How does Arts Integration Effect Student Learning?

Alverno College

Cassandra Wroblewski

Abstract
This study was conducted to determine how Arts Integration affects student
learning. Three teachers were interviewed and one classroom was observed during this
study. It was concluded that there are many positive benefits to student learning through
Arts Integration. All teachers find Arts Integration engaging for student learning, and it
encourages students to think at a higher level and gather a deeper understanding. A few
draw backs to arts integration are that it takes time and there is administrative resistance
due to lack of understanding. Over all, arts integration has many beneficial effects on
student learning.

Literacy Review
Educators need to continually improve their practice to meet students needs.
What kind of instruction is going to allow students to gain as much learning as possible?
Arts integration has been a big topic in many school districts to provide students with the
best education. Arts Integration is defined as, an approach to teaching in which
students construct and demonstrate understanding through and art form (What is Arts
Integration?, 2014). It is a practice that many educators are moving to in order to meet
students needs. Many school districts have been eliminating the Arts programs because
they have become too costly for their budget, but Art Integration can help bring the arts
back into the schools while improving student learning. Eric Jensen, Author of Arts with

the Brain in Mind, states that arts enhance the process of learning. Its not the
quantity of the textbook pages assigned that make students smart. Its how they learn to
think about their new learning (2001). Jensen believes that the Arts can help students to
think critically about their learning. They are broken down into three categories: Visual,
Musical and Kinesthetic. Jensen believes that by integrating these three Arts into a
curriculum students learning will be enhanced.
Susan Riley, the Author of the article, Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common
Core, discusses the importance of giving each student an equal opportunity to learn in the
classroom. Riley explains that teachers can use Arts Integration to ensure that students
are learning in a way that meets with own individual needs. Every child is different and has
different social, emotional, and intellectual needs that need to be met. Riley believes that

Arts Integration can help teachers achieve the goal of meeting each childs needs (Riley,
2012).
Jensen discusses the musical arts and defines it as music-making and sees it as
more than just playing or listening to music, which can still be beneficial. Deirdre Moore,
author of the article, Your Brain on Music: why We Need to Teach Music in Schools,
states that when someone students music, they learn skills that are crucial to success in
school and in life (Moore, 2014). Music can be understood all around the world and helps
people communicate with others. Working with music is going to enhance a persons
auditory processing. Jensen discusses how the musical arts support spatial reasoning,
creativity, and mathematical skills (Jensen, Musical Arts, 2001). Teachers can use the
musical art in their classroom by having music playing in the background. Studies have
found that students reading comprehension was higher than a group of students that did
not have music playing in the background (Hall, 1952). Researchers believe that the music
help the students focus their thinking (Cockerton,1997). Teachers could use music in the
background in their classroom to help children focus. This is something that is easily
accessible to teachers. There are many ways that the musical arts could be integrated.
Next, there are visual arts. Jensen describes Visuals Arts like Musical Arts in the
way that it is universal and is understood throughout the world. The visual arts include:
design, paper and canvas work, drawing, painting, visualizing, graphic design, architecture
and much more (Jensen, Visual Arts, 2001). It was found that the early sketches in cave
paintings were used to enhance thinking (Harth, 1999). This supports Jensens thinking

about how visual arts enhances the brains functions that are involved in communication
and that drawing can be used for someone to express their thinking and writing (Jensen,
Visual Arts, 2001). The importance of the visual arts on cognition is that it strongly
supports the learning in reading and creativity. It can also foster social skill development.
It can influence teamwork and community building which is key for a classroom (Jensen,
Visual Arts, 2001). When students are able to work as a team and feel that they are one
community the learning environment is improved for all the children in the classroom.
Finally, there are the kinesthetic arts. This is considered to play a role as a universal
language. It is movement, dance, physical education, and theater. The kinesthetic arts
help the growth of dire neurobiological systems (Jensen, Kinesthetic Arts, 2001). Studies
found that when a person is in motion the brain acts like a flight simulator and helps to
build thinking skills (Berthoz, 2000). Another thing that the kinesthetic arts allows
students to do is it lets them learn without paying consequences. Children can act out
different scenarios and learn from them. This is a low threat for children and they receive
feedback from peers and teachers and the activity is fun (Jensen, Kinesthetic Arts, 2001).
All three of these arts have benefits on the brain and seem to be beneficial for
children one way or another. But do the affects stay the same when they are integrated
into a curriculum? Just how can teachers incorporate the arts into their curriculum? The
focus of this study is on arts integration and its impact on student learning. I will be
researching any impact that it has on the student learning whether it is positive or negative.

