5 studies that prove art education improves student learning!

For years there have been speculations on the benefits art has on education and student development. In recent years many studies have proven that there is a strong correlation between students who participate in the art and their overall academic achievement, the development of problem-solving skills, and personal competencies; studies also find that art education helps students from low-SES backgrounds. Although these studies do not prove that art education is the sole causes these improvements, they do show there is

a strong correlation.

In a report done by Scheuler (2010), data submit it to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education by the state's public school district showed that participation in the arts benefits academic achievement. Fine Arts education significantly correlates to higher attendance rates; out of 171 schools, low arts participating schools had an average attendance of 94.1% and higher participating schools had an average attendance of 95.1%. Higher participating schools also had less serious infractions per 100 students at about .69% while lower participating schools had an average of 1.26%. The improved attendance and behavior led to improved test scores as well, lower participating schools had an average measure of academic progress (MAP) math score of 683 and communication arts score of 674, comparatively higher participating schools had an average MAP math score of 687 and communication arts score of 677. accumulatively , the arts correlates to higher graduation rates, with higher participating schools averaging 91.2% and lower participating schools averaging 87.9%.

A study was done by the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and the Randy Korn and Associates Inc (2010) suggests the arts improve problem-solving skills. The study “the art of problem solving” was a four-year study that evaluated the impact of the Learning Through Arts (LTA) program. The results showed that students who received LTA instructions did better in three of the six skills of problem-solving. The skills outlined in tested were as followed: imagination, which is where the child can place themselves within the task to the extent where they can envision the problem beyond the assignment including opportunities and constraints. Experimentation is where students try several materials and tools to create their projects. flexibility is where the students approach accidents difficulties and frustrations with focus patients in further exploration. resource recognition is where students pay attention to the resources provided and seek out resources appropriate for the tasks. Connection of ends and aims is where students describe deliberate decisions and choices made in creating art. finally there is self-reflection which means students express explicitly in thoughtful opinions or critiques of their projects and identify difficulties and or problems. The LTA receiving students scored significantly higher in flexibility, resource recognition, and connections of ends and aims.

Another study that can be found in the Champions of change collection is entitled “ learning in and through the arts: curriculum implications" in this study a group of researchers from teachers college Columbia University conducted a study of over 2000 students 4th through 8th grade and found “ … significant relationships between rich in-school arts programs in creative cognitive and personal competence is needed for academic success.”, (Burton…) Burton, et al, (1999) … Found that young people in high arts groups perform better than those in low arts groups on measures of creativity, fluency, originality, elaboration, and resistance to closure… we're also strong in their abilities to express thoughts and ideas, exercise your imagination and take risks and Learning. in addition, they were described by their teachers as more cooperative and willing to display their learning abilities publicly. (p.36) the collective efforts of the researchers in Champions of change agreed upon the following findings:

• The arts reach students who are not otherwise being reached.

• The arts reach students in ways they are not otherwise being reached

• The arts connect students to themselves and each other.

• The arts transform the environment for learning.

• The arts provide learning opportunities for the adults in the lives of young people.

• The arts provide new challenges for those students already considered successful.

According to Fiske (1999), art allows students to engage in multiple skills and abilities which create meaningful learning experiences that develop a student’s cognitive, social, and personal competencies (p.ix). Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development (Deasy, 2002) is a body of work consisting of 62 peer-reviewed studies and essays, this study “links” arts education with a variety of academic and social skills including reading and language, mathematics, thinking skills, motivation, social behaviors, and school environment. Deasy (2003) writes,

"Of great importance to schools struggling to close achievement gaps are indications that for certain students – most notably young children, those from economically disadvantaged circumstances, and those needing remedial instruction – learning in the arts may be particularly helpful. For instance, studies show that some students who are encouraged to dramatize reading materials significantly improve their comprehension of the text and their ability to read new and unfamiliar material" (p. 16-17).

The Chicago Arts Partnership in Education (CAPE) partnered with artists and teachers to design a curriculum where a visual art form was integrated into reading or social studies lessons (Catterall and Waldorf, 2002). They compared student performances of the students in the CAPE against a control group of students not participating in CAPE, based on standardized test scores (p.72). They found that “The low- SES children in arts-integrated schools performed better than those in comparison schools in terms of test scores. The results were significant at the elementary level, but not at the high school level” (p.72).

Further research is needed to discern the direct effect art has on educational development, but, according to past research, the correlations are strong enough to support the integration of art education in the curriculum and in your classroom. The benefits and skills learned from art education help students solve problems and comprehend more clearly. The next time you go to make a lesson plan think of how you can integrate art into your plan and reach students who are not being reached and in ways they are not being reached. Improve the learning experience in your classroom with art!

Sources:

Burton, J., Horowitz, R., & Abeles, H., (1999). Learning in and through the arts: Curriculum implications. In Fiske, E.B. (Ed.), Champions of change: The impact of the arts on learning. Retrieved from http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/champions/pdfs/champsreport.pdf

Catterall, J.S., Waldorf, L., (2002). Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE): Evaluation summary. In Deasy, R. J. (Ed.), Critical links: Learning in the arts and student academic and social development. Retrieved from http://www.artsed411.org/files/critical%20links.pdf

Deasy, R. J., & Arts, E. P. (2002). Critical links: Learning in the arts and student academic and social development. Retrieved from http://www.artsed411.org/files/critical%20links.pdf

Fiske, E. B., President's Committee on the Arts and, the Humanities, & Arts, E. P. (1999). Champions of change: The impact of the arts on learning. Retrieved from http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/champions/pdfs/champsreport.pdf

Guggenheim Museum, The Randi Korn and Associates, Inc (2010, March) “Educational Research: The Art of problem Solving” Retrieved from https://www.guggenheim.org/wp- content/uploads/2015/11/guggenheim-research-aps-executivesummary.pdf

Leslie Scheuler (2010, March) “Art Education Makes a Difference in Missouri Schools.” Retrieved from https://www.missouriartscouncil.org/graphics/assets/documents/b657d9f1adfc.pdf