Publications
Article | Music, drama, and social development in Portuguese children
Graça Boal-Palheiros, integrated researcher at INET-md, co-authored the article "Music, drama, and social development in Portuguese children", published by the journal Frontiers in Psychology, on open access.
Abstract of the article:
Social competence plays a fundamental role in children’s development, and in their functioning at school and in life. Social skills, as learned behaviors that allow children to positively interact with others, are important for success in both academic and peer-group settings. The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the role of music and drama education programs in primary schools on the development of social skills of Portuguese children from disadvantaged communities. Our findings suggest that participation in music or drama programs during one school year improved children’s social skills such as assertion, self-control, and cooperation and it helped reduce behavioral problems. The study also highlighted the potential role of the arts in basic education of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