Methodology
I conducted my research in the fall of 2014. My research was done at schools in the
Midwest. Two of the schools that I choose to do my research at are arts integrated
schools. One of the schools does not use art integration in their curriculum. I observed
students at one of the arts integrated schools for an hour. I made observations on a three
column chart (see appendix A). I wanted to be able to make observations on the students
and their interaction with the lessons and its effect on their learning. I also interviewed
each teacher. The interviews lasted about thirty minutes each. Each teacher was asked
the interview questions on the spot. The interviewees were all asked the same questions
(see appendix B). I wanted to hear their initial thoughts on Arts Integration. To make sure
that I did not have any bias in my findings, I made sure that my notes from the interview
were carefully coded. For confidentiality purposes, I had each teacher fill out a consent
form (see appendix C) which promised their answers to my questions would remain
anonymous and thus I will reference each teacher by a number 1, 2 or 3 when I discuss
them. Teacher 1 works at a school that integrates the arts but is not in a classroom this
year. Teacher 2 also works at a school that integrates the arts and is teaching in a first
grade classroom. Teacher 3 does not work at a school that integrates the arts but she is a
K5 teacher.
Results and Discussion
For each interview, the teachers started off by answering what their definition of
Arts Integration is. All three of the teachers defined Arts Integration as integrating different

Arts across all subject contents. Teacher 3s definition shines a big light on the matter that
Arts Integration is separate from direct instruction, which is the traditional way of teaching.
She states that direct instruction is teacher-directed, meaning that the teacher stands in
front of a classroom and presents the information. When teacher 3 explains what Arts
Integration means to her, she gave examples of the Arts that she integrates: Movement,
Music, Instruments, Coloring, Painting, and Drawing. All of these examples are different
kinds of Arts Integration.
The next question that all of the teachers were asked was why they integrate the
Arts. Teachers 1 and 2 are required to integrate the Arts into their lessons, but that is not
the only reason that they do. They both shared that it makes sense to do so. Teacher 2
stated, It works! Teacher 2 went on to explain how Arts Integration helped her reach
students that were considered to be High Risk. If a student is an at-risk student they
are considered to be statistically more likely to fail academically. Teacher 2 explained that
for a student to be considered High Risk they are usually from low socioeconomic status,
have behavior issues, are teen parents, disabled, or academically disadvantaged. Teacher
2 talked about her experience with students at-risk and said that integrating the Arts was
one way she could reach these students and get them interested in what was happening in
the classroom. The students that she worked with had a lot of outside responsibilities and
stress in their lives but by integrating the Arts, teacher 2 was able to get them to take their
focus off of all of their responsibilities and focus on what they are learning. The Arts were
able to relieve some of the stress that these students were feeling and allowed them to

clear their mind so that they could learn. From this explanation, it is easy to see that Arts
Integration is very important to students that are at-risk.
Not only is Arts Integration important for students at-risk, but it is significant for
all children. Teacher 3 explains that Arts Integration is effective for all kinds of learners.
There are several different kinds of learners. There are auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and
others that fall under those three categories. Teacher 3 discussed those students that are
visual learners benefit from the Arts because they are able to visualize their learning. She
said they can draw out different concepts, or they can watch what their teachers and peers
are doing to gather a better understanding.
For example, she often has the students role play when they are working on
understanding characters in a story. She has them act out the different events that the
characters go through. She explained that this allowed visual learners to see someone else
take on a role of a character and see what that student may do and how that student may
act. She said that this allows the visual learners to gain another perspective of how that
character may feel. This gives the students a deeper understanding of the characters in
the stories that they are reading.
Teacher3 continued to talk about students that are auditory learners and how they
are able to hear what the teacher is saying. They can talk with other students and hear
their point of view on the learning. Auditory learners can listen to music and gather
information through singing and songs.

