Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Research in Education
Year: 2025
DOI:
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A Quasi-experimental Evaluation of Crescendo: A Music and Social and Emotional Learning Programme for Primary Schools
Dr. Liam O’hare
ABSTRACT:
Crescendo is a music and social and emotional learning (SEL) development programme for primary/elementary school children living within disadvantaged communities. It is a community led, national orchestra delivered and evidence informed programme.
Students who grow up in economically disadvantaged communities have more difficulty with social and emotional learning and less opportunity for engagement in orchestral music. However, there are emerging links between music and SEL development for example research has shown pupils can show increased self-regulation, and focus, when participating in music. Crescendo is underpinned by the ecological systems theory of human development (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) as well as a set of core SEL competencies (CASEL, 2020).
This quasi-experimental evaluation of the Crescendo programme involved 559 children (age 5-6) in four Crescendo schools and four matched schools currently with no Crescendo programme provision. It compared the children’s progress in music (beat pitch and reaction to music) and SEL (self-regulation) outcomes.
The findings showed positive effects of the programme across the range of the outcome measures (Beat effect size Cohen’s d = .58; Pitch d = .17; Reaction to Music d = .12 and Self-regulation d = .20).
Conclusions and implications of the study will be discussed.
keywords: Evaluation, music, social and emotional learning (SEL), schools, orchestra, disadvantaged communities