Abstract:

Many researches certify that there is a deep interrelation between music and mathematics, even from the very ancient years. Furthermore, Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory supports this perspective, opening new horizons in the educational procedure and the anticipated learning benefits. The purpose of this study was to find out whether music and movement lessons could affect the mathematics performance of first grade students in the primary school. A music-movement program had been designed included 12 lessons based on the mathematics content, taught at the Greek public school according to the curriculum of Ministry of Education. The students were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group consisted of 55 students (boys & girls with mean age 6.2 years old) whereas the control group included the other 55 children, with the same characteristics). All the children were examined in the same mathematics test, before and after the intervention program. The music-movement designed program contained all the thematic areas of the first 12 weeks mathematics content (i.e. orientation in space, recognising geometry shapes, comparing and evaluating quantities, numbering, reading and writing to 5, inverse counting, comparing size, time, comparing numbers, symbols, numbers 1 to 20, double sums, the half, designing lines), specially transformed into suitable movements with the 4/4 rhythm. It was used two-way ANOVA statistical analysis. The students of the experiment group scored statistically significant higher than the control group (F1,106=11,75, p<0.01). The factor “sex” had no difference between two groups neither the factor “examining” time of the test. The results were quite positive and encouraging for the integration of several teaching subjects. Further research is not only necessary but also useful in the field of learning and educational progress.

Keywords:

Music, rhythm, mathematics, primary school.