Internationalisation and the Role of University Networks

Proceedings of the 2009 EMUNI Conference on Higher

Education and Research
Portorož, Slovenia, 25-26 September

THE EFFECT OF AN INTERVENTION MUSIC-MOVEMENT PROGRAM ON

MATHS ABILITY ON FIRST GRADE PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Tsapatori Eleni,1 Pollatou Elisana,2 Gerodimos Vassilis,2 & Mavromatis George.1

1
Department of Physical Education & Sport Science, Democritus University of Thrace,
Greece
2
Department of Physical Education & Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Greece
Eleni Tsapatori, e- mail: hristos1@yahoo.gr

Abstract

Music and movement are deeply connected with maths. Many researches certify that
from the very ancient years till today. Furthermore, the multiple intelligence theory of
Gardner, gave a strong push for the realization of this experiment. The purpose of this
research was to find out at what degree music and movement lessons could affect the maths
ability of students (boys and girls) at the first grade of primary school. A music-movement
program had been designed included 12 lessons based on the maths taught at the Greek public
school according to the curriculum of Ministry of Education. At the experiment took place
110 students (55 children of the experiment group and 55 children of the control group).All
the children were examined in the same math test. The students of the experiment group
scored statistically significant higher than the control group (F1,106=11,75, p<0.01). The
factor “sex” had no difference between two groups neither the factor “examining” time of the
test. The statistic method which used was two-way ANOVA. The results were quite positive
and further research is not only necessary but also useful in the field of educational progress.

Key-words: music, rhythm, maths, multiple intelligence.

1
Introduction
Science and art are two clearly separated and at the same time complementary areas of
human culture: Science aims at “truth”, which can be characterized very broadly as an
accordance of theory and reality. Art explores the diversity inherent in a given structural
framework to its largest extent. Whereas mathematics comes as close to art as one can expect
from a genuine science, music comes as close to mathematics as a genuine art possible can.
(Winkel, 2000).
For Pythagoras music was mostly a math science which its priority was numbers and
the harmonic relationship between them. The universal movement and that of human soul are
based on the same harmonic relationship. Music was also the image of the universal harmony
which transferred to planets and people character . For this reason it has to be seriously
considered as moral and social factor to educational and public life (Andronis, 2005).
Multiple intelligences theory (Gardner, 1985), the Mozart effect theory ( Rayscher,
Shaw, & Ky, 1993),and emotional intelligence theory (Salovey & Mayer, 1990)have had
widespread circulation in education. All three theories have been recommended for improving
classroom learning and all three theories have been applied in classroom activities. In
addressing the 2004 National Dance Association meeting Gardner claimed that “parts of the
brain are dedicated to the arts, and it’s a shame not to develop these parts”. Gardner(1999)
asserted that not only the intelligences brain-based but they are also innate and that if tests for
the intelligences were developed, “mathematical, spatial, and musical intelligences would
have higher heritabilities than linguistic, naturalist, and personal intelligences(
Waterhouse,2006).
Bergmann (1995) speaks about creative dance in education under a different view
emphasizing that it consists basic part of curriculum in many places in the world. “Movement
is not dance. But dance contains inside movement”(Fleming 1976). Mac Donald(1991) says
that “ fractions in maths can be taught with rhythmical song and rhythmical movement, poems
are translated by creative dance and the meaning of planets and their position in the universe
have be powered by creative dances”.
There are at least four aspects of mathematics which can be related to dance: spatial
exploration, rhythm, structure and symbolisation (Tytherleight, Watson, 1987).
Mathematics and music share a concern with numbers and patterns of change. In
music and dance –movement these patterns are called rhythm. And this is their basic common
element. (Eisenhower Southwest Consortium,1998).

