Music Programs & Academic Achievement

This review of the literature discusses findings relevant to the topic: effects of music programs on academic achievement. The following issues are reviewed: introduction, historical perspective of music education, music and the public school curriculum (value of music education, schedule, support, and budget issues), music and spatial reasoning (the Mozart Effect, music and the brain, and spatial task performance), music and academic achievement (music and mathematics and reading), music and at-risk students, music and school reform (No Child Left Behind, Success For All, Co-Nect), and summary and conclusions.

Music education is viewed from more than one perspective. Its value with regard to musical performance is considered, as are associated processes and products (Elliott & Rao, 1990). Aesthetic education states that the performance is a means to musical understanding and not just an end in itself. Music viewed from an artistic standpoint, states that its study brings a working understanding and critical know-how, which can be applied to specific contexts. Musicianship is a form of knowledge, which can be taught and learned, and applied elsewhere (Elliott & Rao).

Mark (2002a) reported that over the course of the music education profession, philosophy, multiculturalism, psychology, technology, and advocacy are central issues. The 1950s brought a new philosophy of music education, aesthetic education. Aesthetic education guided the profession an

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ned by the trion model of higher brain function, which references columnar organization of neurons and neuron firing patterns. Counters to this theory are that the Mozart effect merely results in elevated mood or arousal (Larkin, 1999). Vogel (1999) also stated that efforts to replicate the original research have failed to find similar results. Vogel stated that researchers since 1993 have found that the music had no effect on IQ test questions. The original protocol was replicated; a psychologist gave spatial reasoning tests to 125 college students. The students were retested two days later. Some were primed with Mozart music, others were subjected to silence, and a third group heard Philip Glass music. All three groups showed the same results, demonstrating no Mozart effect. Despite these findings, 26 of 27 other studies have shown that there are some benefits to listening to Mozart. Reimer (1999) further reported on the Mozart Effect, stating that whether the effect is significant or not, further thought must be given to possible outcomes of the belief in reasons for the effect. For example, if listening to Mozart provides a beneficial effect, than it may be interpreted that educators need only supply this music in th

Category: Psychology - M