R E S E A R C H AG E N D A
Teaching and learning in the visual arts in PreK-16 classrooms, art museums, and community programs are
strengthened by knowledge gained through research. The National Art Education Association, a respected leader in educational
research and the hub of a global research knowledge network, created the NAEA Research Commission to build and sustain a culture
of inquiry and research. In pursuing its mission, a task of this Commission includes setting a timely Research Agenda.*
The NAEA Research Agenda is designed to encourage and disseminate research communicating the value of visual arts education
and its collective impact on students, schools, communities, and society.
All art educators have a common desire to advance the field of art education. Our mission is to justify and strengthen a case for art
education through rigorous and timely support of research conducted at all levels of professional practice. To achieve this goal, the
Research Commission consulted with the NAEA membership to identify its research needs. Three themes emerged from the analysis:
1. The need for professional learning to support research literacy.
2. Four research factors that include content, student, educator, and setting.
3. Specific topics or issues to be explored through research.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Art Educator/Teaching
Art educators’ teaching and learning focuses on experiences
In the area of professional learning, NAEA members across all
with varieties of art content, professional roles, tasks, teaching
divisions indicated a need for greater understanding of research
methodologies, and backgrounds related to creative and innovative
methodologies and application of these methodologies for their own
art and design education. This learning begins with pre-service
teaching and research. Professional learning about research supports
education, and continues through advanced degree programs and
understanding of implications of research for practice and developing
ongoing professional development.
capacities for conducting research. FOUR CONTENT
Content/Disciplines of Art and Art Education
FOUR RESEARCH FACTORS Content can include, but is not limited to, research about knowledge
in the field of art education, such as art education theory, art curricula
Art education research is a community of discourse that specifically
as courses of study, standards, and theory and practice of art and art
focuses on art education as a teaching/learning experience in art.
education including creativity and innovation, media arts, and design
Thus the factors of content, student, educator, and setting can
education. Knowledge that arises from art education research is
be established as constants in an agenda that utilizes and values
generative, so new content is continually constructed and subject to
research as a means for improving art education theory, practice,
further research.
advocacy, and policy. From this point of view, the factors that should
be included in such a research agenda would be Student/Learning, Educational Context/Setting
Art Educator/Teaching, Content/Disciplines of Art and Art Education, The educational settings in which art teaching and learning can take
and the Educational Context/Setting in which art learning takes place. place are situated in a wide variety of environments, for example
a classroom, museum, community center, on the Internet, etc.
Student/Learning
The setting also includes the administrative climate, support or
Student learning in the visual arts focuses on aspects such as student
destabilizing mechanisms of an environment, and the immediate
readiness; levels of development; cultural contexts; motivation; and
physical environment that includes materials, equipment, or other
engagement in art and design education.
resources.
*Developed by the Research Commission and adopted by the Board of Directors, 2014
Funding support provided by the National Art Education Foundation
RESEARCH TOPICS AND QUESTIONS METHODOLOGY
Research questions should determine the kind of methodologies and
Through content analysis in 2013 of members’ responses to a Research methods that will be used in a particular inquiry. Although research
Commission survey, the Research Commission identified research methodologies and methods are used to investigate a variety of topics
topics that garnered the highest level of interest and aligned with each in art education, the Research Commission recognizes the need for
of the four content research factors. These topics are: studies that examine the nature of research and knowledge in the field
through critical examination of evolving methodologies and practices.
Assessment/Evaluation
In the last quarter of the 20th century, in educational research, there
Assessment/Evaluation focuses on improvement and accountability
was a shift of interest in research methodologies and methods from
of processes and products. Assessment is a form of research used
quantitative studies based on scientific inquiry to more qualitative
to provide feedback for improvement of educational activities and
studies focusing on unique social settings. Currently, there is a growing
contexts, such as in teaching and learning in a range of settings, the
awareness of advantages in using both inductive (qualitative) and
effectiveness of curricula and standards, or the safety of facilities.
deductive (quantitative) methods in the same inquiry (mixed methods).
Evaluation is a systematic process of determining the quality of teacher
Both within and apart from more traditional historical, descriptive,
performance or student achievement for purposes of grading and
experimental, and philosophical categories of art research, there are
reporting, or for deciding whether a program, curriculum, product,
emerging a variety of newer and innovative methodologies, such as
procedure, or policy has met intended expectations. Formative and
arts-based inquiry; ethnologies; phenomenological investigations;
summative assessments/evaluations emphasize findings that support
program evaluations; participatory media studies; policy reviews; trend
interpretations and judgments about both quality and quantity of
analyses; and educational criticism, critical theory, semiotics, post-
outcomes.
modern and post-structural critiques.
