Biosongs: enhancing cognition and emotional development through an active teaching-learning method in biosciences

Abstract

Cultivating an innovative approach to education, the use of music as a teaching-learning method in Biosciences allows the enrichment of traditional pedagogy and nurtures students’ cognitive and emotional development through creative expression and interdisciplinary exploration. By developing original songs inspired in bioscience topics, we applied the concept of musical intelligence developed by Howard Gardner as a teaching-learning method in science classes for the last years of an elementary school in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). In terms of cognition development, it is known that music promotes brain plasticity and stimulates interactions between various parts of the brain. Together with the students, we developed and worked new songs about the most important themes in biosciences for the 7th, 8th and 9th years of elementary school. Aiming to (i) motivate the students, (ii) facilitate content memorization, (iii) increase concentration, (iv) promote affectivity, and (v) stimulate group working, we developed eight new songs based in the content of basic bioscience course. Those songs were repeatedly sung together with groups of students and overall evaluation identified an improvement of the five aspects evaluated. Providing active teaching-learning methods in science classes that place students as the center of the educational process can build a more playful, joyful, motivating, and welcoming environment for education in Brazil and worldwide. Running Title: Music stimulates the interest of children in biosciences