A study of the relationship of music instruction and academic achievement among elementary school students.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

It may be that instruction in music and/or the participation in the performance of music positively influences the academic achievement levels of students who are exposed to increased musical experiences in school. Research is presently being conducted in this area and while there is limited literature available on the subject, the effects of music instruction on academic achievement continues to interest educators and scholars across the nation. This study looks at a specific case in which increased music instruction was introduced into a public elementary school curriculum and analyzes the results through qualitative and quantitative methods of inquiry.
The hypothesis behind this study was increased music instruction would positively affect students' achievement levels as measured by the California Achievement Test (CAT) in reading, language arts, and mathematics. Also, whether or not both regular classroom teachers and specialists (music teachers) were able to assist students in making a connection or some form of transfer of learning between music instruction and other academic subjects.
The findings indicated there was possibly some benefit to the increased music instruction, however the results remain inconclusive due to the fact that specific links between subjects were not clearly defined. It was also determined that while some increase in achievement levels was recognized in the students of the treatment group, there the scores were not significantly higher than those of the students in the comparison group used in the study. Qualitative evidence showed a need for increased cooperative planning among regular classroom teachers and music specialists. Recommendations were presented for future studies involving more collaborative approaches to the teaching of music concepts and their connection to academic subject material.