The role of arts in both formal and non-formal education has been scientifically demonstrated to create positive outcomes in people to deal with all kinds of social problems in daily life. At present, there are international public and private institutions that support this view, such as the International Arts Education Week, celebrated for the first time by UNESCO on 21-27 May 2012 when not only artists participated, but also educators, researchers, NGO actors, and international associations. This provides us with a wider perspective on how arts and education can play an interdisciplinary role in society. The aim of this research is to study how arts (e.g., performative arts, literature, film) interact with and affect Nordic society; the kind of practices, contributions and challenges that exist within the cultural and educational sectors (based on three case studies) and their relationship between the government in the form of cultural policies in Denmark, Sweden and Finland in support of the well-being of the Nordic lifestyle whenever applying a wider perspective to the role of the arts in society.  This qualitative study is composed of three case studies, which explore the role of arts in three Nordic institutions (two public ones and a private one): 1) The Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki, Finland; 2) Skissernas Museum - Museum of Artistic Process and Public Art in Lund, Sweden; and 3) Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humbaelek, Denmark. The empirical material collected has been done through the usage of the hermeneutics—texts, semi-structured interviews of professionals (two art educators with multidisciplinary backgrounds, two art historians, and a museum guide), publications, catalogues, and active participation in cultural/educational activities in Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. The data collected is analyzed within the framework of the reflexive methodology. “The Theory of Communicative Action” by Jürgen Habermas aims to understand the multidisciplinary relationship among the artistic/educational institutions, society, and government as support for the well-being and sustainability of Nordic society.  The results will reveal a multidisciplinary application of the arts as support to Nordic welfare, healthand lifestyle. The results will also show how arts can be included in people’s lifestyles in an organic manner, being a benefit for the well-being of the society and supporting the sustainability of Nordic welfare when people have a wider understanding of the application of the arts in their lives, for instance, through literature, concerts, performances, but also, attending to festivals, arts and crafts activities, gardens, parks, and even experiencing architecture.

The purpose of this study was to investigate recruitment practices used .in industrial arts education programs and to identify factors which influence students in deciding to prepare for teaching industrial arts. Findings led to these conclusions: 1. Teacher-respondents were mostly unaware of or apathetic to the -problem of recruiting for the future. 2. Teachers used three types of recruitment practices: (a) presentations about industrial arts teacher education; (b) motion pictures and slides on industrial arts; and (3) articles in periodicals written about teaching and college activities.

Art education has faced cutbacks in school funding because of the mandates and current trends in our nation’s educational policies. The United States Department of Education states that its federal involvement in education is limited. In fact, federal legislations, regulations, and other policies dictate the structure of education in every state particularly with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and now the Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative. The arts have been unfavorably impacted under the nation’s most predominant policy, NCLB, and run the risk of further adverse impacts with RTTT, regardless of the public’s support of the arts and its educational benefits. By linking federal funding to the school's yearly progress in reading and mathematics, NCLB created an environment in which art is viewed as nonessential and secondary to the academic mission of the school. Policymakers have underestimated the critical role the non-profit cultural sector can offer to arts learning for academic support. Collaboration of the arts community with local schools expands access to the arts for America’s schools. Some schools have already adopted this strategy to tap the expertise of local community arts organizations to address the issues surrounding arts education, like the lack of funding and resources. The future of our educational system must create innovative ways for students, teachers, parents, and the community to work together in partnerships to ensure all American children is provided a high-quality education. An example of this promising practice would be to connect schools with the arts community, particularly schools and museum partnerships. School and museum partnerships have a long-standing history of collaborating with one another and therefore share a commitment to some of the same educational goals (Osterman & Sheppard, 2010). The purpose of this study investigated features and operational logistics of successful partnerships between museums and schools. The study explored an existing partnership with an art museum and an urban public school district. To understand the elements of these partnerships, the study investigated art education and cultural governing policies, program goals and long-term goals, operation and funding. It is my hope that through this study a discourse about policy recommendations or policy-making eventually develops that could aid in the creation of successful partnering relationships to sustain art education in the state of Georgia. In this qualitative case study, the research design utilized several methods of data collection, including semi-structured interviews, documents, and visual methods, specifically image elicited exercises as positioned by Harper (2002). Participants in the study included school administrators, principals, art teachers, and museum educators.

