Research Proposal

For this research proposal the question being posed is how does implementing arts

integration across South Carolina secondary STEAM curriculum affect visual arts students in

South Carolina High Schools involvement through attendance, participation, and interest in the

visual arts? The significance of this research will be to document the effects of building a school

culture of art and how this practice can improve the overall experience a child can receive from a

STEAM education. Teaching a culture of art that is meaningful to all students builds respect and

understanding for the arts as well as, creates a more balanced learning curriculum.

The research proposal is driven by the constructivism ontology through using a narrative

research-based approach. The research will collect a series of stories from different perspectives.

Specifically, core class teachers, related art teachers, administration, select students who are

enrolled in an arts class, and most importantly visual art educators within South Carolina schools

who have recently implemented STEAM or arts integration. As well as, partner with Arts in

Basic Curriculum grants and the South Carolina Arts Commission to collect narrative research

from an art’s administrative standpoint. The data analysis of these narratives will consist of an

overall written report of findings supported by the data and related literature in addition to a

cultivated sampling of these stories to add support and add context to the research.

The rationale of this paper is backed up from ten credible resources concerning STEAM,

arts integration, interdisciplinary methods, and transforming education through the arts themed

books. These sources back up the importance of conducting this research through exploring how

arts can boost creativity, major impacts on how brain processes, improved attendance,

improvement on student behavior and classroom management, a more positive academic

development between eight, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students, and more valid
points. For example, the book Interdisciplinary Art Education Building Bridges to Connect

Disciplines and Cultures by the National Art Educational Association and Mary Stockrocki has a

multitude of evidence of how interdisciplinary methods are a necessary change in education.

The dissemination plan timeline for this proposal is centered around schools who have

implemented arts integration within one year to up to three years ago. This research timeline is

necessary to not only record the change through the students who received both approaches to

education in that particular school but also to receive fresh insight from the recent change of

curricula. For the ABC grants office and the Arts Commission data research this timeline does

not apply because they focus on South Carolina schools as a whole. However, those narratives

submitted by the offices will be limited to referencing South Carolina schools who have made

the change to arts integration within the last three years. The research will take a full school year

to collect data. Each person participating in the narrative research will be given a sketchbook

where they must keep weekly entries on the school’s performance and how arts integration was

implemented and was it effective. At the end of the year they will use the weekly entries to

summarize their experience into a two-page minimum narrative to submit to research.

The proposed budget for this project is a thousand dollars for each school participating in

this research. These funds are necessary because arts-integration curriculum can be expensive to

implement and maintain over the years. Allowing this small donation may help schools decide to

change over their curricula and sway schools into participating in this research. Also, each

person participating will receive a five-dollar sketchbook to record thoughts and drawings over

the year to add in trustworthy, honest review of the changes through arts integration. Its proposed

that five schools, ABC, and the Arts Commission would participate in this research which would

cost seven thousand dollars. As well as each person receives a sketchbook for each school it is
 expected that fifty people will participate. For the two offices it is expected that three people will

participate from each office. All the sketchbooks add up to a one thousand two hundred and

eighty dollars. The final proposed total assuming these variables are correct would be eight

thousand two hundred and eighty dollars.

In conclusion, the research of how does implementing arts integration across South

Carolina secondary STEAM curriculum affect visual arts students in South Carolina High

Schools involvement through attendance, participation, and interest in the visual arts is vital.

Documentation of the effects of building a school culture of art and how this practice can

improve the overall experience a child can receive from a STEAM education. Teaching a culture

of art that is meaningful to all students builds respect and understanding for the arts as well as,

creates a more balanced learning curriculum. This could potentially be the answer to the

downfalls in our modern educational system as well to integrate the importance of visual art and

the arts in general to the future generations.

Annotated Bibliography

Blecher, S., & Jaffee, K. (1998). Weaving in the arts: Widening the learning circle. Portsmouth,

NH: Heinemann.

- Weaving in the Arts offers new ways for classroom teachers to integrate the arts. Drawing

from the work of Gardner and Eisner this book looks at the methodology of curriculum.
 This book was created by two classroom teachers with over twenty years of experience

that wanted to produce examples and conduct research on the arts developing multiple

perspectives on core content such as math, science, language arts. And social studies.

However, chapter four provided good resources how the sketchbook are personal and a

great tool for integration as well as provided student examples.

Caldwell, B., & Vaughan, T. (2012). Transforming education through the arts. New York:

Routledge.

- Transforming education through the arts contains research evidence on the engagement in

the arts, the social and educational impact of neglecting the arts, why there is a need for an

educational reform, and how to transform your school using arts. Traditional school model

is not working in the twenty-first century and this provides examples from around the

world that prove arts engage students and improve school culture. Chapter one provides

the downfalls of removing arts from school claiming it destroys individuality, stifles

creativity, and most importantly stultifies thought. Revealed the benefits of student

participation in the arts. Provides case study research from Australia. Chapter four

contains research evidence on engagement in the arts. Chapter six provides the benefits of

arts integration on the student’s wellbeing. Even more, chapter eight contains multiple

studies of schools where arts interventions have succeeded.

