| With the demands of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), school districts have focused more time on the subject areas that are tested such as reading, math and science, and less time on the fine arts, including music, which could actually enhance academic learning and cognitive development. This mixed-methods case study explored the manner and extent to which music education is integrated with other subjects in elementary schools in a public school division in the southeastern United States. The conceptual framework that guided the study drew from the theories of constructivism, multiple- intelligences, and Jensen's research on arts education and the brain. The mixed-method research design used two rounds of data collection: quantitative responses from a multi-respondent survey of education practitioners in elementary schools and a qualitative interview protocol generated from the first round of data that was then given to elementary education practitioners in a second round of data collection. The researcher analyzed the transcribed interviews using Hatch's Interpretive Analysis approach. Patterns and themes resulting from the analysis revealed several significant findings that support the use of integrated music education for both the effective teaching of academic subjects and for cognitive development in students. Based on this study, school districts are encouraged to implement a music infusion instructional model that will enrich teaching and learning as well as preserve music teaching in schools. Moreover, in an effort to provide appropriate learning practices for underperforming students, music teaching can serve as a relevant integrated strategy to enhance learning for a diverse student population through a curriculum that reflects social justice values and sound educational principles. |
