10 Salient Studies on the Arts in Education

A fine arts education — including music, theater, drawing, painting, or sculpture — whether in practice or theory, has been a part of any well-rounded curriculum for decades — but that may be changing. Many schools today are cutting back or eliminating their art programs due to budget constraints. It is estimated that by the end of this twelvemonth, more 25% of public high schools will accept completely dismantled them. These stats aren't but bad news for teachers working in the arts, such as those at traditional schools for trip the light fantastic toe or online colleges for photography. Numerous studies done over the past decade accept demonstrated the amazing benefits of such an integral education facet. Students who don't have access to art classes may not just miss out on a key creative outlet, but might also face up greater difficulty mastering core subjects, higher dropout rates and more disciplinary problems.

You don't have to take our word for it — you can read the studies yourself. Here, we've listed some of the biggest on the arts in didactics conducted over the past decade. Taken on by research organizations, college professors and school districts themselves, the studies reveal the power of art to inspire, motivate and educate today's students. And, of course, demonstrate what a disservice many schools are doing by undervaluing such an integral function of their didactics and development.

  1. A 2002 written report by the Arts Education Partnership revealed that schoolchildren exposed to drama, music and dance are oftentimes more proficient at reading, writing, and math.

    While schoolhouse districts might exist tempted to think the arts a frivolous part of the educational system, this report suggests otherwise. It looked at over 62 different studies from 100 researchers, spanning the range of fine arts from dance to the visual arts. In 2002, it was the first report of its kind to wait at the touch on of fine art on academic performance. Using this data, researchers adamant that students who received more arts education did better on standardized tests, improved their social skills and were more motivated than those who had reduced or no access. While researchers at the AEP admitted that art isn't a panacea for what ails struggling schools, the study led them to believe it could be a valuable asset for teaching students of all ages — especially those in poor communities or who need remedial education. With then many online colleges for design options, students in every demographic can pursue a college education. An updated report with consistent results was conducted by the same researcher in 2010.

  2. The 2006 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum written report on art education showed a link between arts education and improved literacy skills.

    The study was the result of a pilot program through the Guggenheim chosen Learning Through Art, which sent artists into schools to teach students and help them create their own masterpieces. Kids who took function in the plan performed better on six unlike categories of literacy and disquisitional thinking skills than those who did not. While students did amend on an oral examination, they did not on standardized, written literacy tests — a disparity researchers said could exist because they did not emphasize written advice in the program. Programme organizers believe the improvements were the result of students learning valuable critical thinking skills while talking about art, which could then be practical to understanding and analyzing literary materials. Students could even take these skills further at online colleges for creative writing or broadcast journalism.

  3. In 2007, Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland published a study stating the arts don't actually amend academic operation, but it shouldn't matter.

    Winner and Hetland head up an arts teaching plan chosen Project Goose egg at the Harvard Graduate School of Pedagogy, and then they are by no means opponents of creative expression. Nevertheless in their 2000 written report, they constitute little academic comeback in math, science, and reading in their arts education plan enrollees. While the backlash from their study was swift and fell, the researchers stuck past their findings. And for proficient reason. They believe information technology shouldn't affair whether or not art courses amend examination scores or grades, and that art education should garner support for what it offers on its own merit — not in relationship to annihilation else. Regardless, their report did reveal that arts education has some larger benefits which can't be easily quantified through test scores. Namely, it helps students meliorate visual analysis skills, learn from mistakes, exist creative and make better disquisitional judgments.

  4. A 2005 report by the Rand Corporation called "A Portrait of the Visual Arts" argues that fine art educational activity does more than merely give students a creative outlet. It can actually help connect them to the larger earth, ultimately improving community cohesion.

    A bold assertion, but not one without merit. Students from lower income families often get fiddling exposure to the arts if they are not provided by schools. The report shows that arts teaching can help close the gap between socioeconomic groups, creating a more level playing field between children who may not be exposed to these enrichment experiences outside of schoolhouse and some of their more than privileged peers.

  5. Teachers and students akin benefit from schools that have strong fine art climates, a 1999 study called "Learning In and Through the Arts" demonstrated.

