The first batch of the API India participants had a research component within their course. The pre-test, post-test quantitative analysis measured the impact of arts practices for inclusion sessions on the beneficiary groups across the inclusion, emotional and social domains over 63 sessions done with the beneficiaries.
Research Design
Hypothesis: There would be a statistically significant difference in the scores that beneficiaries attain in the social, emotional and inclusion domains, after 63 sessions in the format of the API course teachings of arts-based interventions. This would be true for more than 50% of the groups with whom the API sessions were conducted.
Population types: The study measured the impact of arts practices for inclusion sessions on the following broad population types:
- 32 children and adults with physical and mental disabilities, including those with cerebral palsy, motor disabilities, intellectual disabilities, mental retardation, autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, etc., in the age range of 16-40 years.
- A group of 13 people who because of their class, caste, gender, socioemotional conditions, are or may be at the risk of social exclusion, including children and adults from slum areas, people undergoing rehabilitation for drug and alcohol abuse, etc., in the age range of 8-56 years.
Tools: Psychosocial Domain Tools and Inclusion Domain Tools were created for the purposes of the study to provide a meaningful quantitative measurement of the shift in the aforementioned domains for the beneficiaries. Qualitative data was collected for each of the aspects within the domain wise questionnaire. The pre-test data was collected and submitted to SF by the participant for each of the beneficiaries within the span of the first 4-6 sessions held with them. The post-test data was collected and submitted to SF during the last 4-6 sessions conducted with the beneficiaries. Data from the tools was analyzed using a statistical t-test analysis done on SPSS. The aim was to compare and contrast the pre and post test scores of the beneficiaries, considering if there is a statistically significant difference in scores before and after the administration of arts based interventions.
Results: This hypothesis was proven to be true through the research and data collection and analysis. The hypothesis was tested for each of the beneficiary subgroups, and then for the entire group. The hypothesis was proven true and there was a statistically significant change in the emotional, social and inclusion domains of the beneficiary groups.