The effects of music on students' on task behavior

Middle School math students performed their typical daily math classwork with and auditory environment of either teacher chosen music, student chosen music played through individual headphones, or silence. One day each week during a six week summer session was dedicated to each of the three listening options. On the additional two days, students were free to work with headphones or in the normal classroom noise level, according to school and classroom rules. The students were attending a segregated school for students with learning differences. Their on task behavior was observed and recorded three times during each class period. Teacher selected music consisted of a mix of classical music and world music genres. Students were found to be more focused on their work when music was being played as compared to a silent environment. Key words: music, focus, special education, attention, distractio