<p> This is a case study that focuses on the socio-cultural and historical contexts that influenced the studio art practice of three Post-80s Generation student artists attending the Chinese Art School in Beijing. This study is grounded on the idea that the creation of art is determined by an interplay between multiple factors within the milieu (of what makes it understood to be &ldquo;art&rdquo; by the majority) and their influence on the artistic creation, which is non-assertive and invariably established in relation to others that happen to share and coexist within this processual context of doing and learning art making. On the other hand, the notion of a <i> context</i> in this study refers to a notion of &ldquo;genealogies&rdquo; where contexts are distanced from descriptions based on a horizontal platform or a lineal chain of events. Rather, in line with the methods that emerge from arts research and practice, this project operates on a &ldquo;messy&rdquo; yet sensible horizon of interconnections that transcend fixed notions of time and space.</p><p> While sixteen participants took part in data collection, the main focus is reserved to three student-artists. Data collection was conducted in the month of June in 2010 and 2011. Interviews and studio visits were the two methods applied for data collection. Data or narratives collected from the three research participants pertaining to the development of their studio art practices provided three avenues of interpretation: first, through the students&rsquo; own idiosyncratic accounts of their work and their student experience; secondly, through the lens of art as a collective entity from both the perspective of the participants and the researcher; and last, through a summative analysis, offering a number of possible explanations.</p><p> Through an analysis of the students&rsquo; artistic production and their art educational experience, this study aims at offering art educators, both within as well as outside China, with a discussion that illustrates the history and the stories of the Post-80s Generation student artists in the Chinese Art School.</p>

This dissertation defends state support of the arts as an educational public good. It begins with a critique of the traditional justification for subsidy, the appeal to cultural perfection. By challenging the perfectionist position from two distinct perspectives--political and aesthetic--this critique reveals the potential value of constructing a plausible, nonperfectionist alternative. The dissertation then works to develop such an alternative by appealing to the instrumental potential of art as an educational public good. Unlike the perfectionist approach based on the intrinsic value of art, this justification is founded on a general commitment to democratic self-rule. After defending a particular account of this commitment and its implications for educational policy, the dissertation works to show how art can serve as a valuable component in an overall scheme of democratic education. The positive argument for art's democratic value consists of three distinct elements. The first draws on Aristotle, Kant, and Hannah Arendt in explicating several structural similarities that exist between aesthetic and political judgments. The second element describes how interpretation is essential to both engaging art and participating in politics. Taken together, these first two elements of the argument describe how art and politics both engage--and thus practice--many of the same skills and abilities. The third element of the argument explores the potential political value (and political risks) of the state's encouraging citizens to engage a diversity of cultural expressions. The dissertation concludes by describing several policy implications of the democratically-based justification of subsidy (e.g., increased local control over subsidy decisions), and by evaluating the justification in light of the best arguments against subsidy. These include a libertarian argument from self-ownership, Joel Feinberg's argument based on the Benefit Principle, an objection from moral offense, and several objections from state neutrality.

<p> The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between exposure to the arts and performance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects. STEAM, an integration of arts-based instruction into science and math related fields, is viewed as an alternative to traditional STEM academies. The literature briefly examines the current state of STEM programs and the deficiencies in graduate quality and quantity and the call from employers for a more innovative workforce. Advocates for STEAM argue for arts as a means to improve creativity, collaboration, risk-taking and exploration. Arguments against arts in STEM are grounded in political opinions concerning arts funding and logistical complications of implementing STEAM. However, some schools and STEM programs have embraced the STEAM premise and have begun to integrate arts into the traditional curriculum. The 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) dataset was utilized to determine a correlation between the number of arts credits earned and mathematics/science achievement. Results from the NAEP dataset indicated a correlation between the amount of arts credits and increased achievement scores in science and math. The same correlation was found when controlling for demographic factors such as gender, race, and socio-economic status (SES). Overall, the arts' greatest impact was on students identified as "at-risk" or underrepresented in STEM fields. Controlling for these variable groups, one can note the quantifiable differences in scores. Overall, findings of the study provide empirical support for the addition of arts in STEM.</p>

<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>

<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>

This creative project was to develop a curriculum art Package for special education students in the seventh grade, enabling them to work independently within an art class for normal seventh grade students.The package was developed in such a way that special education students would learn skills that would help them in their everyday environment, as well as giving them a pleasing end product that would encourage a feeling of self-worth.Observations were made in training centers for the handicapped in New York City to obtain information on developing the package. From these observations certain needs became apparent: learning to cope with the environment; art skills should be relevant to their environment; repetition was essential in a learning situation; students needed to experience a feeling of self-worth; and emphasis should be Placed on teaching special education students to be more independent.

<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>