Body Percussion and Educational Processes: Embodied Perspectives and Teaching Applications with ADHD Students

The research investigates the effectiveness of Body Percussion as a motor-musical practice in education, with particular attention to pupils with ADHD, within the paradigm of Embodied Cognition, which emphasizes the role of the body in cognitive, emotional and relational processes. The sample involved 106 primary and secondary school students: 75 included in the experimental group, subjected to weekly two-hour workshops for four months, and 31 in the control group, engaged in motor activities without musical components. The integrated analysis, based on quantitative and qualitative data (ANOVA with repeated measures, pre/post t-tests and systematic observations), showed significant improvements in the experimental group in almost all the macro-areas analysed, in particular motor-musical technique, involvement, inclusion and group cohesion (Cohen’s d = 0.65-1.39), while the control group showed no relevant changes. The subgroup with ADHD also benefited above all in social cohesion and active participation. The results confirm Body Percussion as an inclusive methodology that promotes cognitive development, social-emotional skills and psychophysical well-being.