In western societies, the persona of the artist has largely been associated with prevailing myths of the creative individual including the artist as genius and outsider. In my inquiry I endeavored to understand what it means to be an artist from the perspective of budding "creatives." In this study I explored the process of becoming an…

Policy changes influence various aspects of art education such as K-12 art education curricula, state licensure systems, and contexts of art teacher preparation. Despite strong relationships between art education policy and practical fields, few studies have attempted to understand art education from the perspective of policy analysis. This study…

This study investigated three arts education partnerships in California elementary schools. The research questions that guided the inquiry were exploratory in nature and intended to reveal the day-to-day functioning of these partnerships, the challenges they faced, and the factors that contributed to their success, through the recounted…

The purpose of the study was to explore how a group of at-risk youth in a South Florida alternative high school experienced a freehand visual arts drawing lesson as a learning portal to the teaching of the basic principles of geometry. These young people were completely devoid of interest in and failed to understand basic geometrical concepts.…

Arts integration is promoted as a powerful instructional method to address the needs of 21st century students. Teaching in and through the arts can support learners in envisioning, constructing, and communicating deep understandings of themselves, their communities, and the world. A co-equal, cognitive style of integration requires teachers to…

Creativity is an aspect of the human condition that eludes a common definition, description, and experience. When trying to make sense of creativity, some describe creative behavior while others describe creative products. There are those who are curious about the process of creativity and others who want to understand what inspires that process.…

Students with learning disabilities may experience difficulty engaging in literacy activities, as they risk being hindered by negative attitudes and doubt of their intellectual abilities, reduced effort, lower self-efficacy, and failure (Klassen, 2007; Litcht & Kirstner, 1986; Oldfather, 2002; Roberts, Torgesen, Boardman, & Scammacca,…

Institutions of higher education are experiencing historic enrollment of students with disabilities. The focus of this evaluation report was Jumpstart, a transition program for students with disabilities entering their first year of college. The Jumpstart program prepares talented students with disabilities to navigate the college environment at a…

Art teachers have, in some manner, always assessed student learning and progress. However, many art teachers do not have the training in assessment to be able to describe and defend their process, nor has there been research to support the effectiveness of how art teachers assess student learning. This study examines the ways six visual art…

There has been a plethora of research done on all kinds of beginning teachers, but little has focused on art education teachers, and even less has focused on how beginning art education teachers make sense of their early teaching experiences. It is, however, known that teachers of art come to the profession with multiple skills that can be…

Bullying behaviors among primary school-aged children are underreported, which communicates to the children that the issue is not important to the adults who should be promoting a safe and healthy environment. The purpose of this qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of a purposeful…

This case study followed fourteen preservice arts students through a content area literacy course intended to guide them toward broadened definitions of literacy and text and perceptions of the literacy needs of their disciplines. By focusing on the disciplinary knowledge of music and art, preservice teachers might change their opinions of how…

This study intended to identify commonalities of fine arts programs at selected private liberal arts colleges and universities in order to ultimately develop an exemplary fine arts program in a similar setting. This study searched for answers to three research questions within the context of art, music, dance, and theatre. The first research…

In this study I attempt to shed light on the experiences of the teacher researcher and university students who explored social justice issues in an art education course. The primary purpose of this study is to provide insights in teaching practice and students' learning processes when the course is designed to examine systems of oppression through…

In 2011, with ongoing concerns over state budget shortfalls and the increasing educational cost structure, California state legislators focused their attention on measures that could lead to access, added productivity, and value in order to sustain the current educational system. One of the recommendations provided by the Legislative Analyst's…