What do the Academics say?
Subjectively we all know how important art, music, drama and dance are to children. Having these means of self-expression adds to a child’s self-confidence and enthusiasm for school, it improves their well-being and mental health, and the evidence shows schools with an arts rich environment do better academically. We wanted to check that our subjective experience is backed up by facts.
Here are some examples of the academic evidence:
Academic Studies
The Arts Council says ‘Schools that integrate arts across the curriculum…have shown consistently higher average reading and mathematics scores compared to similar schools that do not.’ The arts are also a vital part of a whole school ethos of cultural appreciation and diversity, equipping students with cultural knowledge and understanding that will enable them to make better sense of the world and their place within it.
For Under 11s
“Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning” (2000)
Source: Arts Education Partnership
This report presents findings that indicate arts education can enhance cognitive abilities, including critical thinking and problem-solving skills, leading to improved academic performance across various subjects. [Link]
“Engaging Students with Art: The Role of Curriculum-Based Arts Learning in Academic Achievement” (2016)
Source: Journal of Educational Psychology Link for Educating Every Child with Joy
This looks at the impact the arts have on developing brains correlating arts learning with biological changes as well as cognitive and academic abilities. [Link]
Another study by University of Nottingham looks at the benefits of Arts, Crafts and Design learning in schools. [Link]
A Brookings study found: that increases in arts learning positively and significantly affect students’ school engagement, college aspirations, and their inclinations to draw upon works of art as a means for empathizing with others. In terms of school engagement, students in the treatment group were more likely to agree that schoolwork is enjoyable, makes them think about things in new ways, and that their school offers programs, classes, and activities that keep them interested in school.
In the US, a study in the Public School Review noted how the arts benefited children academically and behaviourally. It examines the correlation between art education and improved academic achievement, suggesting that art activities enhance problem-solving abilities and critical thinking skills among younger students.
For 11-18 Age Group
“The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies” (2012)
Source: National Endowment for the Arts
This comprehensive study demonstrates that consistent engagement in arts activities is associated with higher academic achievement, particularly in subjects like mathematics and science. [Link]
A Harvard study provides an overview of research studies highlighting the positive relationship between arts education and improved academic outcomes, including higher standardized test scores and better grades:
“Arts Education and Academic Outcomes: What Works?” (2006)
Source: Arts Education Partnership
It concludes arts should be funded for their own sake (like sport or history) as part of a rounded education and that while positive benefits in other subjects do appear to arise those should not be the justification of higher education spending on arts.
