The Relationship Between Participation in High School Arts Education Programs and Students' Self-Efficacy and Sense of Membershi

The role of arts education has been discussed at length throughout the United States for many years. Arts educational programs have maintained resounding successes in graduation and attendance statistics. However, it is unclear if there is a correlation or causal relationship between arts education programs and students' self-efficacy and sense of membership. This study examined the relationship between students' self-efficacy, sense of membership and students' participation in arts education training and activities, within two New York City public high schools. This study reviewed statistics for 5,269 students, with an analysis of the graduating class of 2015, a total of 1,240 students. The research questions: Are there statistically significant differences between participation in specialized or non-specialized high school arts education programs, and students' self-efficacy? Are there statistically significant differences between participation in specialized or non-specialized high school arts education programs, and students' sense of membership? This quantitative study evaluated and analyzed data from the New York City Department of Education. The findings concluded that there were statistically significant differences between the two schools' scores in students' self-efficacy, and sense of membership levels. The specialized high school tested higher than the non-specialized high school on both variables. The implications from the study indicated that arts education classes and activities were essential to the development of students' critical thinking skills and self-concept growth. The review of the two schools signified that arts education activities could be the catalyst for improved attendance and enhanced graduation rates.