Art Education

[bighorse]

Hello!
I am working on a master's thesis about the cognitive benefits of art
ed., but am having a difficult time finding relevent research. I would
appreciate any ideas!
Thanks!
-Jennifer

bigh...@gateway.net

[TGRhein]

Hi Jennifer,

You might need to be a bit broader in your research and do your own
synthesis of the information. There has been a fair bit of writing on the
"Spatial Intelligence". This is not in the Gardner sense of "Intelligence".
Rather, it has to do with ones imagaic abilities, ability to conceptualize
concrete understanding from the abstract, spatial references (position,
proximity, etc.), etc.

You might also check into Art Therapy. Just because Art isn't always used
specifically for therapy it doesn't mean that Art doesn't always have some
of the same affects.

I think if you can look at some of these issues and then synthesize the
information you come up with, you will find some very potent material. I
(and others) have been doing this kind of research with Music Education. I
just co-wrote a defense of the Elementary Music Program in our district
(good sized - 29,000 students) using this kind of research and it blew the
socks of the administration that received it.

Some Authors that may be of help: Jane Healy (has a new book coming in
Sept. that might be perfect for this, I forget the title though), Joseph C.
Pierce, John Rosemund, Dr. Bruce Perry (a researcher at Texas Children's
Hospital), and Daniel Goldman ("Aesthetic Intelligence").

Hope this is helpful. Good luck

[TGRhein]

Sorry, I gave some mis-information in the last post. It was late and I
obviously was not thinking clearly.

It is Joseph C. Pearce (note spelling). Also: Daniel Goleman and the name
of the book is "Emotional Intelligence".

Hope it did not send anyone on a wild goose chase.