Reducing School Dropout and Enhancing Pupils' Sense of Belonging and Participation Through Co-created Music-based Activities (RESONATE)

Reducing School Dropout and Enhancing Pupils' Sense of Belonging and Participation Through Co-created Music-based Activities: The RESONATE Cluster-randomised Crossover Trial

RESONATE is a cluster-randomised crossover trial focusing on reducing school dropout rates and fostering belonging through co-created music-based activites, by combining music therapy (MT), psychology, and social sciences.

About 200 participants will be recruited in the area of Bergen, Norway. They will be randomized into the following intervention arms: group music activity followed by usual school schedule or usual school schedule followed by group music activity.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Mastery; Salutogenesis; Preventative Health; Well-Being, Psychological
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Group music activity, co-created by pupils and music therapists, 1x/week over 1 school semester; Behavioral: Usual school schedule over 1 school semester

Detailed Description

RESONATE is a research initiative with researchers from Norway, Finland, and Denmark, and cultural organizations, the project employs an interdisciplinary approach combining music therapy, psychology, and social sciences. By engaging pupils, teachers, and community stakeholders, RESONATE develops and implements music interventions that promote emotional well-being, social inclusion, and resilience. These interventions align with Norway's current national school curriculum (LK20) and are informed by evidence-based research, including studies from WHO and music therapy scholars. Activities such as music-making and listening enhance social interaction, self-expression, and emotional support-key factors in reducing dropout risks.

The project follows a co-creation process, ensuring that interventions are designed with direct input from pupils and educators. A mixed-methods research approach, evaluates the impact of music activities on pupil engagement and well-being. Findings will be shared with policymakers, educators, the school sector, and welfare services to develop a transferable model applicable to schools nationally and internationally.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 200
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Viggo Krüger, PhD; Phone Number: +4799534628; Email: viggo.kruger@uib.no
• Study Contact Backup: Name: May Olaug Horverak, PhD; Phone Number: +47 99695081; Email: mayh@norceresearch.no

Study Locations

• Norway
  • Borre, Norway, 3199
    • Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge
    • Contact: Monika Thollefsen; Phone Number: +4731009185; Email: monika.thollefsen@usn.no
  • Vestland
    • Bergen, Vestland, Norway, 5004
      • Give Music A Chance - Norway
      • Contact: Christian Lund; Phone Number: +4748421406; Email: christian@givemusicachance.no
    • Bergen, Vestland, Norway, 5004
      • NAV Vestland
      • Contact: Thorleif Øivind Madsen Nesse; Phone Number: +4740606621; Email: Thorleif.Nesse@nav.no
    • Bergen, Vestland, Norway, 5009
      • Hyssingen Produksjonsskole
      • Contact: Baste Bruarøy; Phone Number: +4797196055; Email: baste.bruaroy@vlfk.no
    • Bergen, Vestland, Norway, 5010
      • Møhlenpris idrettslag
      • Contact: Brent Hackman; Phone Number: +4799210977; Email: brenthackman@milidrett.no
    • Bergen, Vestland, Norway, 5011
      • Stiftelsen Vestnorsk Jazzsenter
      • Contact: Nina Torske; Phone Number: +4797697424; Email: nina@vestnorskjazzsenter.no
    • Bergen, Vestland, Norway, 5015
      • Amalie Skram videregående skole
      • Contact: Lars Berntsen; Phone Number: +4799757795; Email: Lars.Berntsen@vlfk.no
    • Bergen, Vestland, Norway, 5015
      • Bergen kommune, Bergen Offentlige Bibliotek
      • Contact: Sverre Helge Bolstad; Phone Number: +4792066683; Email: sverre.bolstad@bergen.kommune.no
    • Bergen, Vestland, Norway, 5020
      • Vestland Fylkeskommune Opplæring og Kompetanse
      • Contact: Odd Bjarne Berdal; Phone Number: +4799233975; Email: odd.berdal@vlfk.no
    • Bergen, Vestland, Norway, 5824
      • Årstad videregående skole
      • Contact: Kari Danielsen; Phone Number: +4799479832; Email: Kari.Danielsen@vlfk.no
    • Bergen, Vestland, Norway, 5832
      • Stiftinga Bergen Katedralskole
      • Contact: Karen Kristine Rasmussen; Phone Number: +4797146043; Email: Karen.Kristine.Rasmussen@vlfk.no
    • Bergen, Vestland, Norway, 5857
      • Nordahl Grieg videregående skole
      • Contact: Anita Jensen Ystebø; Phone Number: +4792446903; Email: anita.jensen.ystebo@vlfk.no
    • Fyllingsdalen, Vestland, Norway, 5143
      • Fyllingsdalen videregående skole
      • Contact: Trond Botnen; Phone Number: +4798405151; Email: Trond.Botnen@vlfk.no
    • Isdalstø, Vestland, Norway, 5916
      • Knarvik videregående skole
      • Contact: Ulrik Schütz; Phone Number: +4790604879; Email: Ulrik.Schutz@vlfk.no
    • Olsvik, Vestland, Norway, 5183
      • Olsvikåsen videregående skole
      • Contact: Helene Systad; Phone Number: +4792252093; Email: Helene.Systad@vlfk.no
    • Straume, Vestland, Norway, 5353
      • Sotra videregående skole
      • Contact: Olav Lee; Phone Number: +4756310274; Email: Olav.Lee@vlfk.no

