The purpose of this study was to determine how art is taught in charter schools in Arizona as compared to how art is taught in non-charter schools in Arizona. A review of the literature, in general, over the past several years, indicates how art is being taught in non-charter schools, but does not indicate how art is being taught in charter schools. Therefore, the study I have undertaken will, hopefully, provide some initial understanding of how art is being taught in Arizona's charter schools. In this study, I began by selecting a random sample of 102 charter schools and 111 non-charter schools, and surveyed all 213 by using a 17-question survey. My analyses of the data indicate that: (1) there are very few charter schools that do not have some kind of art program, and (2) those that do have problems very similar to those in non-charter schools.

Few studies explore and document the day to day practice of elementary art teachers and the factors that influence this practice. Through a qualitative narrative case study and portrait, this study hopes to create an authentic representation of one teacher navigating the space surrounding her practice in context at an elementary school. Three conceptual clusters have been defined encompassing qualities affecting her practice: context, complexity, and connectedness. This study is intended to serve as a starting point for new teachers and as a precursor to future research that looks into the practice of elementary art teachers.

Art history lessons were examined to determine fourth grade student abilities to study art and culture. The lessons were instructed in museum and classroom settings and focused on content central to Navajo rugs. The project did not present "traditional" linear or formalistic approaches to art history, but rather investigated alternative methods. The lessons included the following areas: (1) reality of the actual rug versus the illusion of the reproduction; (2) personal recognition of culture and physical place in comparison to an art object's; and (3) materials and processes used for production in relation to environment. Data from the study indicates students are capable of modeling a cultural art historical inquiry. These findings reveal new implications for art historical study with elementary students which reach beyond the concept of chronological historical analysis to include the component of culture.

In seeking to create and frame the teacher wisdom contextual to the practices of Tucson art teachers, I designed a descriptive action research study. Inspired by Judy Chicago's installation, The Dinner Party, I invited seven female art teachers to my home as guests at The Tucson Dinner Party. Four questions were asked of the art teachers. They were: (1) Using an artistic metaphor, how would they describe the meaning they give to their teaching? (2) How were they socialized into the profession? (3) How would they define the attributes of an expert art teacher? (4) How do they see the future of their profession? It was found that: teachers with more experience created more complex metaphors for their teaching, socialization of art teachers is weak at their school sites, teacher expertise is undefined in art education, and art teachers have concerns about the impact of standards reform on art programs.

This thesis defines and presents the development of a discipline-based art curriculum, for use of preservice teachers in Nigerian elementary schools. It includes a rationale for the discipline-based art approach, and a written plan as a basis for systematic and sequential art instruction, across grade levels one to six. It is important to study this particular area in order to fulfill the need for the improvement of Nigerian art education based on the writings of some selected Nigerian art educators, for example like Emeji (1976), Olorukooba (9185), Obanya (1978), Olaitan (1980), as discussed in Chapter III of this study. The SWRL elementary art program and Crizmac (Tribal design) have been used as models for developing a discipline-based art instruction as stated in Chapter III of this thesis. It is hoped that Nigerian elementary teachers and children, through this proposed art education program will be able to gain a better understanding and appreciation of their artistically rich culture.

This thesis examined the problem of identification and organization of content in discipline-based art education (DBAE) for the middle/junior high level. The literature in the field identified the content of DBAE, models to organize content, and information on planning programs appropriate for early adolescence. This research guided the development of two frameworks that represent the outcome of this study. One framework presents an overview of DBAE content from the disciplines of aesthetics, art criticism, art history, and art production. The other framework provides a format for selecting art content suited to the developmental level of students in a specific middle/junior high school art program. The frameworks were developed to assist art educators in planning the content of DBAE programs designed to lead students to an increased sophistication, understanding, and appreciation of visual art.

Virtually every school in America is being forced to cope with problems related to at-risk students. These students are those who are at risk of failing both in and out of school. Three experienced art educators who are employed by a single school district, one at the elementary level, one at middle level, and one at the high school level. Each are attempting to deal with at-risk students within their individual art classrooms. The inclusion of at-risk students affects the learning environment of the classroom and the effectiveness of the educator. With the growing concern regarding this special population it is hoped that by studying the methods incorporated by art educators who have long dealt with this dilemma, this research will help other educators learn to more effectively deal with this growing problem and improve the success of those students labeled at-risk.

The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of substitute teaching in art education held by art teachers, substitute teachers, and students in visual art classes. The study focused on the practice of substitute teaching in visual art classes at one public school district in Arizona. Six secondary schools at this district were included. Samples were comprised of art teachers, substitute teachers, and students. Participants were surveyed and interviewed to gather and identify perceptions. Results from data analysis indicate the following perceptions among study subjects: (1) The majority of art instruction is student-directed. (2) Substitutes frequently conduct studio art activities. (3) Substitute teaching does not frequently break the continuity of art lessons. (4) There is a decrease in student academic performance with substitutes. (5) Substitutes have a low level of art knowledge, which regularly affects lesson planning.

