Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Art

First Advisor

Bonnie Black

Abstract

In 2004, a law was enacted in Arkansas that provided art and music to all elementary children, grades first through sixth. Two years after the preliminary thesis began all district elementary schools added certified art teachers. At the end of the 2007/08 school year, these teachers will have been instructing for three years. In 2008/09, a full four years of instructional impact will be assessable through the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) testing scores of second grade students. This thesis considers whether a teacher's receptiveness to student learning differences or teacher methodology affects the level of creativity by either (1) stimulating a preferred learning style or (2) by encouraging Multiple Intelligence strengths that ultimately enhance a project's outcome or (3) provides quality conceptual art-based projects. Assessment will be determined by comparing a range of scores from four successive years (1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2001/02), using the TTCT.

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Art Education Commons

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