    People have been and then wrapped up in showing how arts didactics benefits students, many oasis't stopped to consider how information technology as well impacts educators. The report studied students at 12 New York, Connecticut, Virginia and Due south Carolina schools to compile their results. Not but were students at schools with high levels of art education earning higher scores on critical thinking tests, but teachers also seemed happier. Role of the increase in their satisfaction was a result of their charges, who were found to be more often than not more cooperative and expressive and savour a amend rapport with educators. That wasn't all, however, as teachers at schools that emphasized arts educational activity enjoyed greater job satisfaction, were more than interested in their work and likely to be innovative and pursued personal development experiences. It'southward not a petty finding, as what is skilful for instructors is frequently very good for their students too. This is something those at online colleges for instruction should keep in mind.

  1. The Center for Arts Educational activity published a report in 2009 that suggests arts education may meliorate graduation rates.

    Taking a look at the role of arts education in New York public schools, this report found that schools with the lowest admission also had the highest dropout rates. Conversely, those with the highest graduation rates as well had the greatest admission to arts education and resources. While there are undoubtedly a number of other factors that play into graduation rates, the research in this study and others like it (about notably The Role of the Fine and Performing Arts in High Schoolhouse Dropout Prevention, which you can read here) has plant that many at-gamble students cite participation in the arts as their reason for staying. Participation in these activities has a quantifiable affect on levels of delinquency, truancy and academic operation.

  2. A 2011 written report called "Reinvesting in Arts Educational activity" found that integrating arts with other subjects can help enhance achievement levels.

    Arts education may not just help enhance test scores, but too the learning process itself, as a recent study revealed. This report on the Maryland schoolhouse system found that skills learned in the visual arts could assistance better reading and the counterparts fostered in playing an instrument could be applied to math.  Researchers and school officials believe that arts education can exist a valuable instruction reform tool, and classroom integration of creative opportunities could be central to motivating students and improving standardized test scores. Taking it a step farther, online colleges in Maryland, for instance, are creating postal service-secondary education opportunities for students in the land.

  3. A report of Missouri public schools in 2010 constitute that greater arts education led to fewer disciplinary infractions and higher attendance, graduation rates and test scores.

    Using data submitted by the country'south public schools, the Missouri Department of Education and the Missouri Brotherhood for Arts Education compiled this report. They found that arts education had a meaning upshot on the academic and social success of their students. Those with greater arts participation were more than probable to come up to class, avert being removed and graduate. Additionally, they demonstrated greater proficiency in mathematics and communication. Many accept aspired to online colleges in Missouri, or other states. Similar studies of other statewide education systems have discovered nearly identical results.

  4. In "Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts and the Brain," Johns Hopkins researchers shared findings showing that arts teaching can assist rewire the encephalon in positive ways.

    While proponents of arts education take long asserted that artistic training can help develop skills translating into other areas of academics, picayune research had been washed to investigate the scientific component. Aspects of training in the arts, like motor control, attention and motivation, were studied by researchers who participated in the report, with some interesting results. In one four-year study, students undertaking regular music training were found to have changes in their brain structures helping them transfer their motor skills to similar areas. Another found students motivated to practice a specific fine art form and spent time with focused attention increased the efficiency of their attention network every bit a whole, even when working in other areas of study — and it improved their fluid IQ scores. Other studies reported like scientific findings on the arts' impact on the brain, showing that sustained arts education is can be essential office of social and intellectual development.

  5. A 2009 survey, function of the "Nation'south Study Card: Arts 2008" written report, found that access to arts educational activity opportunities hasn't changed much in a decade.

    Many of the problems that plagued arts education programs in schools 10 years ago are still major issues today, this survey revealed. Centre school students across the nation oasis't seen an increase in access to music and visual arts pedagogy, and their agreement of its tenets remains low — peculiarly in certain disenfranchised socioeconomic and racial groups. Many believe the numbers are even worse today, every bit the survey was conducted prior to the economic woes that have paralyzed many schools systems in contempo years. Every bit in 1997, the 2008 survey showed that but 47% of students had admission to visual arts didactics, and just 57% to music didactics. The survey attempted to wait at theater and trip the light fantastic programs, but since so few schools offering them, they were dropped from the study.