Higher-degree research being undertaken by Marianne Mansour

Project description

While increasing demands on modern curriculum have resulted in less time for arts education programs here and internationally, more questions are being asked about the potentially beneficial effects of arts education on students’ academic, engagement, achievement, and broader life outcomes. With the current surge in national and international advocacy surrounding the arts and education, it is timely to establish an Australian evidence base for the academic and non-academic benefits of in-school and out-of-school arts.

This study focuses on the question: "To what extent does participation in arts education lead to academic motivation, engagement, achievement, and general well-being?", which is a vital question in arts education and holds important implications for broader educational practice, policy, and funding. Despite this, few researchers have sought answers using appropriate longitudinal studies.

Marianne's research comprises quantitative survey of 15 primary and secondary schools in NSW to measure participation and engagement in arts education, academic outcomes (eg. motivation, engagement), non-academic outcomes (eg. self-esteem), and background and general characteristics. Data was collected in 2010 (N= 1172) and again, in 2011 (N = 1162) and hence, the investigation utilises a representative longitudinal student sample (N = 643).

The sample contains a broad sample from diverse school environments: urban and non-urban, independent, government and Catholic sectors, and single-sex and co-educational schools.

Results indicate that even after controlling for prior achievement, prior variance, and demographic factors (gender, age, language background, parent education, and ability), arts plays a role in student academic and non-academic outcomes. In particular, arts engagement, in-school arts participation, parent-child arts interaction, home-based arts resources, and attendance at out-of-school arts events have all been shown to have positive associations with academic and non-academic outcomes. Results have implications have educators, researchers and policy makers.

Marianne Mansour is in her final year of a PhD at the University of Sydney. Her work is part of a large Australian Research Council and Australia Council for the Arts project titled, "The Role of Arts Education in Academic Motivation, Engagement, and Achievement" being led by Professor Andrew Martin, Associate Professor Michael Anderson and Dr Robyn Gibson. Marianne's undergraduate degree was in secondary English and drama education (with First Class Honours) at the University of Sydney. Her research interests include achievement motivation in the context of home and parental factors and the role arts education plays in student academic and non-academic outcomes.

Awards

• 2009 Australian Postgraduate Awards Industry scholarship
  
  

Publications

• Mansour, M., Martin, A.J., (2009). "Home, parents, and achievement motivation: a study of key home and parental factors that predict student motivation and engagement". Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 26, 111-126.
  
  

Conference presentations

• Mansour, M., Martin, A.J., Gibson, R., Anderson, M., Sudmalis, D., Munday, C., & Liem, G. (2012, peer reviewed). "The role of arts education in students’ academic and non-academic outcomes." (pdf, 1.3MB). Poster presented at American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Convention, Orange County Convention Centre, Orlando, Florida, USA.
  
  
• Mansour, M., Munday, C., Martin, A.J., Anderson, A., Gibson, R., & Sudmalis, D. (2011). "Quantitative analysis of arts education and student outcomes" (pdf, 213kB). Presented at the 2nd Critical Studies in Drama in Education International Symposium, Auckland, New Zealand.
  
  
• Mansour, M., Martin, A.J., Gibson, R., Anderson, M., & Sudmalis, D. (2010, peer reviewed). "Arts education and academic outcomes: a large-scale study of school students" (pdf, 90.3kB). British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Warwick, September 2010.