The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using background music on the concentration and on-task behavior of students with special needs during independent class assignments. A multiple case study approach is used to gather the data for 8 participants having different cases yet all diagnosed having problems with their concentration and attention span. Four instruments are used to collect data from different resources which are student's files and documents, parent questionnaire, student observation checklist, and student interview. Baseline data is collected for 3 consecutive weeks without music followed by an intervention period of another 3 consecutive weeks where music is played in the background. During the time students are working independently, the researcher filled the behavior charts for every student examining the amount of off-task behavior per minute and the behavior manifested when the student stops working. Results demonstrate that the introduction of music in the background has different effects on the off-task behavior of students. Six out of the eight students have a decrease in their off-task behavior during the administration of music, and two students have a negligible to minor increase in their off-task behavior during the administration of music. In general, the intervention shows that the use of music has positive implications for assignment completion rate.

The effects of music on student achievement have been widely researched, but implementing rigorous programs can be expensive. Since schools are often operating on tight budgets, music programs may not be realistic additions, making low-cost options such as playing background music appealing. The purpose of this study is to answer the question: To what extent does background music affect student productivity in the elementary classroom? The researcher looked at the effects of live music and recorded music since all prior research looks at recorded background music only. Prior research found that background music has some effect on student productivity, but the field of research is still relatively unexplored. To add to the existing field of research, this convergent parallel mixed-methods study was conducted on 21 first-grade students from one classroom to examine how background music affected student productivity. Quantitative data was collected through student surveys and qualitative data was collected through coded observations of student behavior. Through the use of comparative analysis, common themes emerged and the results were compared to the current body of research. Results found that background music may help student productivity and that live music is marginally more successful at decreasing distractive behaviors, such as talking and touching, in comparison to recorded music. Key findings found that when students preferred a type of music, instances of off-task behavior decreased. This suggests that student productivity may increase when students are allowed to choose the music played in the background. Since student preference appears to have an effect, it is recommended that students be given headphones or earplugs when teachers play background music so they can either choose the music they like or work in relative silence. The study concluded that background music has at least a limited positive effect on student productivity. While it is compelling to think something as simple as background music may help student success, it is important to keep in mind that other factors may play a larger role. For example, teacher expertise or access to outside resources may have a greater effect on student success. Although further research is needed, it is exciting to know that background music appears to affect student productivity because it is something almost any teacher can do.