Impact of Participation in a Small Music Group on the Academic Achievement of Primarily Hispanic Youth

Author

Danielle Juliana Keaton, Utah State University

Date of Award

5-2016

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to explore the effects of participation in a children' s violin instructional music program, The Young Violinists from St. Thomas Aquinas (YVSTA), on the primarily Hispanic participants' academic achievement. Data collection involved obtaining YVSTA attendance records and participants' academic records: their standardized test scores, attendance records, and academic transcripts. The participants were 5 boys and 14 girls ranging in age from 6 to 14, enrolled in Kindergarten to eighth grade. Children attended the YVSTA between 9 and 57 times, representing 36.36% to 86.36% attendance. All children but one were identified as being Hispanic; one child was identified as White American. Data were analyzed by coding, description, and interpretation. Analyses revealed no significant effects between children's attendance to the music program and their academic transcripts, attendance records, and standardized test scores, although there was evident improvement in participants' GPA over time. Combined with participants' relatively high attendance to the music program, we suggest that involvement in the YVSTA is akin to a preventive intervention designed to enhance at-risk youth's academic performance. The findings of this study highlight the potential positive effects of this type of music program on children's academic achievement, and support the continuation of this program and the development of similar music education programs.

Recommended Citation

Keaton, Danielle Juliana, "Impact of Participation in a Small Music Group on the Academic Achievement of Primarily Hispanic Youth" (2016). Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects. 615.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/honors/615