What Matters Most: The Impact of Arts Achievement and Participation on the Academic Achievement of Children and Adolescents

• In Event: Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: Quantitative Approaches to Learning in the Arts

Abstract

Although it seems that there are positive effects of arts based learning on students’ academic and social development, and relational claims that may be made between the arts and various aspects of human development, there is only one study that directly relates achievement in music courses and achievement in academic courses (Gouzouasis, Guhn, & Kishor, 2007). In the present study, we describe 'musically engaged' student trajectories with regard to music participation, music achievement, academic achievement, and provincial examination scores. We will compare music with visual art participation and visual art achievement in Grade 9-12 for cohorts beginning in 2008 with Grade 4 & 7 Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA; a standardized literacy and numeracy test) scores.

Authors

• Peter J. Gouzouasis, The University of British Columbia

• Martin Guhn, The University of British Columbia

• J. Scott Goble, The University of British Columbia