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Exploring the long-term associations between adolescents’ music training and academic achievement:

There is a positive relationship between learning music and academic achievement, although doubts remain regarding the mechanisms underlying this association. This research analyses the academic performance of music and non-music students from seventh to ninth grade. The study controls for socioeconomic status, intelligence, motivation and prior academic achievement. Data were collected from 110 adolescents at two time points, once when the students were between 11 and 14 years old in the seventh grade, and again 3 years later. Our results show that music students perform better academically than non-music students in the seventh grade (Cohen’s d = 0.88) and in the ninth grade (Cohen’s d = 1.05). This difference is particularly evident in their scores in Portuguese language and natural science; the difference is somewhat weaker in history and geography scores, and is least pronounced in mathematics and English scores (η2 p from .09 to .21). A longitudinal analysis also revealed better academic performance by music students after controlling for prior academic achievement (η2 p = .07). Furthermore, controlling for intelligence, socioeconomic status and motivation did not eliminate the positive association between music learning from the seventh to the ninth grade and students’ academic achievement (η2 p = .06). During the period, music students maintained better and more consistent academic standing. We conclude that, after controlling for intelligence, socioeconomic status and motivation, music training is positively associated with academic achievement.

Stress parental em pais de crianças do 2º ciclo do Ensino Básico português

A atencao e os cuidados parentais dados a um filho, conjugados com as exigencias do dia-a-dia, podem causar ansiedades e stress. O presente estudo analisa o stress parental de pais de criancas que frequentam o 2o ciclo do Ensino Basico portugues em relacao com algumas caracteristicas sociodemograficas. A amostra e constituida por 50 encarregados de educacao, pais de 50 criancas portuguesas que frequentam o 2o ciclo de um colegio do ensino publico na regiao centro de Portugal. Foi aplicada a Escala de Stress Parental (Mixao, Leal, & Maroco, 2010) e um questionario sociodemografico. Em geral, os resultados revelaram baixos niveis de stress parental. As preocupacoes parentais, a percecao de falta de controlo e a satisfacao registaram valores abaixo do valor medio. A dimensao medos e angustias pontuou acima do valor medio. As maes evidenciaram maiores preocupacoes parentais. A idade cronologica e o estado civil nao se mostraram relacionadas com o stress parental. Os pais com maiores rendimentos mensais revelaram menores niveis de preocupacoes parentais. As pontuacoes nas dimensoes medos e angustias, preocupacoes parentais e satisfacao mostraram-se semelhantes em pais de um ou de mais filhos. A autopercecao da falta de controlo foi maior em pais com um unico filho. Palavras-chave : Stress parental; Stress; Preocupacoes parentais; Satisfacao parental; Pais; Filhos.