Date of Conferral

2016

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

David A. Hernandez

Abstract

Music education has been shown to be related to a variety of positive outcomes, including student achievement in math. This study was conducted to explore the relationship between music education and student achievement in math. The framework for the study was Miendlarzweska and Trost's model of musical instrument training. A deidentified archival data set consisting of middle school students' (N = 116) total math scores on the Iowa Assessments was used to determine the impact of music education on students' math achievement, while controlling for students' sex and socioeconomic status. Changes in student achievement were measured by calculating math scores between the 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 academic school years. The data were accessed from a private school system in the northeast United States. Results of a t test indicated that there were no differences in baseline scores between the group of students who received music education and the group of students who did not receive music education. Results of a regression model for 2013-2014 showed that music education was a significant predictor of math growth scores (p = .015). Results of a regression model for 2014-2015 indicated that only socioeconomic status was a significant predictor of math growth scores (p = .039). Implications for social change include improved stakeholder awareness of the value of music education for student achievement, which may motivate teachers to become advocates for music education and administrators to include music education in their curriculums. By increasing student access to music education, students may be helped to achieve to their fullest potential.

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