Does Participation in Music and Performing Arts Influence Child Development?
Abstract
This article reconsiders the association between childhood arts participation and cognitive and developmental outcomes. Using data from a large, nationally representative sample with extensive covariates, we employ propensity score weighting to adjust comparisons of children who do and do not participate in arts education (music and performing arts lessons) to address potential confounding from selection into arts education. We examine a broad range of outcomes in adolescence and early adulthood (e.g., GPA, self-esteem, college attendance). Our results show that selection into arts education is at least as strong as any direct effect on outcomes, providing no support for the causal associations between arts participation and cognitive outcomes. We do find that arts education increases arts engagement during young adulthood.
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Some studies among adolescents show no relation between ECA and achievement, while others documented a positive association.
“Some studies among adolescents show no relation (Foster & Jenkins, 2017;Rees & Sabia, 2010) while others documented a positive association (Broh, 2002;Busseri et al., 2006;Cooper et al., 1999;Lipscomb, 2007).”
From Participation in extracurricular activities predicts academic growth and mediates socioeconomic inequalities in primary school (2026) · cites this paper as Foster & Jenkins, 2017
Cites
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SOME PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPENSITY SCORE MATCHING
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“This endeavor need not indicate that the value of arts education should be determined by whether or not it influences child outcomes; participation in the arts is culturally valued in and of itself, and engaging in these activities may promote positive youth development regardless of its influence (or lack thereof) on…”
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Learning to make music enhances spatial reasoning
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Profiles and portfolios of adolescent school‐based extracurricular activity participation
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Brunet, L., Rémeau, M., Houdé, O., & Borst, G. (2026) · British Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjep.70127
- Authors
- Foster, E. M., & Marcus Jenkins, J. V.
- Affiliations
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (US)
- University of California, Irvine
- ORCID
- Foster, E. Michael
- Venue
- American Educational Research Journal
- Published
- 2017-06
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 399-443
- ISSN
- 0002-8312 (ISSN-L)
- 1935-1011
- OpenAlex
- W2657960555
- Cited by
- 77
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 176.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Educational Research Journal (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Endowment for the Arts (C11-119)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Music › Diverse Music Education Insights
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Visual Arts and Performing Arts › Art Education and Development
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
- Keywords
- art education, music education, performing arts, child development, cognitive outcomes, self-esteem, college attendance, academic performance, arts participation, early adulthood, adolescence
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