THE IMPACT OF MUSIC LEARNING ENGAGEMENT ON STUDENTS' SOCIAL SKILLS

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the impact of music learning engagement on middle school students' social skills and analyze the role of demographic factors. Using a quantitative approach, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 600 students randomly selected from Liaoning Provincial Experimental Middle School, Yan'an Middle School, and Hohhot No. 2 Middle School (200 students per school). Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis were used for data processing. The results confirmed two hypotheses: Demographic factors (gender, age, music education duration, parents' monthly income) significantly affected social skills (females, older students, those with longer music learning experience, and students from high-income families had better social skills); music learning engagement (time, effort, emotional investment) positively impacted social skills, with emotional engagement having the strongest effect (β=0.522), followed by effort engagement (β=0.400) and time engagement (β=0.210). The three factors together explained 99.5% of the variance in social skills. This study provides empirical support for optimizing music education and promoting students' comprehensive development