A Research Prospectus

On

The Impact of the Provision of Creative Arts in Classrooms for Improving Students' Performance and Creativity

Submitted by

To

Of

Problem Statement

The children of our country are envisioned to be creative and joyful in everything they do, however, this is not the case in actuality. Children are reported to be involved in delinquency and other unproductive activities which shape their future in an extremely harmful way, they are not challenged enough to think creatively or with a unique perspective. This is due to the fact that the children of modern times are exposed to stressful situations and tension generating elements in their life at a very early age. This can be avoided if the children are provided with access to creative art programs and in effect given exposure to performing in activities related to arts. In order to enhance the creativity of children the necessity of plays are essential. N. McCaslin, in a book written by her, dedicates a whole chapter to the fundamental necessity of the creation of a sense of 'play' by acting out and participating in a creative drama in classrooms. For many of the educating professionals, it is a common day routine to intervene in conflicts arising due to students activities that usually comprise of labeling, power issues, bullying as well as segregation. A study aimed at understanding and discovering the causes for violent behavior, found that the rates for crimes that were related to violence were highest in U.S. (Reiss & Roth, 1993). And some of the most successful methods discovered to intervene and effectively reduce the element of aggressive behavior among the children were those emphasizing on cognitive behavioral programs as well as social learning programs, presenting ways to resolve issues in a non-aggressive manner.

Background

Provision of Creative Art

The provision of creative arts (to the children) is basically what is known as arts integration, which is an approach to learning and teaching while utilizing various forms of art. The main objective is the increment in knowledge (pertaining to a subject area in general) whilst cultivating a better comprehension as well as appreciation of the fine and performing arts. For educational purposes it helps the students develop a better understanding of the relevant subject while using arts as a medium.

History

Art integration existed in the form of arts education, although in different forms, in the 19th century. The theory of progressive education which was presented by John Dewey contributed towards its popularity. The integrated school art program, a publication by Leon Winslow in the year 1939, was the first of its kind to describe a link between art and the subjects taught in schools (in U.S.). Harry Broudy, in the 1970s, highlighted arts to be the element that strengthened imagination in individuals. He considered imagination as a vital element of learning that was necessary for schools to focus. In 'enlightened cherishing' (one of his work), Broudy supported integrating aesthetic education to various subjects. In the 1980s, Elliot Eisner followed in Broudy's steps, citing arts to be ...