Sound Focus: Music, Engagement, and Student Performance
Major
Educational Studies
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Educational Studies
Faculty Advisor
Leah Nillas
Location
CNS Atrium
Start Date
4-11-2026 11:15 AM
End Date
4-11-2026 12:30 PM
Abstract
Research suggested that background music can positively affect students' focus and performance. De La Mora Velasco and Hirumi (2020) showed that instrumental background music can positively affect emotional states, which can help improve motivation and persistence during tasks. Additionally, Mohinur (2026) found that students who worked when soft instrumental music was playing would oftentimes complete assignments more efficiently than those who worked in silence. These findings suggest that music selection that is made intentionally can be a tool that helps shape a classroom environment. This study's purpose was to examine how playing lo-fi music during independent work time influenced student engagement and task performance, which can be defined as the quality and completeness of student work during an activity. This study was held in a fifth-grade classroom of eighteen students at a diverse, mixed-income school. There were also students who had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan. Three sources of data were collected: anecdotal notes, which documented on- and off-task behavior, student work samples to examine writing and mathematics performance, and teach activity log that tracks what was presented to students. Data was collected across days where music was played and days where it was not. The findings reveal several positive relationships between playing background music and student engagement. Students demonstrated more focus and task completion. These findings add to previous research about how environmental factors can shape student learning while also providing a strategy for creating a more focused classroom environment.
Sound Focus: Music, Engagement, and Student Performance
CNS Atrium
Research suggested that background music can positively affect students' focus and performance. De La Mora Velasco and Hirumi (2020) showed that instrumental background music can positively affect emotional states, which can help improve motivation and persistence during tasks. Additionally, Mohinur (2026) found that students who worked when soft instrumental music was playing would oftentimes complete assignments more efficiently than those who worked in silence. These findings suggest that music selection that is made intentionally can be a tool that helps shape a classroom environment. This study's purpose was to examine how playing lo-fi music during independent work time influenced student engagement and task performance, which can be defined as the quality and completeness of student work during an activity. This study was held in a fifth-grade classroom of eighteen students at a diverse, mixed-income school. There were also students who had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan. Three sources of data were collected: anecdotal notes, which documented on- and off-task behavior, student work samples to examine writing and mathematics performance, and teach activity log that tracks what was presented to students. Data was collected across days where music was played and days where it was not. The findings reveal several positive relationships between playing background music and student engagement. Students demonstrated more focus and task completion. These findings add to previous research about how environmental factors can shape student learning while also providing a strategy for creating a more focused classroom environment.