M. Elizabeth Armistead

Bio: M. Elizabeth Armistead is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Attendance & At-risk students. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 61 citations.

Singing and social inclusion

Abstract: There is a growing body of neurological, cognitive, and social psychological research to suggest the possibility of positive transfer effects from structured musical engagement. In particular, there is evidence to suggest that engagement in musical activities may impact on social inclusion (sense of self and of being socially integrated). Tackling social exclusion and promoting social inclusion are common concerns internationally, such as in the UK and the EC, and there are many diverse Government ministries and agencies globally that see the arts in general and music in particular as a key means by which social needs can be addressed. As part of a wider evaluation of a national, Government-sponsored music education initiative for Primary-aged children in England ("Sing Up"), opportunity was taken by the authors, at the request of the funders, to assess any possible relationship between (a) children's developing singing behavior and development and (b) their social inclusion (sense of self and of being socially integrated). Subsequently, it was possible to match data from n = 6087 participants, drawn from the final 3 years of data collection (2008-2011), in terms of each child's individually assessed singing ability (based on their singing behavior of two well-known songs to create a "normalized singing score") and their written responses to a specially-designed questionnaire that included a set of statements related to children's sense of being socially included to which the children indicated their level of agreement on a seven-point Likert scale. Data analyses suggested that the higher the normalized singing development rating, the more positive the child's self-concept and sense of being socially included, irrespective of singer age, sex and ethnicity.

Arts Integration and the Success of Disadvantaged Students: A Research Evaluation

Abstract: Does arts integration contribute to student success for disadvantaged student populations? The introduction to this article compares students’ academic performance and arts education in countries outperforming the United States on the recent Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and makes the argument for using arts integration as a way to teach the Common Core standards and align instruction to the Universal Design for Learning principles This evaluation of research helps to support the evidence base by examining the quality of studies published between 1995 and 2011 investigating the use of arts integration with disadvantaged student populations, including economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, and students with disabilities Four hundred fifty-three studies were explored, resulting in the inclusion of forty-four studies in this analysis Studies were categorized as the following: single art in