Dancing, singing, acting, playing music and making art - all these activities greatly benefit a child's academic performance and overall creativity and innovation, as well as their personal well-being, according to new research from University of Sydney academics.
The study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, tracked 643 primary and high school students from 15 Australian schools and assessed their academic outcomes and personal well-being over two years.
The researchers found that school students who studied creative and performing arts were more motivated, more likely to complete homework and participate in class, and enjoyed school more than their peers who didn't participate in the arts. These creative students also had greater sense of purpose, self-esteem, life satisfaction and educational aspirations.
"This study provides new and compelling evidence that the arts should be central to education and not left on the fringes," says associate professor Michael Anderson, the study's lead author. "Those students who participate in the arts excel across the curriculum."
The Australia Council for the Arts was a partner in the University of Sydney's study. "This research strengthens the assertion that arts education is not an educational nicety, not the icing on the cake but an essential part of a well-rounded education," says Dr David Sudmalis, the Australia Council's acting director of community partnerships.
Already, many Asian countries such as China, South Korea and Singapore are investing in improving their schools' arts education to develop creativity and innovation. "While Korean students rank really highly in test scores across the board, the Korean government has perceived a need to bolster their capacity in arts education," Anderson says.
In Australia, teaching artistic creativity and encouraging children to participate and not just observe, should be mandatory from kindergarten through to university and available to all students regardless of socio-economic background, he argues.
The study found that parental support of children's artistic endeavours and discussion and participation outside of school also greatly enhanced their children's success.
This story is part of an editorial feature on Tertiary Education. Content was produced without advertiser influence.