Does Art Make You Smart? A Longitudinal Experiment of the Effects of Multiple Arts- Focused Field Trips

26 Pages Posted: 13 Jan 2020

See all articles by Heidi Holmes Erickson

Heidi Holmes Erickson

University of Arkansas - Department of Education Reform

Jay Greene

University of Arkansas - Department of Education Reform

Angela Watson

Johns Hopkins School of Education

Molly I Beck

University of Arkansas - Department of Education Reform

Date Written: February 28, 2019

Abstract

This paper presents second year results from the first ever multi-visit, longitudinal experiment on the benefits from arts-focused field trips. Students in fourth and fifth grades in ten elementary schools in a large urban school district were randomly assigned to receive three arts-related field trips throughout the school year, including an art museum, a live theater production, and a symphony performance or to serve as a control. We find that treatment students exhibit higher levels of school engagement as measured by students’ behavioral infractions and self-reported engagement. We also find that treatment students perform significantly better on their end of year standardized tests, up to 16% of a standard deviation increase. These effects are persistent even one year following treatment. However, the effects appear to be stronger for the first cohort of students in our sample.

Keywords: art education, field trips, school engagement, test scores

Suggested Citation

Holmes Erickson, Heidi and Greene, Jay and Watson, Angela and Beck, Molly I, Does Art Make You Smart? A Longitudinal Experiment of the Effects of Multiple Arts- Focused Field Trips (February 28, 2019). EDRE Working Paper No. 2019-05, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3360471 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3360471

Heidi Holmes Erickson (Contact Author)

University of Arkansas - Department of Education Reform ( email )

201 Graduate Education Building
Fayetteville, AR 72701
United States

Jay Greene

University of Arkansas - Department of Education Reform ( email )

201 Graduate Education Building
Fayetteville, AR 72701
United States

Angela Watson

Johns Hopkins School of Education ( email )

MD

Molly I Beck

University of Arkansas - Department of Education Reform ( email )

201 Graduate Education Building
Fayetteville, AR 72701
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
177
Abstract Views
1,863
Rank
306,387
PlumX Metrics