Music for social change: Development and implementation of an RCT study with a music intervention program

• In Event: Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Topic - Prevention and Interventions

Abstract

Emerging literature suggests multiple benefits of music education programming for youth, including growth in cognitive development (e.g. executive function, mastery motivation, and social emotional learning; Alemán, et al., 2017; Holochwost et al., 2017; Osborne et al., 2016). These areas of development have, in turn, been associated with academic achievement (Best et al., 2011; Corpus & Wormington, 2014), suggesting a causal association between arts-derived child development and enhanced academic outcomes (Catterall et al., 1999; Degé et al., 2011; Graziano et al., 1999; Rickard et al., 2013). El Sistema-inspired music education programs use a whole-child, community-based model that aims to positively alter the life trajectory of traditionally underserved youth through collective (ensemble) orchestral programming. Such programs are hypothesized to provide benefits in cognitive and personal development (Creech et al., 2016), yet to date there has been limited rigorous study examining the effects of El Sistema-inspired programs.
This study uses a randomized design to examine the effects of El Sistema-inspired youth music programming on youth social emotional development and executive function (specifically: working memory, inhibitory control, and planning/flexibility thinking) and how these effects may vary by students’ race/ethnicity, gender, and income level. We use a multi-method RCT approach that includes direct student assessments with kindergarten and first graders (executive functioning), teacher reports (social emotional development, mastery motivation), parent report (youth social emotional development, parent engagement), and program administrative records (music-program engagement). Data were collected over 2018-19 and 2019-20 with 204 subjects; our youth sample includes first-time music intervention with large representation of non-white and low-SES participants. Data collection occurred twice within an academic year, at the start and close of the year; data collection for this ongoing study is planned to continue into additional timepoints, after multiple years of participation in the music program. This truly-randomized multi-construct study is a significant step forward for research examining the value of El Sistema-inspired music education and its effect on youth development.
We discuss preliminary findings in measurement and study results. From a measurement perspective, the use of executive function direct assessments with this age group is relatively novel. However, consistent with the larger executive functioning literature, we find a relative lack of correlation among the three executive functioning tasks, suggesting that they speak to distinct constructs. Per driving research questions, we do not find overarching effects of programming for treatment versus control participants following one year of participation, but we do find positive effects for select demographic categories (e.g. male, Hispanic, white, first grade). We will additionally address forthcoming results of analysis assessing academic outcomes and whether such outcomes are dependent on social emotional development and executive functioning.
This study contributes to ongoing research on executive function measurement for youth and to understanding of effects of youth music education programming for child development. In addition, findings related to mediators and moderators of program effectiveness will inform strategic program development and help ensure efficient use of current resources while maximizing positive impacts on the diverse students such programs serve.

Authors

• Jessica Sperling, Duke Univeristy
  Presenting Author

• Lorrie Schmid
  Non-Presenting Author

• Megan Gray, Duke Univeristy
  Non-Presenting Author

• Victoria Lee, Duke University
  Non-Presenting Author