The Relationship Between Participation in Different Music Programs and Academic Achievement

Abstract

The current study investigates the relationship between participation in different music programs and academic achievement. This topic was investigated because although a strong correlation between music participation and academic achievement has been established, this could vary among different music programs. This is because different personality traits tend to be prevalent amongst different courses (MacLellan, 2011) and this variation in personality has been proven by multiple researchers to influence academic achievement (e.g., Nechita et al., 2015; Mammadov, 2021). Based on the pre-existing research about the relationship between academic achievement and music participation, and the effects of personality on student success, I hypothesized choir students would have lower achievement. This is because choir students displayed higher levels of extraversion, which was proven to hinder achievement. A two-part, dual-methods study was conducted, consisting of an ex-post facto research design utilizing a shortened achievement test, and a content analysis of student transcript summaries. A shortened version of an SAT practice test was completed by 19 subjects, and 14 of the 19 subjects turned in a copy of their student transcript summaries. This study found no statistically significant effect on academic achievement. This can benefit students, parents, and counselors. Schools should endorse various music programs since providing students with options allows them to explore their interests and benefit their achievement. The findings can also be beneficial to scientists because this study provides insight into how music influences the brain since the courses must have had a common factor that influenced brain activity.