The purpose of this study was to implement and assess a curriculum on African and African-American art and artists appropriate for elementary school children in a multicultural urban setting in the northeastern part of the United States. The program involved 145 students in a curriculum that includes biographical sketches, slide presentations, studio visits to prominent artists, and hands-on activities. The students were in grades three, four and five. The students learned the three eras of African-American art: the Apprentice, the Journeyman, and the Harlem Renaissance. They also studied the art of Egypt in the time of King Tutankhamen, as well as that of Nubia. More recent African art, including the artifacts of the Dogon people and the thumb painting of the Ndebele women, exposed the children to techniques and designs they could copy. The effects of the program were qualitatively evaluated through a pre-test and post-test administered to these classes. Two sets of open-ended questions were used to assess changes in the children's understanding. The students' perceptions of themselves as artists and their awareness and appreciation of art in their communities were also important components of this program. The program had an impact on the children and can become a segment in the elementary art curriculum guide. At present, there is none included in the guide representing the art of Africans and African-Americans.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

This critical qualitative study explores the art education curriculum's role in promoting peace in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this research was to make possible a deeper understanding of the elements of peace in the curriculum through a critical content analysis of art textbooks for teachers and students and semi-structured interviews with art education teachers. The theoretical framework is based on the principles of critical pedagogy advocated by Paulo Freire. The results uncovered ways in which art activities foster critical thinking, collaboration, empathy, an attitude in favor of coexistence, and tolerance of diversity, thereby contributing to students' social and emotional skills development. Additionally, this study revealed some aspects of the art education curriculum in Saudi Arabia that integrated a pedagogical approach consistent with the principles of peace education. The research results underscored the need for greater inclusion of peace aspects in the school curricula, suggesting the potential to create a supportive and empowering educational environment. The study contributes to the broader discourse on integrating the art education curriculum in Saudi Arabia into critical pedagogy and peace education and offers practical insights for educators, curriculum designers, and policymakers.

The purpose of this study was to describe in-service Saudi Arabian art education teachers' (a) philosophies of education before and after an issues-based art education (IBAE) workshop, (b) perceptions of the IBAE workshop and its products, (c) perception of the importance of IBAE approach, reasons, topics, and challenges after the workshop, and (d) perception of IBAE within the Saudi Arabian context. A mixed-methods approach was followed. The qualitative portion of the study utilized a post-workshop questionnaire and reflective essay completed by 37 participants, and personal teaching journal protocol and focus group discussion from 18 participants who attended the workshop and implemented the IBAE lesson in their classrooms. Analysis of the data confirmed that art teachers' perspectives towards IBAE positively increased after attending the IBAE workshop. Specifically, in the quantitative findings, participants indicated a positive attitude toward the teaching philosophy of social reconstruction after the IBAE workshop. These results demonstrate that the tenets of social reconstruction align with the IBAE approach. In addition, the quantitative data suggests that teacher participants' overall perception of the importance of addressing social issues in the art curriculum was positive, with 91.9% of respondents agreeing. Overall the qualitative findings, indicated a positive attitude toward the IBAE workshop. Further, the analysis confirmed that these teachers had positive perspectives toward incorporating social issues in their art education again in their classroom of the IBAE approach especially within the Saudi Arabian context.