Reports on a qualitative study of complex, sophisticated thinking among 50 preservice art teachers taking an art criticism course. Maintains that the conversational model of instruction helped students understand the higher-order thinking skills associated with art criticism. (CFR)

Explicates a multicultural approach to art education that enhances critical thinking. Grounds this approach in the philosophical principles of constructivism that emphasize the student's construction of meaning rather than the passive transmission of knowledge from a teacher. Discusses the possibility of multicultural reasoning and its…

Shows how learning, in an art appreciation class, can be more meaningful and lasting by emphasizing expressive outcomes that develop during class and reflect students' life experiences. Explains how teachers can take advantage of students' spontaneously generated questions. Provides four examples from an undergraduate class that can be applied at…