This thesis presents research carried out in the Cree Nation of Wemindji (James Bay), Northern Quebec. Wemindji, not unlike other northern Indigenous communities, is living through a time of great social change. At stake are questions of Cree identity, customs, traditions, values and knowledge as the community attempts to shed the tethers of colonization and navigate new pathways for the 21st century. Two questions have guided and shaped this research: (i) how can collaborations between Indigenous and non-native research partners be improved?; and (ii) how does the changing social context in which the community finds itself affect the customary artistic practices of a group of women involved in the Wemindji Traditional Skills Group (WTSG) and how their work is valued? Participatory Action Research (PAR), derived from Freirian liberatory theory, was used to explore these questions because of its capacity to foster forms of collaboration that would allow the construction of reciprocal social relations that privilege Indigenous research methodologies, epistemologies, and agendas. In this respect PAR was informed by locally generated initiatives on research collaborations, particularly The Wemindji Iiyiyiuch Core Values project.The thesis demonstrates how evidence of the group's artistic contributions and research processes are contributing to local and regional questions informing the practice of Cree artistic heritage. Using the examples of smoke-tanned moose hide and spruce bark basketry, the thesis asserts that the traditional practices involved in these processes are not only an expression of self-determination in the face of ongoing colonial pressures, but key to WTSG educational planning and development as a local institution concerned with the preservation and advancement of living traditions serving Cree youth and future generations. / Cette thèse présente la recherche effectuée auprès de la nation Cree de Wemindji (Baie James), dans le Nord du Québec. Comme d'autres collectivités autochtones du Nord, Wemindji vit une époque de changements sociaux importants. Les enjeux sont les questions de l'identité Cree, ses coutumes, ses traditions, ses valeurs et ses connaissances alors que la communauté tente de se défaire de la colonisation et de découvrir de nouvelles voies pour le 21e siècle. Deux questions ont guidé et façonné cette recherche : (i) Comment améliorer la collaboration entre les partenaires de recherche autochtones et non autochtones? (ii) Comment l'évolution du contexte social dans lequel se trouve la communauté influence les pratiques artistiques coutumières d'un groupe de femmes impliquées dans le Groupe Wemindji des Compétences Traditionnelles (Wemindji Traditional Skills Group ou WTSG) et la façon dont leur travail est valorisé? La méthode de Recherche-Action Participative (RAP), dérivée de la théorie libératoire de Freire, a été utilisée pour explorer ces questions, en raison de sa capacité à favoriser des formes de collaboration qui permettent la construction de relations sociales réciproques et qui privilégient les méthodologies de recherche, épistémologies et agendas autochtones. À cet égard, la RAP s'est nourrie d'initiatives générées localement sur les collaborations de recherche, en particulier le projet sur les valeurs fondamentales Wemindji Iiyiyiuch (Wemindji Iiyiyiuch Core Values).En travaillant avec des partenaires du WTSG, cette thèse démontre comment les réalisations des contributions artistiques du groupe et les processus de recherche jouent un rôle dans les questions locales et régionales influençant les pratiques du patrimoine artistique Cree. En utilisant les exemples de la peau d'orignal fumée et tannée ainsi que de la vannerie d'écorce d'épinette, la thèse affirme que les pratiques traditionnelles employées dans le processus ne sont pas seulement l'expression de l'autodétermination face aux pressions coloniales en cours, mais aussi un facteur déterminant de la planification de l'éducation et du développement par le WTSG, en tant qu'institution locale soucieuse de préserver et de faire avancer les traditions vivantes au service des jeunes Cree et des générations futures.

This paper offers a critical analysis of instrumentalist views of art in education, and considers how these views may serve to undermine art learning experiences. It provides an overview of research by contemporary theorists such as Elliot Eisner, who suggests that instrumentalist views of art are unsupported and often misinterpreted. This thesis explores an alternative view of art, grounded in contemporary aesthetic theory by selected leading theorists such as Maxine Greene, John Dewey, Monroe Beardsley and others. The work of contemporary abstract painter Mark Rothko offers a way of contextualizing these theories. Finally, this paper provides a presentation of the author‟s artwork within a self-cultural analysis framework. This contemporary approach to auto-ethnographical inquiry aims to provide an in-depth view of what art can do, with the goal of providing the impetus to contributing to an evolving dialogue on the function of art within the academic apparatus. / Cet article propose une analyse critique des points de vue instrumentaliste de l'art dans l'éducation, et examine comment ces points de vue peuvent servir à nuire aux expériences d'apprentissage de l'art. Il donne un aperçu de la recherche contemporaine des théoriciens, dont Elliot Eisner, qui suggère qu la vision instrumentaliste de l‟art est souvent mal interprétée et mal supportée. Cette thèse explore un autre point de vue de l'art contemporain fondé sur la théorie esthétique de certains grands théoriciens tels que Maxine Greene, John Dewey, Monroe Beardsley et autres. Le travail du peintre contemporain abstrait Mark Rothko offre une manière de conceptualiser ces théories. Enfin, ce document offre une présentation d'oeuvres d'art de l'auteur au sein d'une auto-analyse culturelle. Cette approche contemporaine à l'enquête auto-ethnographique vise à fournir une vision approfondie de ce que l'art peut faire, dans le but de promouvoir une évolution du dialogue sur la fonction de l'art au sein de l'appareil universitaire.