For example, many times she has the students sing songs about something that they
are learning. One song that she has them sing is an addition song that she made up. She
said that this helps the auditory learners because they can hear their learning and they are
able to sing it. She discussed that she often hears the students singing songs to their selves
when they are doing their work.
Next, teacher 3 discussed students that are kinesthetic learners and how they are
able to interact with their learning. They are able to move and be active participants. She
talked about how she has the students pantomime different things when they are learning.
For example, when the students were learning about the clouds and the cycle that they go
through, she had them pantomime what the cloud does as it moves through the cycle. The
students started off as one big heavy cloud and then they would make an action to show
that it was starting to rain. After they were the rain the students became the sun and
pretended to heat up the ground and then they made an action to show the water
evaporating and becoming a cloud. Finally they make the cloud become big and heavy
and ready to rain again. This is an example of how the students are up and moving. She
says that this helps kinesthetic learners gain a deeper understanding of their learning
because they are putting actions to their learning and are going through the motions
themselves. She said that she often notices kinesthetic learners doing these actions to
help them recall the cycle of a cloud. Teacher 3 stated that this gives the students a
deeper understanding because they are not memorizing the material; they are going
through the motions and in a way are experiencing what it might feel like to be a cloud.

Teacher 3 explained the significance of being able to benefit all kinds of learners
and why it is so crucial when it comes to teaching. Each student learns differently and if
teachers are only teaching a way that only one type of learner is going to benefit from then
they are only teaching to that percent of the class and many students miss out on the
learning. Teachers need to know that they are able to meet all of their students needs and
she states that it is clear that Arts Integration does that in addition to so much more .
The following question asked about the impact the Arts have on student learning.
Each teacher had a couple of different statements that they made but they came to the
same conclusion. The first impact that all the teachers agreed on was the way the Arts
engages the students in their learning and gives them a deeper comprehension of the
matter at hand. The students are not just memorizing material; they are gaining higher
understanding when they are engaged with the learning. Rather than sitting and being
taught, the students are able to explore their new learning. They are able to talk with their
peers and gain multiple perspectives on new topics. Teacher 3 stated, It is when students
are truly engaged in their learning that the deepest learning and understanding happens.
In my observation, I was able to see the high level of student engagement with their
learning. The teacher was doing a whole group lesson which focused on the students
spelling words. As they spelled out their words the students had to do certain movements
that went with the letters in the word. If the letter that they said was a tall letter, they had
to put their hands up in the air. If the letter was a short letter then they put their hand on
their hips. If the letter was a letter with a long tail then they put their hands to their toes.

This was a form of kinesthetic arts. All of the students were engaged in the activity.
Instead of having the students write their spelling words to practice them, they were up
and moving. Shortly after this activity, the students went off to work with partners to do
word work. I saw children use the movements taught in the spelling lesson while they were
righting their words. They used the motions to help them write their letter correctly on the
line. Tall letters reach the top of the line, short letters sit on the line, and letters with a tail
go below the line. All of the students were engaged in the spelling activity and were able to
apply their learning to their writing. This is an example of the students gaining a deeper
understanding.
Students understanding and higher level of thinking was the main benefit of Arts
Integration. There are a few other benefits that were mentioned by teacher 1 and 3. Both
teachers find arts integration to be stress relieving for all students. Some students deal
with many outside issues that teachers are unaware of. Arts integration allows the
students to express themselves in a healthy way which helps to relieve stress. Another
benefit that both of these teachers notice is that arts integration is fun, and the students
enjoy doing it. All teachers want their students to go home and talk about how much fun
they had in class, but all too often children tell their parents that their day was boring.
Teachers want their students to be excited about learning and arts integration does just
that. The students enjoy what they are doing and are learning in the process.
In the interview the teachers were also asked when they integrate the arts
throughout the day. All three teachers said that there is a balance throughout the day.

There is not just a few specific times in the day that it is done. In almost every subject arts
is integrated into the curriculum.
During my observation I was able to see the Arts being integrated throughout the
day. In the morning when the students came in, they were to put their things away and
then they had time to write until the announcements were over. This was a way that the
teacher got her kids to come in, get settled, and get ready for the day. While the students
were writing, the teacher had classical music being played in the background. The music
helped the students to stay focused on what they were doing. Students were not talking
with their peers, instead they were listening to the music and writing what came to their
mind.
After their writing, the teacher had the students count to 50. While they counted,
the students had to punch the air across their body. While they were punching, the
teacher gave them a description of music and they had to punch the way that description
might sound. For example, sharp, the students punched into the air in a very quick and
sharp way. The students counting also changed with their movement. During this activity
the teacher was integrating movement and musical arts. The students were all engaged
and following along with the teacher.
When the students were doing word work, the teacher had different stations that
the students could go to. In one station, the students were using Legos to form their letters
to spell out their spelling words. In the other stations students were doing various
movement and art activities to do their word study. In each station, the students were

