This review was written to fulfill in part the research credit requirements for an undergraduate course in Educational Psychology. -SONAR
Parker, R. (2020). The Effect of Music on the On-Task Behavior of Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. [full citation forthcoming]
Introduction Paragraph (purpose, goals, research questions):
This document, titled “The Effect of Music on the On-Task Behavior of Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder” by Forrest R. Parker III, describes how the effect of music can benefit those with ADHD. Students with ADHD usually show negative behaviors, such as lack of attention or offhanded movements or remarks, which can cause harm to others’ health as well as their own health in the future. It has been said that “musical activity may help promote healthy cognitive function in adolescence” (Frank, 2014; Keilow et al. 2018). To prove this, a study has been created to understand just how well music helps these students to have more positive effects and better behaviors in school. This study included one main research question to help guide the purpose for this study, which was, “To what extent does Baroque style music performed at a Largo tempo (55 beats per min) and just above the threshold of hearing affect the level of on-task behavior for students with ADHD?” (Parker III, 2020).
Methods Paragraph (methodology, measures, sample):
In this study, there were three male students who participated. Bill was fourteen years old and in eighth grade, Paul was twelve years old and in sixth grade, and Xavion was fourteen years old and in seventh grade. Under IDEA, Paul was said to have autism, while Bill and Xavion required special education services under Emotional/Behavior Disorder. They had all been known by their classroom teacher to have little to no center of attention during classroom activities. In this qualitative study, responses from the three participants were based on the amount of time, percentage wise, that they were engaged in the classroom. The fixed effects used were sessions and cooperation with music, while the random effect used was the amount of interruptions for each participant.
Findings and Discussion Paragraph (results, outcomes):
Before the study, the participants were seen to stay on task about seventy-seven percent of the time in the classroom. The results of the study showed that, by adding the music intervention into the classroom, the amount of time staying on task increased by about fifty percent. The involvement of music seemed to trigger both the prefrontal and parietal cortexes of the brain which positively affected their concentration skills. So, the outcome from the research question was answered, “… the use of Baroque style music performed at a Largo tempo (about 55 beats per min) and played just above the threshold of hearing increases the duration of on-task behavior for the students with ADHD in this study” (Parker III, 2020).
Reflection Paragraph (academic and professional goals):
One way that this research could apply to academic and professional goals could be through InTASC standard 1(e), which states, “The teacher understands that each learner’s cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development influences learning and knows how to make instructional decisions that build on learners’ strengths and needs” (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2011). As a future teacher, I believe that it is important to understand the strengths, weaknesses, and interests of students. With incorporating interests such as music into daily classroom activities, students will progress and succeed, build relationships, and enjoy and use their learning in the future. I plan to fill my classroom learning with interest-based lessons and projects to ensure that students benefit from their learning as much as possible.
