<p> As educators grapple with the issue of eliminating achievement gaps that exist among student groups, instructing for students' diverse learning needs while effectively meeting the demands of the curriculum can be a daunting task. Arts integration (AI) is a research-based strategy that has been demonstrated to lead to positive effects in student achievement with the greatest effect being among students who qualify for federal meals benefits (FARMS) (Deasy, 2002; Catterall, 1999; Rabkin &amp; Redmond, 2006). This mixed-methods study evaluated state mandated reading assessment data for a cohort of grade three students for the years 2011, 2012, and 2013 within one school district in Maryland using a formula developed by the Maryland State Department of Education to determine student change scores. While analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of AI and change scores for FARMS and non-FARMS students did not yield a positive relationship, further qualitative analysis of principal and teacher interviews and classroom observations at five public AI elementary schools revealed perceptions among educators of a positive relationship of AI to student achievement. Utilizing a grounded theory approach to examine emergent themes, a theory of effective models of arts integration was developed to include the elements of: shared vision, student engagement, rigorous instruction and teacher capacity. This study provided information regarding the optimal method of delivering arts integrated instruction that may lead to student achievement and reduce the achievement gap between FARMS and non-FARMS students. </p>

This research has a primary focus on the middle school setting and how schools, students, and art educators might benefit from an interdisciplinary art curriculum. In this thesis I outline how cross-curricular inclusions in art lessons have the potential to be a fantastic advocacy tool for fine arts departments. I also investigate the differences between interdisciplinary inclusions in the visual art classroom and arts integrated school models as well as the beneficial relationship that can exist between these two pedagogical approaches. Additionally, I examine through literary review and curriculum development, some of the positive and negative influence in academic subject areas and more importantly art disciplines. My final and primary aim in examining various methods of cross-curricular inclusion is to shed light upon the immense potential for student development via dynamic interdisciplinary art curriculum.

<p> The arts represent a range of visual and performance based fields that have shown to have profound intrinsic and cognitive benefits. Building on this premise, one of the emerging ways to integrate the arts with other academic disciplines is the inclusion of the arts with the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning, renaming it STEAM. This qualitative study aims to understand the experiences of individuals that have pioneered university programs that integrate the arts with STEM and to share student learning experiences within these interdisciplinary programs. Bolman and Deal's theories of organizational development, sociocultural theory, and experiential learning theory are the three guiding frameworks in the analysis of leadership and student learning in the selected university programs. Using a collective case study methodology, I compare and contrast extant and interview data to paint the picture of two distinct university programs.</p>

<p> The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the development of children's drawing skills through the use of technology. The research involved five children two girls and three boys, ages three to five years in a preschool center located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Specifically, the researcher observed and analyzed the response of the selected children to the use of tablet-based programs in the development of their drawing skills. The result showed that boys between three to four were more interactive with drawing on the iPad than girls. This result will be helpful for teachers and technology specialists to understand how to optimize technology to support early childhood artistic efforts.</p><p> The first chapter of this thesis is an introduction and holds the purpose of the study. The second chapter is a review of literature. Chapter three is the methodology. And in chapter four, findings and results are discussed. Chapter five is the conclusion and recommendations for further study.</p>

<p> Two opposing views in recent philosophical history disagree on how our reality and experiences in this world are based and shaped. French theorist Jean Baudrillard refers to the complex communication structure of our high-tech information age as the hyperreal. Authors Suzi Gablik and Ellen Dissanayake, however, vehemently challenge this view, contending that language only came after human culture was deeply embedded with meaning-making due to our desire to bond as humans. </p><p> This action research project seeks to discover whether or not students in a graphic design class can feel a sense of connectedness and relevance to their community and natural environment while participating in a community-based design project, directly related to the natural landscape and, hence, counteracting the effects of the so-called hyperreal.</p>