2
 Nolan (2007) in her article says every child learns in her own unique way. We may be
in front of a class of thirty and be expected to reach and teach all thirty students, and thus
teach to thirty different learning styles. The way to maximize your effectiveness is through the
use of lessons that reinforce the same concepts in as many ways as possible. Teaching through
the arts immediately teaches to all seven intelligences easily. The visual arts support spatial
intelligence, dance and creative movement supports bodily kinaesthetic learning, music
supports musical and mathematical intelligences and finally participating in a group or an
ensemble in the arts promotes inter- and intra- personal intelligences. So students who
attended class with music, movement and theatre scored in maths 77% while students who
didn’t attend the same class scored 55%.
Many results of empirical research and discussions about mathematics teaching during
the last decades, support the view that an active and social approach to the teaching and
learning of mathematics might be a way to prevent undesirable and negative effects (
Lindberg, 2001).
The idea that music makes you smarter has received considerable attention from
scholars and the media. A large sample of children (N=144) who took two different types of
music lessons (keyboard or voice).Compared with children in the control groups, children in
the music groups exhibited greater increases in full-scale IQ (Schellenberg , 2004).
Methodology
Subjects
The experimental group was consisted by three classes (55 children) from the first
grade of primary school (Larissa city in Greece) and other three classes (55 children) the
control group. The total number was 110 children (boys and girls with M age 6.8 yrs old).
For their participation had been got the permission of all responsible. All the rules had been
kept faithfully for the validity of the research .
The intervention program
A music-movement program had been designed included 12 lessons based on the
maths taught in the Greek public school according to the curriculum of Ministry of Education
(Maths A’ grade 2006) .
The twelve lessons:
1. orientation in the space
2. recognising geometry shapes
3. comparing and evaluating quantities
4. numbering, reading, and writing to 5
3
 5. inverse counting
6. comparing size
7. time
8. comparing numbers, symbols
9. numbers 1to 20
10. double sums
11. the half
12. designing lines
Children were tested in ten math exercises on the correctness and time. The test was
based on the maths book which is taught in the primary school, approved by the
Ministry of Education in Greece. The research was realized during the first three
months of academic year. The conditions of test were the same for two groups.
Statistical analysis.
For the analysis of data was used two-way ANOVA for two factors (sex, time).
The time was measured by electronic clock and the correctness of the test was
examined by teachers with excellent degree 10 ( a scale %).
Results.
The analysis of results shows that there is significant main effect of the factor
“group”(between experimental- control group) regarding pupils ’math’s ability
(F1,106=11,75, p<0.01). In the Table 1, Means & Standard Deviations between the
groups are showed .The measurement ,which was done regarding examining time,
indicated that there is not statistically significant interaction between the two factors
sex, and groups (F1,106=0,19, p>0.05) and there is not main effect between boys and
girls (F1,106=0,28, p>0.05), neither between groups(F1,106=0,04 , p>0.05). Regarding
maths test, the experimental group scored higher than control group to the following:
at orientation, to design to the right point the spots, to join the geometry shapes with
their names, to distinguish the less from the more, to observe and to continue to the
same way, to make inverse counting, to put in order fro the biggest to smallest,
equality-inequality, double sums, the meaning of the half, and to design lines. From
the detailed analysis of results about score, it was observed statistically significant
effect of group (F1,106=11,75, p=0.001) ,(Figure1) but not of sex(F1,106=.20, p=0.65)
,(Figure 2). In addition there was not interaction between two factors (F1,106=.09,
p=0.77).
Discussion
4
 The purpose of this research was to find out at what degree music and movement
lessons could affect the maths ability of pupils (boys and girls) at the first grade of primary
school, making it better and more understandable from a different point of view. In other
words to search the common elements and the probable relationships which already have been
registered between them in the previous years. Gardiner (2000) refers that parts of math and
music may require similar, mutually representations. The ability to sing a melody properly,
for example, very likely needs development of mental operations somewhat like those of
math. Thus, the development of musical thinking concerning a “pitch line” that keeps track of
pitch levels in relation to the sequence and hierarchies of the musical scale can require a kind
of “mental stretching” that can support understanding and ability in both math and music
emphasizing multiple intelligence theory for another time.
The analysis of results gave the conclusion that the music-movement program effected
significantly to math ability of experimental group. It is a fact which permits us to see that
not only could children understand specific math meanings but also prove it. This result is
strengthened by the research which has be done to 188 reports (using meta-analysis) analysing
the relationship between arts and academic future by Harvard Project Zero Reviewing
Education and Arts Project regarding math progress( Iwai, 2002). The factors time and sex
had not significant effect. However the primary aim was the effectiveness and the progress of
children regarding maths.
According Nolan (2007) starting an arts integration program can be exiting and
beneficial path for both teachers and students alike. Effective teaching is effective teaching.
And arts integration is effective teaching.
Recent researches (Nasiou, Pollatou, Gerodimos, Goudas, 2007) proved that music
procession can get positive results to basket ball skills learning. That element strengthens the
positive influence of music not only kinaesthetically but mentally.
The offhand movement and free expression consisted basic parts of the lessons. There
was not “correct or mistake” but only different proceedings and different grade in kids
conception. According Piaget’s research about Constructivist Educational Paradigm, errors in
child logic and reasoning are recognized as necessary for the construction of correct
knowledge-the result of using the intelligence. Therefore, one principle of teaching is to
“Figure out what the child is thinking and respond sparingly in his terms”( De Vries, 2004).
The understanding of maths was the point not the way. The most important in the research
was that logic-mathematical met and identified with bodily- kinaesthetic. The knowledge
rose inside movement and rhythm . Rhythm and math consist common elements of music and
5
movement and there are strongly connected together. From Pythagoras till today to Howard
Gardner , it is obvious that learning is multiple phenomenon , not stereotyped, but open and
unexpected. It is worthy about the benefits of the specific research to ponder the following:
Firstly, the sciences of Maths and Physical Education can be taught with many different ways.
And maybe not only these but also many other sciences. Secondly , nothing must be taken for
granted. Research can overthrow old perceptions and theories. Finally, students and teachers
discover their possibilities relatively learning, progress and evolution, realizing that
knowledge never stops.
In conclusion the goal of the teaching process should be to establish a learning culture
that promotes intelligent learning and deep understanding of different concepts. The role of
the teacher is seen as that of manager of the learning environment and learning resources with
guidance and support from a non-threatening, communicative and inclusive environment.
Moreover, the teacher’s Knowledge about different methods of teaching and insights in how
the often very stable and limited conceptions of lessons are constructed within the learner,
form an important foundation for the active learning approach. It is the teacher’s job to
organise the teaching situations and the curriculum in such a way that the learners are able to
communicate, evaluate, develop and expand their learning strategies and conceptual network.

10
8
score
6
4
2
0
experimental control

group

6
 Figure 1. Comparison of the score between groups, (p<0.01) .

score
10

0
boys girls
sex

Figure 2. Comparison of the score between sex (p>.05)

Table 1. The results with means and standard deviations.

Experimental group Control group

Boys Girls Total Boys Girls Total

Score 8.55±1.7 8.60±1.03 8.02±1.3 7.32±2.1 7.57±1.92 7.45±2.0

Time 13.55±6.05 12.66±4.1 12.98±4.9 13.32±5.8 13.23±3.47 13.27±4.6

(min)

7
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