Complementing the aims of problem-based inquiry, a pedagogical approach called design thinking (DT) has students grapple with issues that require a creative redefinition and reimagining of solutions akin to professional skills of designers, who consider conflicting priorities and complex negotiations to arrive at a solution to an ill-defined…

This book presents ground-breaking research on the ways the Arts fosters motivation and engagement in both academic and non-academic domains. It reports on mixed method, international research that investigated how the Arts make a difference in the lives of young people. Drawing on the findings of a longitudinal quantitative study led by the…

Reading Improvement Through Art (RITA) program is an interdisciplinary approach to literacy that blends visual art with reading comprehension, evaluated in nine New York City urban high schools. 240 problem readers participating in the pilot program were pre- and post-tested in the Fall 1975 and Spring 1976 semesters. The testing showed the 9th…

Contends that using art textbooks is a relatively new trend in art education. Reports on a survey about art textbook use among 64 art teachers involved in an in-service teacher education program. Concludes it is important that the art education field encourages, promotes, and supports research on the use of art textbooks. (CFR)

Conducted through the joint auspices of the National Art Education Association and Illinois State University College of Fine Arts, this national survey gathered data through a mail questionnaire of more than 1,000 higher education institutions located in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The institutions included two-year and four-year…

This document describes a study to assess the change in students' responses toward the visual arts as a result of their participation in an entrance level art course. The course was structured to provide the students with an understanding of art skills, a recognition of excellence in art objects, and knowledge of diversity of delivery through…

Uses a case-study approach to examine the role of belief as a catalytic quality in the artistic making and the thinking processes used by children. Describes the processes encountered by children when presented with artistic tasks. Discusses the relationship between belief and the three other main dimensions of artistic thinking and making: social…

This monograph seeks to encourage individuals to undertake historical research of art education. Divided into two broad categories ("Resources" and "Conceptual Foundation"), the essays provide introductory guidance on both mechanical and theoretical aspects of research for the new art education historical researcher. The seven works include: (1)…

This report summarizes and compares the views of six experts in art education concerned with teaching art for students' conceptual understanding at the elementary level. Two art education professors and three public school art specialists who teach art at the elementary level engaged in comprehensive written exercises to address issues related to…

This report summarizes the findings of a research project involving a consortium of American art museums that joined forced to understand themselves better from the perspective of their visitors. The project had three objectives: (1) to identify staff expectations and impressions of public expectations about art museums; (2) to evaluate public…

Becoming involved in the arts is a process that involves movement through several stages, from disinterest to active attendance at and enthusiasm for performing arts events. Since target consumers at any time will differ in their placement on this continuum, marketing programs to expand arts audiences must first identify where each target segment…

The study with 34 gifted fifth-grade students found that a concrete sequential approach to developing visual literacy was more effective than an abstract visualization approach. Subjects either received guided visualization or direct instruction on such art concepts as shape, form, line, color, perspective, variety, and unity. (DB)

This study explores the relationship between art object preferences and aesthetic attitudes of high school students. A corollary variable was socioeconomic status as determined by the National Opinion Research Center scale. A sample of 443 students, grades 8-12, in a Virginia high school, were studied. The 5-point Aesthetic Attitude Scale was used…

Two studies compared the visual preferences, cognitive abilities, and occupational interests of artists and nonartists. Study One compared scores on an experimental battery of artistic judgment tests for three groups: professional artists, Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation examinees in art-related professions, and Foundation examinees not in…

This study reports data concerning spatial abilities of professional art students. It is part of an ongoing collection of data on spatial abilities on the incoming freshman class at a large major private art school. The battery of eight tests has proven to be highly reliable and valid in previous studies with the specific population. Researchers…