Assessment

Music and attainment: What do we know?

When Sir Keir Starmer said playing music not only brings joy but also “teaches the skills and creativity essential to future learning and work,” it prompted debate. Some begged to differ with the idea that it brought wider transferable skills. So, do young musicians really pick up skills non-musicians don’t? Or are they already high achievers from more supported backgrounds with greater chances of learning them anyway? Adam Steedman Thake, a practising drummer and AQA’s Policy and Evidence Manager, investigates.

Date25/07/23

AuthorAdam Steedman Thake

Photo courtesy of Dayne Topkin on Unsplash

Sir Keir Starmer sang the praises of playing instruments in a recent interview on Classic FM.

Learning music gives not just joy, but also develops skills such as leadership, communication and teamwork, all of which are valued in the workplace, he argued.

No one would dispute that being able to play an instrument can be joyful - although I’m not sure my old neighbours were overjoyed by my late-night drum solos.

But some, like education policy expert Sam Freedman, questioned whether it teaches other vital skills and/or aid wider academic achievement?

There is already a huge body of research in this field to draw on to look at this question.

Academics have found links between music and improved academic achievement, greater cognitive abilities and increased personal well-being.

But let’s be cautious with this. The relationships tend to be correlations, rather than explicit causation, which is very hard to prove.

Playing a musical instrument and academic achievement

Looking at improved academic performance, a study of 11 to 16-year-olds published in April this year found statistically significant differences in exam outcomes between instrumentalists and non-instrumentalists in English and maths.

Controlling for prior attainment, scores were higher for those playing instruments, with the most diligent musicians scoring highest.

Change scores for instrumentalists and non-instrumentalists between KS2 and KS4

GCSE outcomes for instrumentalists and non-instrumentalists

Academically, those who played an instrument were over one year ahead of non-musical peers.

Does playing an instrument help academically across the social divide?

Interestingly, budding musicians of lower socio-economic status showed greater improvement in both subjects than non-musicians of similar backgrounds.

Comparison of test outcomes at age 11 between instrumentalists and non-instrumentalists from low socio-economic households

Change scores for those from low socio-economic status households

Does that prove the wider benefits of playing instruments?

As the researchers controlled for prior attainment and socio-economic status, we might think that is proof of a causal link. So, let’s give every child a violin or recorder and watch the results roll in!

However, it is rarely that straightforward.

It could be that those who have the motivation to play an instrument for years are also motivated to work hard academically.

Or they have parents who value education and music, making them sit down to do their homework and play their instrument.

Maybe it’s having a full stomach and a warm bedroom of their own in which to practice their scales.

How does playing a musical instrument affect brain development?

So, to try and go beyond this, we can look at other fields such as neurology.

A large body of research shows learning to play an instrument brings about changes in the brain which in turn may boost a range of intellectual skills.

First, the self-discipline needed for repeated practice is linked to growth in parts of the brain associated with cognitive ability.

Next, the need for co-ordinated finger movements and the ability to listen carefully is also thought to improve motor and auditory skills.

Then there’s the boost to the memory and concentration from performing long pieces of music which then improves verbal fluency.

The psychological benefits of playing a musical instrument

Positive feedback – audience applause or parental/teacher approval – also increases chances of higher self-confidence and enhanced emotional intelligence.

All these add up to skills which could be termed ‘flexibility,’ ‘creativity,’ ‘perseverance’ and ‘resilience.’

Beyond the cognitive boosts, playing an instrument is also really popular with parents.

What do parents of young musicians say about the benefits of playing?

A survey conducted for the DfE found 94% said music education improves their child’s confidence and a similar number spoke of the benefits for mental wellbeing.

Eight in ten said it supported their children’s wider studies and 42% thought it would help in their later careers.

What did we learn about the benefits of playing musical instruments

So, where are we with Sir Keir’s statement that learning to play an instrument ‘teaches’ young people the skills and creativity needed for future learning and work?

The scientific consensus seems to be that learning and playing a musical instrument does contribute positively to cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence, social skills, and other qualities beneficial for academic and professional success.

But the evidence is not completely clear cut and there may be other factors at play beneath the surface.

Sir Keir’s hopes to widen opportunities to learn musical instruments from a young age and for a prolonged period.

His suggestion is to realise the potential benefits for everyone, ensuring that this is not just for the privileged few.

Music allows a route to develop skills and confidence in an arena which is not strictly academic.

It can provide a huge confidence boost and particularly be beneficial for those with SEND.

At the end of the day, music is also something that can bring joy to people, and no one should under-rate the value of joyousness.

At least that’s what I tell my neighbours…

Education Policy

Through the looking glass: How polling the public can help policymakers learn about themselves

Public attitude data is key to effective policymaking. Proper polling can reveal what people think about existing policies and what they want for the future. But, if looked at from a different angle, it can also help policymakers question themselves and their assumptions about the public. In this blog, AQA’s Policy and Evidence Manager Adam Steedman-Thake, reveals the lessons he learned about himself while reading a recent public attitude survey.

Assessment

Assessing oracy: Is Comparative Judgement the answer?