actively engaged with their activity and the learning that went with it. The teacher did not
have to go to any of the groups to tell them to focus or get back to the activity. The
students were truly engaged and did not need to be redirected in any way.
The next question that was asked in the interview was what kind of down falls, if
any, are there in arts integration. All three teachers said that time is a down fall. They said
that it can take time to plan the different activities that they want the students to do. Also if
the activity is not planned well, then it can take more time than they would like.
Another down fall that all of the teachers agreed on is that they often notice
resistance from administration and other co-workers. Many times it is hard for others to
see the benefits of arts integration. They see arts integration as children playing instead of
learning. Teacher 1 stated that sometimes it is necessary to please administration and
then return to doing what is best for the students.
The last down fall that was mentioned by teacher 3 is that sometimes, arts
integration can be over stimulating for some students. Students that are not able to handle
doing more than one thing at a time may find some arts activities overwhelming. For
students like this, it may be necessary to give them another activity or adjust the activity so
that they are able to complete it without becoming overwhelmed. If the activity is able to
be adjusted by the teacher to encompass the overwhelmed students, and still allow them
to get the same understanding of the lesson, than the activity is still beneficial.
Conclusion

Arts integration has countless amounts of benefits that contour the needs of each
individual student. It helps them to engage in their learning and allows them to gain a
deeper understanding and to think at a higher level of thinking. Time and administrative
resistance are the two main down falls to arts integration. Overall arts integration is very
beneficial to students learning.

Trustworthiness
I established trustworthiness by triangulation. I did my own research on the topic
of arts integration. I also interviewed three teachers and did an observation. Also, I
established trustworthiness by transferability. My study may help others to find out
information about arts integration and it effect on student learning. Teachers may use this
information to decide whether or not to integrate the arts into their own curriculum.
Implications
If this study were to be replicated, the research my possibly find other
effects that arts integration has on student learning. Further research could be done on
arts integration at a specific level of education. Research that is done on the effects of art
integration on students at the high school level would be very beneficial.

Type of art/activity

Appendix A

Observation

Effect on learning

Appendix B
Interview Questions:
-What does art integration mean to you?

-Why do you integrate the arts?

-What effects do the arts have on your students learning?

-How does it affect the student engagement?

-Are there specific benefits of arts integration?

-Are there down side effects on the students?

-In what ways do you integrate the arts throughout the day?

-Are there any challenges to integrate the arts?

Appendix C

Participant Consent Form

Dear Participant,
I am currently a student in the School of Education at Alverno College, and I am preparing to begin work on a
research project. This project is a requirement of a Senior Research course, and it is designed to help improve
my practice as an educator. My research topic is how arts integration influences student learning. Better
understanding how arts integration influences student learning will help me become better at planning
instruction for my students.
Should you agree to participate in my research project, you will be asked to participate in a 15-20 minute
interview, and I will also observe your classroom for an hour. As I observe, I will not be interacting with the
students. I will sit in the back of the room and take notes on my laptop. My observations will be objective
observations.
Participation in this research project is completely voluntary, and you may withdraw from participating at any
time without any consequence. I do not see any risks from your participation in the research. All of the data
that I collect will be completely confidential, and I will not use your name in any of my reports. The
information that I collect will not be linked to any personal information that could identify you.
I will include some quotes from the interview with you in my written and oral report, which I will present to the
public at an event in December 2014. This event will be held in the commons at Alverno College. I will have a
trifold board that displays my finding in my research. I want to stress that all of the participants in my research
will remain anonymous.
If you have any questions about the research, you may reach me at 414-801-5867 or at
wroblecm@alverno.edu.
Please sign below indicating whether or not will participate in this research project.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Cassandra Wroblewski
I agree to participate in this research project.
I do not agree to participate in this research project.
Participants Name:
Participants Signature

Date _____________

I agree to honor the confidentiality of all of the participants in my research project.

Researchers Name:
Researchers Signature:

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