The Impact Active Listening Skills Has [sic] On Opinion Writing

Abstract

This study examined whether active listening skill instruction impacts opinion writing performance among fourth grade music class students. The study used a convenience sample of two intact pre-existing classes. The Active Listening group (n = 25) was given explicit instruction and practice in active listening skills with most activities related to three musical compositions. The Control group (n = 24) listened to the three musical compositions the same number of times but participated in typical classroom learning activities. The intervention took place during 10 weekly music class sessions. After the intervention, the students wrote opinion essays in which they identified their favorite of the three compositions and provided supporting evidence. The essay content was structured and students revised their work. They had 4 sessions to complete their essays. Essays were scored using a researcher created grading rubric. The Control group's mean Opinion Writing Assignment score (Mean = 25.35, SD = 7.16) did not differ significantly from the Active Listening group's mean score (Mean = 25.72, SD = 8.09) [t(46) = .17, p = .87].While there was not a significant difference between the writing scores, observational data suggested that the intervention had positive outcomes such as greater student engagement and that further research appears warranted. Implications and ideas for future research are discussed.