Art Education Commons^™

Contemporary Art Education Approach To Children's Art-Making, Caitlin M. Sengbusch

Art Education Projects

This qualitative participatory action research study focuses on how elementary students communicate in their art-making and how I as an educator encourage their authentic voices to come out, not only verbally but reflected in their art-making. The purpose of this study is to understand the themes/interest’s elementary students find important, the expression of their lived experiences in their art-making, and the pedagogical approaches that support children in their art-making process.

My research includes documentation of my process in creating an elementary art curriculum with collaboration from my student participants, in an attempt to create a curriculum with my students at …

A Basic Qualitative Study Investigating The Use Of Differentiated Instruction In A High School Art Classroom, Kristen Bartkowski

Art Education Projects

The initial purpose of this study was to understand how one art teacher applied aspects of differentiated instruction in her art classroom. In the review of literature, I documented research and theories about differentiated instruction, which showed an overlap between theories of constructivism and differentiated instruction.

The methodology relied on a basic qualitative case study in which I played the role of participant as observer. Through the use of observation, interview, and document analysis, I sought to uncover aspects of differentiated instruction that one high school art teacher applied in her classroom over a period of twelve weeks for one …

A Basic Qualitative Study Investigating The Implementation Of Constructivist Teaching Practices In A K-2 Art Classroom, Carly Schrader

Art Education Projects

Abstract

This basic qualitative research examined the question, “What aspects of constructivism can be found in a kindergarten through second grade art classroom?” Over an eight to ten week period, I investigated a kindergarten, first, and second grade class of an elementary art teacher who did not identify herself as a constructivist teacher, but claimed to incorporate as many constructivist aspects as possible. I interpreted the data collected through a constructivist lens in order to record the implementation of aspects of constructivist practices and explore the variety of verbal and visual responses of the teacher and students. Data collection methods …

A Case Study Investigating How Art Education Fosters Collaboration In An Urban Environment Through The Lens Of Public Pedagogy, Tracy Fox

Art Education Projects

This case study examines how one particular after-school arts program in an urban environment bridges the gap between a university campus and the community it serves, creating opportunities for collaboration via the arts. The study was conducted at a community center run by Buffalo State.

Over the course of the study, ten interviews were conducted with a variety of people connected to the Community Arts Center’s (CAC) arts programs, including partners in the public arts initiative. The data was collected and analyzed over the course of eight weeks through the lens of Henry Giroux’s public pedagogy, which focuses on educational …

Qualitative Action Research On The Benefits Of Adding Humor And Aspects Of Play In An Elementary Art Education Classroom With Sixth Graders, Kelly Macagnone

Art Education Projects

This qualitative action research study explored the benefits of using humor and aspects of play as teaching strategies in the art classroom. This study was conducted in a small Catholic elementary school located in Western New York. One sixth grade class, composed of nine students, participated in this study. Data was collected and analyzed a period of ten weeks. Conducted through the theory of constructivism, students were engaged and encouraged to construct deep understandings of important concepts in the art classroom through the tools of humor and play. My focus was how the students’ perceived humor and play in the …

A Basic Qualitative Study Investigating How Middle School Art Teachers In Urban And Suburban Settings Employ Aspects Of Multiculturalism, Teresa J. Burgio

Art Education Projects

Abstract

I began this qualitative study on multicultural education in the classroom because I wanted to find out how art teachers implement multiculturalism and also how students react. I also wanted to learn what resources are used and strategies for this type of teaching. I chose an urban middle school with a sixth grade art class and a suburban middle school with a seventh grade art class. I taught as a substitute at these schools and these teachers informed me they teach multiculturalism in the art room. Both teachers are experienced and have been teaching art for over 15 years. …

A Basic Qualitative Study Investigating How Art Teachers Employ Visual Culture In Teaching Art, Eric M. Kyre

