Performance in the Final Examination of Mathematics of Students of the Specialized Artistic Music Teaching

does the time of study or the type of instrument make a difference?

Abstract

Based on the scientific interest in understanding the effects of formal music learning on academic performance, in general, and on mathematics, in par-ticular, we sought to analyze the relationship of the results obtained in the 9th grade Final Exam (PFM) (2018, first Phase of Portuguese Education) of students of Specialized Artistic Music Education (EAEM) controlling the variables: i) number of years of music learning; ii) type of instrument (Keys, Percussion, Wind or Strings); iii) average weekly instrument study time; iv) final third period classifications; v) frequency of extracurricular activities (eg dance, sports, theater); vi) support or explanation of mathematics; and vii) number of weekly hours of support or explanation of mathematics. Ninety-two students between 14 and 15 years old participated (M = 14.53; SD = 0.502). Of all the variables analyzed, results showed that only the support/explanations showed significant differences, as students who do not have extra support for mathematics are the ones who achieve the best results in the final exam.