Social Justice
Social justice is a broad topic which includes, but is not limited to, POLICY INITIATIVES
equity of access to and opportunity for quality visual arts education for
Educational practice, including practice in art education, is continually
all learners in school, museum and community settings. In this context
impacted by educational research, theory, and policy. Current
learners include diverse populations of students with regard to special
national reform, focused on educator preparation in many states,
needs, cultural identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, and socio-
includes a Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) as a certification
economic status. Social justice issues also encompass a diversified
requirement. National Core Arts Standards, Common Core, and/or
teaching force and often focus on the development of ethics and
State and Local Standards, Value Added Models, Student Growth and
appreciation for diversity in a global community.
Learning Objectives, Teacher Evaluation Systems created as a result of
Emerging Technology Race to the Top, and other federal and state legislation are wide spread
The study and practice of art and design education incorporates educational initiatives impacting local district policy and classrooms
the use of technology tools, processes, and resources in a variety of nationally. Ramifications of educational policies add another dimension
educational settings, and local, global, and international contexts, that to investigation and research in art education. Depending on the
include creativity, innovation, and media arts as well as interdisciplinary focus of a study, research questions regarding the impact of current
initiatives such as arts integration and STEAM (Science, Technology, educational policy on the practice of art education easily fit into any
Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). of the Research Agenda categories. Researchers are encouraged to
Demographic Data consider current educational policies and influences on art education
Demographic research is often used to describe information about when developing a research project and questions for investigation.
groups of people, including environmental and economic conditions,
educational experiences and values or perceptions within a group. USING THE RESEARCH AGENDA
Its purpose is to discover the nature and quality of existing conditions All art educators can use the NAEA Research Agenda as a guide for
and practices and it can assist in establishing baseline data and/or improving and advocating for art and museum education. PreK-16
in setting benchmarks to guide the direction and focus of future art art educators will find opportunities to apply research to practice and
education practice and policy. conduct their own inquiries that can contribute to knowledge about art
Listing of Research Topics and Questions and design education. University professors, who introduce students
These topics are by no means an exclusive listing of research questions. to research questions and methods, can employ the Research Agenda
They are being offered here for pragmatic purposes and will be as a model of research-based best practices. Academic researchers and
considered for a limited period of time so that new topics can be graduate students can apply the Research Agenda when focusing on
explored in the future. conversations with other researchers and funding agencies. In support
of art education programs, school administrators can refer to the
The research questions, generated for inclusion in the cells in the grid
Research Agenda to identify factors, themes, and questions used by
at the intersections of the content research factors and the research
researchers to investigate and strengthen claims about the importance
topics, were generated in large part from an NAEA member survey
of visual arts education. For arts advocates, museum staff, and
and are examples of the kinds of research questions that might be
members of community centers and cultural institutions, the Research
relevant. The questions are presented in a general format and are
Agenda provides an accessible means of identifying research topics
not intended to be used verbatim as questions for specific research
and trends for improving the design of arts education programs across
projects. Research is encouraged that applies rigorous methodology
local, national, and international contexts.
and demonstrates a collective impact across a variety of communities.
R E S E A R C H AG E N D A
A S S E S S M E N T / E VA LUAT I O N
STUDENT EDUCATOR CONTEXT CONTENT
What relationships can be found How do art educators resolve What are factors in educational What are the most appropriate
between scores on standardized conflicting values between settings that support or mitigate measures for assessing art
tests and scores on art and design prescribed assessment against effective assessment teaching and learning?
assessment procedures? procedures and their individual of student progress and What are exemplary authentic
values about students and their achievement in art?
Which types of assessment assessment procedures within art
visual arts learning?
procedures demonstrate What are successful strategies for education practices today?
the capacity of students to How do art educators go including community members What are effective means for
participate in a diverse, global, about constructing and using in assessment of art experiences documenting creative thinking
and just society? assessment procedures as part of and programs? and visual skills that demonstrate
their daily work?
How is student learning Which assessments of art and student growth?
measured when instruction is Which procedures are the design programs are most In what ways may visual arts
focused on studio art practices, most effective and appropriate effective for fostering robust assessments align with the
visual culture, design education, procedures for assessing/ visual art education programs? National Core Arts Standards in
and aesthetic experiences with evaluating art educators’ How can indicators and the Visual Arts, Common Core,
original works of art; taught competencies? methodologies appropriately State and/or Local Standards, and
as discipline-based visual arts What are effects of pre-service be applied to assess the developmental models of student
education; or integrated with teacher assessment and teacher impact of contextual factors on visual art skills and creative
other subjects? evaluation on art teaching and student learning and classroom thinking abilities?
How might student creativity be learning in the United States? instruction about art?
successfully and authentically What are the core competencies
assessed in art and design art educators need to possess
education? to deliver instruction at a skilled
proficiency level?