Oracy skills are vital to success in school and life. And yet, for many children, opportunities to develop them are missed. Educationalists are engaging in a growing debate about where oracy fits into the school system. Labour has put it at the heart of its plans to improve social mobility and an independent commission is looking at how it is taught in the classroom. This renewed focus on oracy means it is more important than ever that teachers have a way to reliably assess and understand their students’ attainment and progression. Amanda Moorghen of oracy education charity Voice 21 explains how Comparative Judgement can help with that and why it may be a game changer.

Education

TV subtitles as an aid to literacy: What does the research say?

Jack Black is probably best known in educational circles for playing a renegade substitute teacher in School of Rock. But the Hollywood star has made a more conventional foray into education by backing the use of TV subtitles to improve child literacy. Stephen Fry and the World Literacy Foundation also want parents to use their TV remotes to get children reading. So, could this simple click of a button be a solution to boost pupils’ reading skills? AQA’s resident expert on language teaching, Dr Katy Finch, casts her eye over the research to see whether it stacks up.

Data Analysis

What is left behind now education’s Data Wave has receded?

Is data the solution to all education’s issues? About a decade ago the prevailing wisdom said it was. Advocates of this Data Wave argued that harvesting internal statistics would help schools solve issues such as teacher accountability and attainment gaps. As with all waves, after crashing onto the beach they recede, leaving space for another to roll in. In this blog, teacher, author and data analyst Richard Selfridge looks at the legacy of the Data Wave to see what schools can take from it.

International Approaches

Finland & PISA – A fall from grace but still a high performer?

Finland was once recognised as one of the most successful educational systems in the world. At the turn of the millennium, it topped the PISA rankings in reading, maths and science. But by 2012, decline set in. The last set of results showed performances in maths, reading and science were at an all-time low. In this blog Dr Jonathan Doherty of Leeds Trinity University outlines some reasons that may account for the slide.

Briefing

PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS: What actually are they and what do they tell us?

According to the latest PISA results, England’s science scores are still on a downward trajectory that started a decade ago. Yet TIMSS, another respected study, has science performances rising. Which of them is right? Is one more valid than the other? In this blog AQi examines three International Large-Scale Assessments and finds that, although they may look the same from a distance, get up close and you’ll find they are very different beasts.

Adaptive Assessment

Adaptive Assessment: A missing ingredient in the resit recipe?

The number of students resitting their maths GCSE is growing, but the proportion getting a grade 4 or higher is falling. This situation is not only dispiriting for the young people striving to get the qualifications they need, but also for the teachers working hard to help them. How can outcomes for this cohort be improved? Bart Crisp, associate director at the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education, thinks adaptive assessment may be part of the solution.

SEND

Student success: Every milestone matters

Baroness Morgan is calling for students to be given ‘self-belief’ lessons as a way of developing their characters and preparing them for the future. She is not the first to notice that a student’s sense of their own ability and their level of success are part of a virtuous circle. But how can teachers get the snowball rolling for students with SEND or in alternative provision? In this blog, former headteacher, John Tomsett, pulls out a swimming certificate he earned more than half a century ago to use as an inspiration for others.

Assessment

Progress 8 – How much can it flex?

Progress 8 has come in for criticism in recent months for the way it combines with the Ebacc to skew schools’ focus towards academic subjects at the expense of creative and technical options. Both Labour and a Lords committee have called for reform to boost uptake of declining subjects such as D&T, dance and drama. In the second of two blogs looking at Progress 8, AQi examines whether the accountability measure could be realigned to address these concerns and if so, how could that be done?

Assessment

Progress 8 – Schools’ flexible friend?

Eight years after Progress 8 came into existence it is facing calls to be updated. Some say reforming the schools accountability measure can halt the decline in take up of the arts, while others want it to boost numbers taking vocational and technical subjects. Are its shoulders broad enough to take on such a load? In the first of two blogs on Progress 8, AQi looks at how it came into being, what problems it was designed to solve and whether it is flexible enough to be reformed.

Download a PDF version.

Download a copy of this content to your device as a PDF file. We generate PDF versions for the convenience of offline reading, but we recommend sharing this link if you'd like to send it to someone else.

Music and attainment: What do we know?

Playing a musical instrument and academic achievement

Does playing an instrument help academically across the social divide?

Does that prove the wider benefits of playing instruments?

How does playing a musical instrument affect brain development?

The psychological benefits of playing a musical instrument

What do parents of young musicians say about the benefits of playing?

What did we learn about the benefits of playing musical instruments

Through the looking glass: How polling the public can help policymakers learn about themselves

Assessing oracy: Is Comparative Judgement the answer?

TV subtitles as an aid to literacy: What does the research say?

What is left behind now education’s Data Wave has receded?

Finland & PISA – A fall from grace but still a high performer?

PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS: What actually are they and what do they tell us?

Adaptive Assessment: A missing ingredient in the resit recipe?

Student success: Every milestone matters

Progress 8 – How much can it flex?

Progress 8 – Schools’ flexible friend?

Join the conversation on Twitter

Download a PDF version.

Sign up to our newsletter