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ERIC Number: EJ1050665
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1932-7528
EISSN: N/A
A Study on the Relationship between Theater Arts and Student Literacy and Mathematics Achievement
Inoa, Rafael; Weltsek, Gustave; Tabone, Carmine
Journal for Learning through the Arts, v10 n1 2014
Past studies have shown positive correlations between the arts and academic achievement when the arts were integrated into the literature curriculum. Other studies have shown positive associations between the arts and other areas of the curriculum, such as mathematics and science. Considering the Theory of Change, which employs understandings in Critical Literacy, Multimodal Literacy, and Transmediation, this study employed a multi-stage cluster randomized design and conducted a series of comparison and treatment group statistical analyses among predominantly low income students in an urban school district, some of whom had participated in the Integrating Theater Arts Project (ITAP). The study assessed whether a relationship existed between the presence of a theater arts intervention and student achievement in language arts and mathematics. Results showed that students receiving intervention often outperformed their control group counterparts in both math and language arts. Furthermore, students in the theater arts program outperformed their control group counterparts in every case that showed statistical significance. These cases included math achievement among sixth grade students, both language arts and math achievement of sixth grade males, and math achievement of sixth grade Hispanics. The authors conclude that programs like ITAP and methods relative to the Theory of Change may in fact promote academic achievement among participating students. They also invite future studies to consider how achievement of other academic subjects--in this case, mathematics--may also relate to such interventions.
Center for Learning in the Arts, Sciences and Sustainability. University of California Irvine, School of Biological Sciences III, Office 2656, Irvine, CA 92697. Tel: 949-824-4317; Fax: 949-824-2965; Web site: http://sites.uci.edu/class/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Department of Education (ED), Office of Innovation and Improvement
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A