Carpenter, T., & Gandara, J. (2018, July). Making Connections: Collaborative Arts Integration

Planning for Powerful Lessons. NAEA Art Education, 71(4), 8-13.

- Collaborative Arts integration is a magazine article on studio practices and integration in

visual arts classroom. In the article it quotes the Kennedy Center is “an approach to
 teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an art form.

Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject area

and meets evolving objectives in both.” This article claims that all contents can

demonstrate understanding through art. It is showed to improve learning, helps with

classroom management, validates art, increases collaboration, and bridges divides

between classroom teachers and university practices.

Diaz, G. (2017). Preparing educators for arts integration: Placing creativity at the center of

learning. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

- Preparing educators for arts integration examines professional approaches from the United

States help schools integrate arts into the k-12 curriculum. This book emphasizes the value

of collaboration among teachers, artist, educational leaders, and the community. It also

includes models of arts integration to inform curriculum development and student

learning. Studies linked arts participation to increase student literacy skills, critical

thinking abilities, and capacities and communication and problem solving. This book aims

to merge content and subjects for a common goal as well as provides models of arts

integration. This includes an ABC example regarding arts integration at Hand Middle

school.

Donovan, L., & Pascale, L. (2013). Integrating the arts across the Content Areas. Huntington

Beach, CA: Shell Education.

- Integrating the arts across the Content Areas uses the arts to engage students and enhance

learning across content areas. It also validates arts integration by providing relevance to

standards-based instruction. Visual arts are flexible enough to be used across the
 curriculum. Express understanding as a visual response and gives examples for the core

content areas.

Hunter-Doniger, T. (2018, March). Art Infusion: Ideal Conditions for STEAM. NAEA Art

Education, 71(2), 22-27.

- Art Infusion: Ideal Conditions for STEAM sees arts integration as the future. It claims that

“the arts can metaphorically be the weft weaving through which the non-art-disciplines are

woven.” Art integration brings equality to all disciplines. It allows deeper understanding of

all subjects. STEAM allows students to search for content, find it, make it their own, and

apply to what interest them.

Jacobs, H. H. (1989). Interdisciplinary curriculum: Design and implementation. Alexandria, VA:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

- Interdisciplinary Curriculum breaks down curriculum integration. The book offers

suggestions for choosing proper criteria for successful arts integration as well as

establishing validity for the arts. Illuminates the value of higher-order thinking and how

integration boost these learning skills. This book shows the growing need for

interdisciplinary curriculum content. It provides important points such as no connections

make school irrelevant in the larger world and fragmented school days do not reflect

reality.

M., L. P. (2004). Community connections: Intergenerational links in art education. Reston, VA:

National Art Education Association.

- Community connections is a book backed by the National Art Education Association that

speaks on the importance of arts integration. Exploring the integrational learning

connections through narrative construction. Learning and social relationships are tested

for over three generations in models. It is shown that arts integration can boost moral

learning, generate a sense of community, as well as connect races and ethnicities.

Sousa, D. A., & Pilecki, T. (2013). From STEM to STEAM using brain-compatible strategies and

lessons that integrate the arts. California, CA: Corwin.

- From STEM to STEAM gives the advantages that students gain when arts are integrated into

daily STEM instruction. Arts activates enhance creativity, problem solving, memory

systems, and analytical skills. This book includes details of brain research on STEAM,

template for designing your own arts integrated lesson, tips for managing time and

collaborating, real life examples, and strategies for involving the whole school community

in STEAM initiatives. Equality to all disciplines creates an engaging, comprehensive

environment, and retention of skills and content. This allows a deeper understanding of all

subjects, reinforces rigor, and encourages collaboration with non-arts and arts teacher.

Stokrocki, M. (2005). Interdisciplinary art education: Building bridges to connect disciplines and

cultures. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.

- Interdisciplinary art education is backed up by the National Art Education Association and

makes an expansive argument for interdisciplinary practices and arts integration. They

make the argument because it makes connections and helps students see the bigger

picture. Helps students focus on end goals, not just the means of learning about their

world. Aesthetic education helps strengthen cognitive and affective skills. As well as shows
 positive gains in motivation, commitment, student achievement, and they are less likely to

drop out. The book focus on arts integration as a means to accessing significant ideas,

social issues, and student identity concerns as the connect academic learning to everyday

life.

Wilson, G. J. (2018, March). S.T.E.A.M. AHEAD: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in art design

teaching and learning. NAEA Art Education, 60(1), 22-22.

- S.T.E.A.M. AHEAD NAEA magazine article embraces the ideals of STEAM ahead. It is based

off the principles that the current mode of schooling falls short of equitable, diverse, and

inclusive spaces. Diversity in arts integration should be infused though identity’s and ideas.

Creativity lies at the core of innovation.