<p>This researcher had two purposes. The investigator's purpose in this action research was to develop a working prototype of a music teacher digital portfolio within the Moodle environment, which included artifacts, as they relate to New York State's Annual Performance Review (APPR) legislation. The regulation on teacher evaluation is New York State Code &sect;3012-c. In order to develop the prototype, a first step involved working collaboratively with a panel of instructional leaders in music education to determine what a music teacher digital portfolio template should contain as per this new APPR Legislation. To achieve this goal in an open source course management system, Moodle was used to collaborate digitally with music education leaders from New York State. This researcher did not seek to establish rubrics for assessment. At the same time, however, by presenting artifacts as they relate to the APPR legislation, &sect;3012-c, the investigator presented prototypical evidence of quality teacher performance in student growth and student achievement, and these data entries may be used as a point of reference by supervisors who evaluate professional music educators. The report of this study took two forms: there is a report of the collaborative efforts that constitute action research and there is the presentation of the portfolio prototype. </p><p> The subjects were 12 instructional leaders in music education from Long Island, New York. Upon completion of the action research, the subjects completed a questionnaire designed to measure their perceptions of the action research study method of instruction and the use of a course management system (Moodle) as a tool for the construction of digital portfolios. </p><p> The results of the questionnaire showed that both purposes were achieved. Furthermore, a consensus was developed that the use of action research study is a valuable method of learning and a course management system, Moodle, is an effective and useful administrative tool for school administrators. </p>

Situated within Toronto's expanding and increasingly segregated educational marketplace, this study examines how parents of students at one elite publicly funded specialized arts high school make meaning of their school choice decision. Utilizing a Neo-Marxist framework, I explore the role that material and symbolic resources play in making this school choice both available and exclusive. I conduct a critical discourse analysis of parent narratives to expose how they mobilize dominant discourses of the arts in order to produce the school as a good choice, and themselves as good parents. This research challenges dominant conceptions of the arts in education by showing how the arts are used to reinforce, obscure, and justify existing social hierarchies in school settings and society at large. This study further serves as an example of how arts education research can move beyond positivist conceptions of the arts.

This study explored collaborative inquiry as a professional learning model for five elementary teachers at an inner-city school in Western Canada. Collaborative inquiry – a branch of action research – was the process used to support teachers’ professional learning in the use of technology in their arts education programs. The research questions were: (a) in what ways has the collaborative inquiry approach to professional learning had an impact on teachers’ learning and thinking about the use of ICT in arts education? (b) in what ways has the collaborative inquiry approach to professional learning had an impact on participants’ changed practice? and (c) how do collaboration and dialogue foster the construction of knowledge related to teachers’ integration of ICT to support their arts education program? The findings suggest that collaborative inquiry was an effective strategy for professional learning and impacted teachers’ learning and thinking about the use of technology in their arts education program in several ways. There were indications that the collaborative inquiry group afforded social-emotional support, a forum for dialogue and collaboration, as well as an avenue to explore alternative perspectives and new ideas. It was also evident that new habits of mind were beginning to emerge. Teachers felt increased confidence and efficacy which led to risk-taking and exploration of new technologies, an increased capacity for evaluating ICT with pedagogical intent, as well as a strengthened ability to think reflectively about their practice. Furthermore, changes in practice were evident in the following areas: subject matter and materials, organizational structures, roles and behaviors, knowledge and understanding, and value internalization. And finally, the findings reveal that dialogue and collaboration are important factors in helping teachers foster their construction of ICT knowledge. These processes helped advance understanding as participants challenged one another, pushing each other to a higher level of pedagogical and divergent thinking. Dialogue sessions offered participants a powerful forum for idea generation, idea sharing, and cooperative problem solving.

<p>An issue faced by community colleges is the time to completion for student success as defined by obtaining a degree, certificate or transfer to a four-year institution. Issues not addressed in the research are the effects on persistence of the time needed to acquire the performing arts skills, the probable occurrence of student over engagement, and the student's definition of success and their perception of a delayed time to degree. There exists a population of community college performing arts students who continue to persist into their fourth year and beyond after accumulating the units needed to complete an associate arts degree or certificate. </p><p> Using a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of community college performing arts students on their reasons for continued persistence in community college. Semi-structured interviews were used to elucidate themes and to discern the motives of why these students continue to persist. It was discovered that the participants created their own individual definitions of student success and designed personalized academic pathways to obtain that success. It appeared that the acquisition of skills, the building of resumes, and networking were major reasons for the student's continued persistence. And, although the completion of a degree was asserted as important, it was not critical in a majority of their definitions of success. In addition, participants admitted to spending a great deal of time in pursuit of the arts. </p><p> Recommendations were made to implement counselors with specialized training in the needs of performing arts students to mitigate unnecessary persistence, to realign curriculum and programs within the arts as needed (a) to address repeatability issues and to (b) build relationships with local professional arts organizations, and to strengthen the profile of the performing arts as an accepted academic discipline to better align the arts with college missions. Further research is needed in the performing arts as well as in the community colleges to continue to build the body of literature in these areas. A final recommendation was for the policy makers to strengthen institutions by broadening their definition of student success to include the voices of the students. </p>

