Graduate Research Papers

Availability

Open Access Graduate Research Paper

Keywords

Block scheduling (Education); Art--Study and teaching (Secondary); Schedules, School;

Abstract

As block scheduling sweeps the educational forefront in many American secondary schools, questions have been raised regarding the effect of "block" on the overall curriculum and the school's sense of community. Arts in general, and the visual arts in particular, have always been easy areas to cut in budgets due to downsizing and many art educators get fearful when they hear of a new educational trend coming to their school. How will block affect the stability and quality of visual art programs in schools once it has been implemented?

To explore this question, a survey was conducted of art educators at thirty schools that have implemented block scheduling. Several components of block were covered in the survey regarding the effects of block on the visual arts, such as: class size changes, overall enrollment, amount of work completed, discipline problems, who initiated the decision to go to block, is it easier or harder to teach within a block, and how much in-service time was provided prior to changing to block. It was found that there were more positive effects upon the visual art programs than negative effects. Although the biggest problem related to increasing class sizes and groupings of mixed-ability levels, most high school art educators stated they found it easier to teach under block and that they preferred using this scheduling method over the traditional methods. For visual art teachers anxiously awaiting the block trend that may come to their schools, the findings of this study may bring a sense of relief

Year of Submission

1997

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Mary J. Selke

Comments

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Date Original

1997

Object Description

1 PDF file (iii, 48 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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