Ashley Morissette : ED7202 : Spring 2012 Integrating Art & Math: A Strategic approach to on-task behavior modification Ashley Morissette : ED7202 : Spring 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS Statement of the Problem Literature Review Hypothesis Participants/Instruments Experimental Design/Threats to Validity Procedure Results Discussion/Implications References

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Special education students with behavioral problems have trouble staying focused and on track. Behavioral management distracts from valuable instruction time. Some classroom environments do not nurture special education students needs. Majority of the subjects taught throughout the day tap into logical thinking skills and not enough time is spent on their senses and imagination. Art serves as a vehicle for developmental learning and can impacts the spirit and emotional response of a child. Arts instruction is a catalyst for creative expression, social development and can aid in problem solving. Budget cuts have caused very little to no arts instruction.

LITERATURE REVIEW Art therapy as a component to social skills training may increase the willingness of children to participate because art is an activity that they find acceptable. (Epp, 2008; Naumburg, 2001) Research indicates that the majority of children with emotional difficulties also have learning disabilities (Freilich & Shectman, 2010). Many studies (Adu-Agyem, 2009; Bagilishya et al., 2005; Dorff & Pochedley, 2008; Dunn-Snow, 1999; Naumburg, 2001) have investigated the link between art making in the classroom setting and increased self-esteem.

HYPOTHESIS By implementing arts-based math instruction to 11 first-grade students at PS X in Brooklyn, NY for 45 minutes a day, 2 days a week, over a four-week period, students’ on-task behavior and positive social skills will increase.

PARTICIPANTS/INSTRUMENTS 22 students from P.S X in Brooklyn, NY 11 students in Group A (Experimental Group) 11 students in Group B (control group) Instruments Pre and Post Teacher Surveys Negative Behaviors: Social/Emotional; Classroom Performance Student Surveys Attitudes towards math and art Unit Test Scores Comparison of average test scores from Group A and Group B

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN/THREATS TO VALIDITY RESEARCH DESIGN: Pre-experimental: Nonequivalent Control Group Design Symbolic Design: O X1 O O X2 O THREATS TO INTERNAL VALIDITY History Instrumentation Mortality Statistical Regression Selection-Maturation Interaction THREATS TO EXTERNAL VALIDITY Ecological Generalizable Conditions Specificity of Variables Experimenter Effects Reactive Arrangements/Participant Effects Novelty Effect

PROCEDURE Pretest Administration Group A exposed to a treatment Negative Behavior Pretest, Student Survey Group A exposed to a treatment Twice weekly art-integrated math instruction Posttest Administration Negative Behavior Posttest, Math unit test scores

RESULTS PRETEST/POSTTEST RESULTS GROUP A: 10% decrease Pretest Average: 44.909 Posttest Average: 40.273 GROUP B: 2% decrease Pretest Average: 49.727 Posttest Average: 48.273

RESULTS MATH SCORES: Pre-treatment & Post-treatment GROUP A: 5.82% increase Pre-Treatment Average Math Scores: 78 Post-Treatment Average Math Scores: 82 GROUP B: 0.1% increase Pre-Treatment Average Math Scores: 83 Post-Treatment Average Math Scores: 82

RESULTS GROUP A: Negative Behaviors Posttest/Math Scores Correlation -0.746rxy

RESULTS GROUP A: Student Surveys/Posttest Correlations -0.710rxy

DATA DISPERSION σ= 9.210 POSTTEST: GROUP A Mean: 40.273 63% fell within +/- 1 S.D POSTTEST: GROUP B Mean: 48.27 63% fell within +/- 1 S.D σ= 8.137 σ= 9.210

DISCUSSION/IMPLICATIONS Hyperactivity can be channeled and transformed into socially constructive forms of self-regulation through facilitated creative behavior (Henley, 1998) The results suggest that art activities during math do impact the students’ willingness to participate through improved social/emotional behaviors and classroom performance. Further research is needed Small sample size Length of study

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