Situated within Toronto's expanding and increasingly segregated educational marketplace, this study examines how parents of students at one elite publicly funded specialized arts high school make meaning of their school choice decision. Utilizing a Neo-Marxist framework, I explore the role that material and symbolic resources play in making this school choice both available and exclusive. I conduct a critical discourse analysis of parent narratives to expose how they mobilize dominant discourses of the arts in order to produce the school as a good choice, and themselves as good parents. This research challenges dominant conceptions of the arts in education by showing how the arts are used to reinforce, obscure, and justify existing social hierarchies in school settings and society at large. This study further serves as an example of how arts education research can move beyond positivist conceptions of the arts.

This study explored collaborative inquiry as a professional learning model for five elementary teachers at an inner-city school in Western Canada. Collaborative inquiry – a branch of action research – was the process used to support teachers’ professional learning in the use of technology in their arts education programs. The research questions were: (a) in what ways has the collaborative inquiry approach to professional learning had an impact on teachers’ learning and thinking about the use of ICT in arts education? (b) in what ways has the collaborative inquiry approach to professional learning had an impact on participants’ changed practice? and (c) how do collaboration and dialogue foster the construction of knowledge related to teachers’ integration of ICT to support their arts education program? The findings suggest that collaborative inquiry was an effective strategy for professional learning and impacted teachers’ learning and thinking about the use of technology in their arts education program in several ways. There were indications that the collaborative inquiry group afforded social-emotional support, a forum for dialogue and collaboration, as well as an avenue to explore alternative perspectives and new ideas. It was also evident that new habits of mind were beginning to emerge. Teachers felt increased confidence and efficacy which led to risk-taking and exploration of new technologies, an increased capacity for evaluating ICT with pedagogical intent, as well as a strengthened ability to think reflectively about their practice. Furthermore, changes in practice were evident in the following areas: subject matter and materials, organizational structures, roles and behaviors, knowledge and understanding, and value internalization. And finally, the findings reveal that dialogue and collaboration are important factors in helping teachers foster their construction of ICT knowledge. These processes helped advance understanding as participants challenged one another, pushing each other to a higher level of pedagogical and divergent thinking. Dialogue sessions offered participants a powerful forum for idea generation, idea sharing, and cooperative problem solving.

The thesis commences with the examination of the place of dance in British society, and focusses on its social and cultural role, while proffering explanations pertaining to its metaphysical and symbolical significance. It is evident that changes in political and religious attitude led to censure of folkloristic pastimes and celebrations of dancing, but it transpires that during the Restoration Period a resurgence of the popularity and acceptance of dance occurred in both theatrical and social contexts. The role of the dancing master is depicted in the creation of a mannered society, when aesthetically, artistically, and technically, dance was valued. The function of dance as a form of physical exercise is examined and concludes the introductory section. In establishing the role of dance in education, a study of early nineteenth century educational philosophers and practitioners is made, and the implications of Swedenborgianism on their work is investigated. European and American influences in the form of militarism, the gymnastic movement, health and dress reform are also examined. The founding of the Women's Colleges of Physical Education established dance as an aspect of physical training, a role reinforced by the Board of Education through the publication of a series of Syllabuses on Physical Training. Drills, singing games and maypole dances were taught in schools prior to the Folk Dance Revival, when morris, sword and country dances assumed a place with court and national dances, which were also performed by children. The Modern Dance Movement developed during the inter-war period and was typified by a variety of neo-classical, rhythmical dance forms that emphasised datural movement and spiritual expression. An account is included on the implementation of modern educational dance during the post-war years, and an appraisal of contemporary practice is made. The conclusion forms a summary and analytical argument relative to the changing role of dance in education.