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Introduction: There is growing evidence of the positive influence of music education on the emotional, social and cognitive development of young people. Studies show that music education supports the development of social-emotional skills (e.g. Porter et al., 2017), self-confidence and self-discipline (e.g. Zapata & Hargreaves, 2018), coping mechanisms (e.g. Knoerl et al., 2022), social bonding and sense of belonging (e.g. Li Chen, 2023) and can reduce risk behaviour in adolescents (e.g. Rawlings & Young, 2021). The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of music education to different dimensions of positive youth development (PYD), taking gender and age into account. PYD was conceptualised through five dimensions: confidence, competence, character, caring and connection.
Methods: The participants were adolescents aged 14–19 years (N = 542; 65.3% female), 59.7% of whom attended a music school. Data were collected using a standardised PYD questionnaire. Music school attendance served as the main predictor, while gender and age served as covariates. The analyses were conducted with SPSS, using MANCOVA to test the multivariate effects and hierarchical regression analyses for each dimension separately.
Results: The MANCOVA showed a significant multivariate effect of music education on the PYD dimensions (Wilks' λ = .956; F(5,435) = 3.960; p = .002). Univariate ANOVAs showed significant effects on confidence (p = .006), competence (p = .032), and connection (p < .001), with near-significant effects for character (p = .051) and caring (p = .063). Hierarchical regressions showed significant contributions for all dimensions, strongest for connection (ΔR² = .039, p < .001).
Discussion: The results emphasise the important role of music education in promoting multiple facets of positive youth development. The integration of structured music programmes into the education system may be a strategic approach to promote the holistic development of adolescents in a broader educational and community context.
| Conflict of interest | No conflict of interest |
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