SOCIAL JUSTICE
STUDENT EDUCATOR CONTEXT CONTENT
How can art education serve How does the field prepare art What types of art program How culturally diverse are the
students with high interest educators to apply inclusivity in practices effectively engage producers of art included in
ability in art, as well as those their teaching practices? the community beyond school, art curricula, and what are the
with special needs such as university, and museum settings? implications of that diversity or its
How does the field
learning, physical, and emotional encourage candidates from What are facets of effective absence?
disabilities, and those learning underrepresented groups to art education programs that How do artworks and
English as a second language? become art educators and demonstrate sensitivity to instructional strategies featured
How can art education prepare leaders? the socio-cultural context of a in art curricula help students
students to be enlightened community? understand social justice?
How do pre-service programs
citizens engaged in a global prepare art educators to respect In what ways do art curricula How do artworks and
community? and teach content based on effectively incorporate instructional strategies featured
How can art education promote social justice? community members’ in art curricula support or hinder
understanding of diversity with assessments and evaluations? students’ participation in global
How does the field prepare art
regard to sexual orientation, communities?
educators to address art learning
cultural identity, religious beliefs, across the lifespan?
and other areas where prejudice
and marginalization may exist?
How can art education address
student issues related to privilege
and economic disadvantage?
E M E R G I N G T E C H N O LO G Y
STUDENT EDUCATOR CONTEXT CONTENT
In what ways do different How might web-based resources To what extent are art classrooms What kinds of multi-modal skills
technologies impact student and interactive technologies and museums equipped with are needed to create artwork with
learning about art and design enhance professional necessary hardware and software digital media?
at various age levels in diverse development? to engage students about the Which educational policies and/
educational/social contexts? How does higher education use of technology as a means for or ethical standards are important
creating artworks and supporting
How do students enhance their prepare pre-service educators when using technology to teach
interactive art learning?
visual arts learning by using to teach about art and design about the visual arts?
digital resources and social media education and use of new media How is technology used to What resources are available
to conduct research? to create artworks? promote student learning in for studying the historic
community art settings?
In what ways may technology Which art education pedagogical development of digital
be used as new media for art practices effectively incorporate Which technological tools and technologies as art media?
creation as well as a means to technology to creatively teach processes might be needed to Which new media arts skills
encourage interdisciplinary about art and design? develop curriculum and conduct directly connect with ‘traditional’
learning? online art courses and programs?
What impedes art educators’ use visual arts content and in what
In what ways do students find of technology in implementing ways?
the use of technology effective or and assessing arts and design
ineffective for online art learning? learning within STEAM curricula?
What kind of instructional
skills do art educators need to
effectively meet state standards
and deliver online art instruction?
D E M O G R A P H I C D ATA
STUDENT EDUCATOR CONTEXT CONTENT
How does the student/art How are underrepresented What is the level of funding for In the United States, in which
educator ratio vary nationally, groups represented in the field art education per pupil across grades is art a required subject
regionally, and locally and what of art education in terms of the nation? How does funding locally, regionally, and nationally?
relationships might these ratios numbers and positions across the compare regionally and across Nationally, are there college
be to student learning outcomes? US and how are they recruited local contexts (rural, urban, admission requirements
to art educator preparation suburban etc.)?
How does the structure and pertaining to the visual arts; if so,
programs?
support for art education What kinds of art teaching and what are the specifics of these
students in the United States Nationally, what data are learning opportunities exist requirements?
compare with structure and available about art program beyond the art classroom, in local In what ways is creativity
support provided students in structures (such as number of communities across the nation? specifically fostered in art
other countries? courses, content of courses), What are their goals? How are classrooms, museums, and
graduation requirements, and they funded?
How do test scores, grades, and/ community organizations across
perceived strengths of art
or extracurricular activities differ What are student-educator ratios the nation?
education programs?
among high school students who for schools with art programs How does the delivery of art
studied about art in elementary How does the education and compared to those schools standards vary in different locales
and middle school as compared experiences of art educators without art programs? and across different economic
with students who did not? in the US compare with the What are the percentages of strata?
preparation of art educators in
In what ways does integrated minority populated schools with How does the pre-service
other countries?
curriculum across disciplines, art programs compared to similar education and experience of art
such as STEAM, impact student What is the relationship between school populations without art educators in the United States
learning in the arts and other the number of art educators in a programs? compare with the preparation of
disciplines? county and that county’s median Is there a relationship between art educators in other countries?
income? the number of full-time
What data-driven methodologies equivalent art educator (FTE)
can be applied to study the positions and per-pupil spending
many contexts that influence in specific school districts?
development and success of art
programs in schools, museums,
and communities.