Art Education Projects

With my background in Graphic Design, I wondered how the images and structures of visual culture were understood and used inside the art classroom. I analyzed 32 of 40 anonymous questionnaires returned from select art teachers throughout western New York. The questions used were geared toward finding the participants’ definitions and knowledge of visual culture, how they felt visual culture affected their students, and how they could teach using visual culture. I compared these anonymous responses to the data from observations and semi-structured interviews of a middle and secondary art teacher who said they used visual culture in their art …

A Qualitative Case Study: Adults As Contributing Factors To Artistic And Aesthetic Development In Early Childhood, Caitlin M. White

Art Education Projects

Abstract

This qualitative case study investigated the question, “What insights can be gained by examining the role of parents and preschool teachers as contributing factors to artistic and aesthetic development in early childhood?” To build a foundation for this study, my review of literature gave a detailed account of past research that substantiates the benefits of the arts in early childhood development, the role of adults as vital to the enhancement of artistic and aesthetic development in early childhood, and the influence that home and preschool environments have on the artistic and aesthetic development of young children. The participants of …

Qualitative Narrative Research Investigating The Value Of Visual Art Education Captured Through The Stories Of High School Students Labeled At-Risk, Leah C. Peca

Art Education Projects

My personal and professional experiences in education led me to develop a unique perspective on the value of the visual arts. Existing literature about the impact of visual art education on students is written primarily from the point of view of educators and researchers. I wondered what the stories of high school students who have been labeled at-risk might reveal about their visual art experiences. As a participant-observer, I studied my own students using a postmodern approach to qualitative narrative research. I chose six students, three of whom were labeled at-risk, to share their stories and opinions about their visual …

A Qualitative Case Study Of The Aesthetic Development Of First Grade Students Through A Constructivist Lens, Brittney Kern

Art Education Projects

Aesthetics is sometimes overlooked in the elementary art curriculum. I wanted my students to gain the skills needed to have more mature aesthetic responses to artwork. I chose to embark on this research to expand first grade students’ aesthetic abilities and to learn how to best teach aesthetics to young children.

As the participants’ teacher, I acted as both a participant and an observer in this study. To triangulate the data, I administered two student questionnaires, one at the beginning of the study and another at the end; I observed and recorded field notes of the students as they worked …

Examining The Integration Of Popular Culture In Education, Edward C. Hanson Jr.

Art Education Projects

This study is designed to examine the effects of integrating popular culture into the school curriculum, from the perspective of the parents, teachers and administrators involved. This study presumes that the positive aspects, and benefits to students, outweigh the negative and approaches the problem from the issues that need to be overcome by responsible parties involved in the education of the learners.

Findings of this study determined that lack of communication, distrust and group diversity all contribute in varying degrees to the dis-function of contemporary education. In order to move beyond a stagnated state in education the integration of popular …

Using Art To Aid A Child With Autism, Jennifer C. Wargin

Art Education Projects

This qualitative study was to provide an understanding on autism focusing on art being an early intervention tool for children with autism. The study was strictly for professional and personal development to further understand what autism is and how I could bring what I learned from the study into my classroom. During the study there was a multitude of different interviews, observation, questionnaires, and data collected to expand my understanding on this topic. I discussed further that the earlier a child with autism receives therapy; the child will develop a stronger understanding of the world through using communication, imagination, ideas, …

An Action Research Project To Identify Approaches Of Constructivist Teacing Methods Used In Visual Art Education With A Focus On Behavior: Fine Art Versus Applied Art, Angela Lajoie

Art Education Projects

ABSTRACT

During the preparation of becoming a certified teacher in a visual art classroom, I had decided what style of teaching I would want to utilize. I wanted an approach that allowed the students to become self-directed learners which is also defined as using a constructivist teaching method. The students build learning techniques on previous experiences, thought processes, practical strategies, believed ethics, behavioral manners, and particular perceptions. Through constructivist learning the students are taught with different teaching methods and styles so that each student is given an opportunity to learn because each person is different. A constructivist teaching methods approach …