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pupils from the area Bergen, Norway.
• High school pupils.
• Sufficient Scandinavian language skills.
• Between age 15-25.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Does not speak a Scandinavian language sufficiently.
• Planning to change school during the school year.
• Uncorrected hearing impairment.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group music activity plus usual school schedule followed by usual school schedule alone	Behavioral: Group music activity, co-created by pupils and music therapists, 1x/week over 1 school semester; Group music activity is a music therapy intervention where participants will performe activites such as songwriting, music production and singing. The sessions will be conducted by an appropriately qualified music therapist, with support from the teacher and the researcher.; Behavioral: Usual school schedule over 1 school semester; The participants will at first only attend a ordinary school schedule over 1 semester without group music activity. The next semester the participants will be followed by group music activity plus orinary school schedule.
Experimental: Usual school schedule alone followed by group music activity plus usual school schedule	Behavioral: Group music activity, co-created by pupils and music therapists, 1x/week over 1 school semester; Group music activity is a music therapy intervention where participants will performe activites such as songwriting, music production and singing. The sessions will be conducted by an appropriately qualified music therapist, with support from the teacher and the researcher.; Behavioral: Usual school schedule over 1 school semester; The participants will at first only attend a ordinary school schedule over 1 semester without group music activity. The next semester the participants will be followed by group music activity plus orinary school schedule.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Absence from school (any reason)	Days of absence from school for any reason per semester, from school records	4 months, 10 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Absence from school (unexcused)	Days of unexcused absence from school per semester, from school records	4 months, 10 months
Healthy Use of Music Scale (HUMS Healthy)	Self-reported healthy music use. The scale consists of 5 items, each scored 1-5, to produce a total sum score from 5-25. Higher scores indicate more favourable use of music.	0 months, 4 months, 6 months, 10 months
Generalised Resistance Resources in School Scale (GRRS)	Self-reported generalised resistance resources in school. The scale consists of 9 items, each scored 1-5, to produce a total sum score from 9-45. Higher scores indicate a more favourable outcome (high degree of generalised resistance resources). Additionally there are 3 subscales (relational quality; task mastery in school; school motivation).	0 months, 4 months, 6 months, 10 months
Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS)	Self-reported well-being. The scale consists of 14 items, each scored 1-5, summed to to produce a global score from 14-70. Higher scores indicate better mental well-being.	0 months, 4 months, 6 months, 10 months
Academic engagement (subscale of Positive Youth Development, PYD)	Self-reported academic engagement. The scale consists of 5 items, each scored 1-5. Mean scores are estimated. Score from 1-5. Higher scores indicate higher levels of academic engagement.	0 months, 4 months, 6 months, 10 months
Positive values (subscale of Positive Youth Development, PYD)	Self-reported positive values. The scale consists of 10 items, each scored 1-5. Mean scores are estimated. Score from 1-5. Higher scores indicate higher levels of positive values.	0 months, 4 months, 6 months, 10 months
Social competencies (subscale of Positive Youth Development, PYD)	Self-reported social competencies. The scale consists of 8 items, each scored 1-5. Mean scores are estimated. Score from 1-5. Higher scores indicate higher levels of social competencies.	0 months, 4 months, 6 months, 10 months
UCLA Loneliness Scale, short version	Self-reported loneliness. The scale consists of 3 items, each scored 1-3, to produce a total sum score from 3-9. Higher scores indicate less favourable outcomes (greater loneliness).	0 months, 4 months, 6 months, 10 months
Adverse events	Serious or non-serious, related or unrelated to study activities; reported by teachers	4 months, 10 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS
• Collaborators: University of South-Eastern Norway; University of Jyvaskyla; Nordahl Grieg videregående skole; STIFTINGA BERGEN KATEDRALSKOLE; Årstad videregående skole; Hyssingen Produksjonsskole; Knarvik videregående skole; Sotra videregående skole; Amalie Skram videregående skole; Olsvikåsen videregående skole; VESTLAND FYLKESKOMMUNE OPPLÆRING OG KOMPETANSE; STIFTELSEN VESTNORSK JAZZSENTER; Fyllingsdalen videregående skole; Møhlenpris idrettslag; GIVE MUSIC A CHANCE - NORWAY; NAV Vestland; Bergen kommune, Bergen Offentlige Bibliotek; Aalborg University, Department of Communication & Psychology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): August 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 23, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 23, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 2, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 2, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 8, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 8, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 2, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Adolescent; Mental health; Young adult; High school; Music therapy; Positive youth development; Music-based intervention; School dropout
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Personal Satisfaction; Psychological Well-Being
• Other Study ID Numbers: RESONATE; ES747784 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Research Council of Norway)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified curated data will be made available permanently in publicly accessible repositories (e.g. OSF.io) using FAIR principles (e.g. using digital object identifiers [DOIs]; open, non-proprietary data formats; clear, consistent meta-data, using international standards for data structure where available; and licensed for re-use through CC BY). To balance the needs of trial participants for protection of their sensitive health data (in accordance with informed consent) and the needs of the scientific community for data availability, we will follow the principle "as closed as necessary, as open as possible". Results summaries will also be posted at Clinicaltrials.gov after the project end.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No