<p> Transformative learning theory, an andragogical (adult) theory, is developed from the psychoanalytical theories of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung and later formalized by sociologist, Jack Mezirow. Incorporating transformative learning into a multidisciplinary perspective, specifically through art making and critical reflection, can read therapeutic results of confronting trauma and illness. Using qualitative arts based research methodologies such as autoethnography and autophotography to address the question, how might the use of Combat-Related PTSD as the foundation of a photographic and written inquiry trigger a transformative learning experience in both the artist-researcher and the viewer can be explored through the use of visual imagery and written narrative. These components are integral in constructing a cohesive narrative that may assists those who may suffer from illness and/ or trauma. As a noted method in art therapy, patients who are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) utilize nonverbal communication, i.e. visual imagery, as an avenue to reconsolidate their memories and experiences. Using visual imagery, allows the internal narrative of the body to be reflected externally. The significance of the research is to explore art as a healing and therapeutic modality, individually and collectively, for those who suffer from Combat related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.</p>

<p> Recent education reform efforts utilize standardized tests and current assessments measure binary results: pass or fail. However, innovation, discovery, critical thinking and design all have experimentation, testing, and failure as essential components of their process. The purpose of this investigation was to explore how visual art teachers define, address, and use failure in their classrooms. Structured interviews with six K-12 art teachers were analyzed for common themes that addressed (1) the ways in which students and teachers assess failure in the art classroom; (2) how extrinsic and intrinsic motivation affect success and failure; and (3) how effort and ability affect student success and failure. Art teachers reported a number of factors - both intrinsic and extrinsic - that affected student motivation, effort, confidence and their opinion on the outcome of a project. Future research should consider alternative assessment methods that enable art teachers to document student failure and success as processes as opposed to endpoints.</p>

AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH IN THE ART EDUCATION CURRICULUM By Terri L. Suraco Under the Direction of Melody Milbrandt ABSTRACT This study investigates how interdisciplinary lessons are taught in an art education classroom. The teaching strategies used are: Integrated models, the use of "Big Ideas" (Jacobs, 1989, 2003), the use of constructivist methods (Freedman, 2003; Brooks and Brooks, 1999; Milbrandt, 2004), and the use of essential question inquiry (Erickson, 1998; Mallery, 2000) and teacher collaboration (Jacobs, 2005; Erickson, 1998; NAEA, 2005). I am the only participant in an autoethnographical study. In the Literature Review: Why arts integration is important is explored. Positives and negatives of teaching integrated disciplines are addressed. I include four units from my interdisciplinary curriculum in art education and observations with teaching reflections from the units taught in elementary and middle school. The models that are described are: Parallel Disciplines, Multidisciplinary, Interdisciplinary, and Integrated (Jacobs, 1989, 2005: Mallery, 2000;). The study results reveal how interdisciplinary teaching can be implemented in an art education classroom. IDEX WORDS: Thesis, Interdisciplinary, Integrated, Art Education, Big Ideas

While graffiti is revered as an art form to some, it is often seen as an unwanted nuisance by others. While vibrantly rich in history, graffiti has a controversial past, present, and future that will likely continue to be the subject of debate, especially with the insurgence of street art, an art form that often overlaps graffiti art in subject matter, media, aesthetic appearance, and placement as a public form of art. Distinguishing between street art and graffiti art proves quite challenging to the undiscerning eye, yet through a series of interviews and thorough investigation, I questioned the contexts of street art and graffiti art. By introducing non-traditional forms of art that are engaging to adolescent students, street art and graffiti art can expand the secondary art curriculum by helping students become more cognizant of current social, visual and cultural aesthetics in their own visual world.

This is an arts-based research study on the effects of applying extensive and diverse sketching techniques to the development of a cohesive body of work, which reflects the significant and meaningful events of the artist-researcher’s life. The research techniques employed and studied consist of looking at historical exemplars, sketching, reflecting, critiquing, and revising. The results of the research were then reflected upon and applied to the field of art education in an attempt to discover the benefits for both teaching and learning in kindergarten through 12th grade curriculums.