An Action Research Plan To Review The Effects That Contemporary Art And Constructivist Methods Of Teaching Have On The Learning Of High School Students, Emily R. Morrissey

Art Education Projects

Contemporary art reflects issues and trends that are occurring in today’s society. Today’s teens are looking for meaning in their social, family, and personal relationships. They are wondering what their role in society is and what difference they can make; it turns out many contemporary artists are fascinated by the same ideas. This study reviews what the research says about the effects contemporary art has on high school students. I have researched how effectively students can create meaning through their artwork after looking at and discussing the work of Robert Adams, Paul Sierra, B St. Marie Nelson, and Julia Nichols. …

Exploring Mutually Beneficial Possibilities Between Literacy And The Visual Arts, Tiffany C. Vanderbeck

Art Education Projects

Exploring Mutually Beneficial Possibilities between

Literacy and the Visual Arts

In this paper I will present information pertaining to the relationship between the arts and academic achievement, specifically concentrating on incorporating literacy techniques into the art room. The definition of what it means to be literate and how this definition is changing will also be discussed. Information regarding studies related to art education and student achievement in school will be presented. I will present examples of how several teachers are incorporating literacy and the arts into their classrooms. I will present areas of concern in regards to the research to …

A Qualitative Action Research Study In Teaching The High School Student By Using An Individualized Learning Program In Art, Created By Both The Teacher And Student, Tina Marie Burgett

Art Education Projects

This is a qualitative, action research study focused on how an individualized art curriculum developed by teacher and student, affects the student’s view on art, career path, and self. The study participants include nine students with the same Individual Learning Program (ILP) teacher, who chose to help them create their own curriculum in art, based on their own interests and/or relating art to their future college major. All nine students are juniors and seniors taking their third year of art. The study documents the educational process an art teacher and her ILP students took from beginning the formation of a …

An Action Research Project To Review The Critical Thinking Strategies Of High School Art Students, Heather Rydzik

Art Education Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate the critical thinking strategies being used in my classroom. The motivation and rationale behind this specific action research project was to rectify issues I identified in my own teaching and my students’ performance regarding critical thinking in planning and executing works of art. Two additional goals of this two part action research project were to develop helpful additions and changes to the strategies I was using to foster critical thinking in my classroom and then to implement those changes and observe how my students responded. Most of the data was …

A Participatory Action Study Investigating Implementing Democratic Teaching Practices In An Eighth Grade Art Classroom Using Critical Pedagogy, Kari M. Achatz

Art Education Projects

This qualitative action research study investigated the question "What might an eighth grade art classroom look like in practice? For eight weeks, 20 middle school students participated in a democratic art classroom. Using a theoretical lens of critical pedagogy I employed democratic teaching practices and asked students to create a work of art based on a social issue that they were passionate about. Through the course of this study students used their art as a way to voice their concerns about social issues and social injustices in the world. My research included data gathered from student interviews, student response papers, …

Social Issues: A Qualitative Case Study Revealing The Importance Of Activism In The Middle School Art Education Classroom, Vonessa L. Toczynski

Art Education Projects

I began this qualitative case study on art activism in the Art Education classroom because I wanted to find the benefits of employing an activist curriculum in an art classroom. I also wanted to learn methods and strategies for this type of teaching. I choose two middle school art teachers and seventy of their sixth and seventh grade students in six of their art classes. Both teachers had been teaching for over five years and said they incorporated social issues and contemporary art, as well as encouraged activism in their art room. In this study, I was an observer participant …

A Qualitative Multi-Site Case Study: Components, Strengths, & Benefits Of Studio Production In Traditional Public High Schools, Kristy M. Tartaglia

Art Education Projects

My own experiences in the visual arts lead me to a personal understanding of their importance and an interest in arts education advocacy. In order to advocate for the visual arts one must know what the arts teach and how to talk about those benefits. The lack of research on what is taught in the visual arts makes discussing the benefits difficult. Hetland, Winner, Veenema, & Sheridan (2007) began to close this gap with their findings of eight Studio Habits of Mind (develop craft, engage and persist, envision, express, observe, reflect, stretch and explore, understanding the art world) being taught …

