attribution
James S. Catterall, Richard Chapleau, and John Iwanga (1999), "Involvement in the Arts and Human Development: General Involvement and Intensive Involvement in Music and Theater Arts," Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning, Arts Education Partnership
Item Text
Enlisting the National Educational Longitudinal Survey (NELS:88) (a panel study that followed more than 25,000 students in American secondary schools for 10 years), these researchers found:
"Students who report consistent high levels of involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12. This observation holds both generally and for low socio-economic status (SES) students as a subgroup. In addition, absolute differences in measured mathematics proficiency between students consistently involved v. not involved in instrumental music grow significantly over time.
Researchers examined the probability that students involved in instrumental music would attain the highest levels of mathematics proficiency on the 12th grade tests used in the NELS:88 study. Analyses were differentiated by family income and education levels (SES):
- All high SES students do better in mathematics than the average student, regardless of their music involvement.
- Students concentrating in instrumental music do substantially better in mathematics than those with no involvement in music.
- Low SES students with high involvement in music do better than the average student at attaining high levels of math proficiency.
- Twice as many low SES 8th graders in band and/or orchestra scored at high levels in math as did low SES 8th graders with no reported involvement in instrumental music. By 12th grade, the differentials increasingly favored students heavily involved in instrumental music, especially the percentages of students performing at the highest levels.
- By 12th grade, the high performing gap between low SES, high-music students and the average student had grown to about 33% v. 21%.
Links
www.aep-arts.org (under Publications)
Submitter Information
- Name: MENC Staff
- Email: advocacy@menc.org