Using music for other subjects in primary schools: empirical survey findings from teachers and a systematic scoping review

Teachers implement music for other subjects, mostly based on intuition. We studied the added value of music for other subjects within primary school settings, with a single-school survey and a scoping literature review. Our paper-based survey of 14 Dutch primary school teachers shows that they intuitively use music for teaching content in other subjects, mainly for language learning. These teachers see potential for increased use. This survey is the first to identify teachers’ perceived need for further training and materials for this (workshops, other types of training, and the availability of integrated teaching methods). Our scoping review included 49 scientific publications describing the use of music, either as a supplementary teaching tool or as background music, for other subjects in primary school settings. It confirms music being used for other subjects, mainly languages, mathematics, and gym. Our meta-analysis is the first evidence synthesis to suggest an overall positive effect. However, the risk of bias and heterogeneity were high. Besides our methods and results, we present a convenient list of items to assess the risk of bias in educational studies.