Participatory Action Research Using Critical Pedagogy To Study Environmental Consciousness In A High School Art Classroom, Jennifer L. Licata

Art Education Projects

This qualitative participatory action research study explored the question, “How might the introduction of a campaign to raise environmental consciousness in a high school art classroom impact art students and their artworks, other students in the school, and the local community?” This study was conducted in an all female catholic high school. One Studio in Art One class and one Studio in Advanced Digital Media class comprised of 15 students in grades 9-12 participated in the study. The data was collected and analyzed over a period of eight weeks. Guided by the lens of critical pedagogy, my focus was …

A Qualitative Action Research Project Documenting Student Perceptions Of The Effects Of Visual Culture On Identity, Jessica M. Miccichi

Art Education Projects

I have conducted a qualitative action research project focusing on student perceptions of the impact of visual culture on teens including popular media. Students especially in high schools are bombarded with visual imagery through various technology sources. While working with high school juniors and seniors I noticed a rise in teen pregnancy and sexual confusion among this population. I wondered how much their exposure to sexually explicit imagery effected their identity and choices.

I started off planning research through a feminist and engaged pedagogical lens, specifically adhering to bell hook’s (1994) principals of “holistic teaching”, which focuses on emotional as …

A Qualitative Participant Observation Study Investigating The Use Of Web 2.0 Technologies In One High School Visual Arts Classroom Using A Social Constructivist Lens, Nicholas R. Napierala

Art Education Projects

This qualitative project studied the benefits of Web 2.0 technology in one high school visual arts classroom using a participant observation stance. I examined an advanced art class through a social constructivist lens, with student’s ages from 16-18 years. I implemented several lessons teaching the students how artists display ideas within their artwork, through having the students use the blogging service Tumblr and the video sharing Web site YouTube. In analyzing the student’s interactions with their peers and their experiences with the technology, the project revealed that using the technology benefited their learning. I collected data from a variety of …

A Qualitative Case Study That Explores The Use Of Visual Thinking Journals In An Urban Arts Magnet High School, Shannon E. Machina

Art Education Projects

This qualitative case study research project investigated the question, “What can be learned from a study that explores how an art teacher uses visual thinking journals and how students respond to the use of visual thinking journals in an urban arts high school setting?” The participants of this study were the art educator Mrs. Carlson and the students enrolled in her ninth grade Graphic Design and 12^th grade Advanced Drawing and Painting courses. Over an eight week period data was collected and analyzed utilizing constructivist pedagogy to investigate the variety of ways high school art teachers and students …

Breaking The Mold: Qualitative Action Research Using A Dialogical Method In The Art Classroom For Students With Emotional Disabilities, Michelle Mcleod

Art Education Projects

Abstract

This action research self study explores the use of a dialogical model in the therapeutic art classroom for students with emotional disabilities. The study looks at the use of increased dialogue, collaborative classroom, and self reflection. Ceramics classes of 11th and 12th grade students were chosen for this study. Forgiveness vessels, self portraits, and accessory projects were completed during this study. Data collection methods were made during a six week study almost daily during 40 minute class periods. Observations, interviews, documents, and questionnaires were used to obtain data. Changes that could be made were put into place immediately. Findings …

Qualitative Research In Teaching Diversity In A Non-Diverse High School Setting Using Contemporary Art, Robin L. Reczek

Art Education Projects

Abstract

This qualitative action research study examined the effects of introducing diverse contemporary artworks into a non-diverse educational setting. For 3 months, 18 female high school students explored a range of artists, art styles, and artworks, in aid to discovering their own diverse qualities as well as the diversity of their classmates. Through participatory action research, I investigated how diverse contemporary artwork impacted student actions, discussions, and artworks. With the assistance of the transformative learning theory, I expected to convert students with non-accepting diversity views into unbiased young women. My research included data gathered from an assortment of alumni interviews, …