Potential Impacts of Art Education Learning Environments For
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POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF ART EDUCATION LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR STUDENTS WHOM EXPERIENCE SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING: A CASE STUDY OF THREE INDIVIDUALS A Master’s Degree Thesis by Brett A. Thomas to Moore College of Art & Design In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MA in Art Education with an Emphasis in Special Populations Philadelphia, PA August 2018 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF ART EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WHOM EXPERIENCE ii SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION: A CASE STUDY OF TREE INDIVIDUALS Abstract: This study was designed to understand the potential for gained Executive Functioning through an Art Education learning environment by students whom experience a Specific Learning Disability at the High School Level. The author actualizes a limited case study of three students to understand if students whom experience Specific Learning Disabilities are gain Executive Functioning in Art Class. LDA America states that almost all students with Specific Learning Disabilities have an Executive Functioning Deficiency (LDA America, 2017). The resulting information from this case study may be successful in determining that not only some Specific Learning Disabilities are a non-static in their diagnosis, but also that Art Class has existed as a type of interventional therapy for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities all along. Per Harvard's Center for The Developing Child (Center on the Developing Child, 2017), "Children are not born with these skills, they are born with the potential to develop them." This study will attempt to surmise how, if any, Executive Functioning skills are developed for students with Specific Learning Disabilities, under an Art Education Specialist’s prevue. Keywords: Executive Function, Specific Learning Disability, Art Education, Working Memory, Mental Flexibility, Self-Control, Skill Development, Co-Morbidity, Toxic Stress, Auditory Processing Disorder, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Language Processing Disorder, Non-Verbal Disabilities, Visual Perceptual Deficit, ADHD, Dyspraxia, Hard Skills, Economic Health POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF ART EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WHOM EXPERIENCE iii SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION: A CASE STUDY OF TREE INDIVIDUALS Table of Contents Title Page ........................................................................................................................................ i Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iii Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................. vi Table of Tables ............................................................................................................................ viii Chapter I: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1-28 Background to The Problem ............................................................................................................. 1-6 Problem Statement ....................................................................................................................... 6 - 7 Research Question ........................................................................................................................ 7 - 9 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................... 9 - 16 Significance of Study ................................................................................................................... 16-18 Limitations of The Study ............................................................................................................ 18 - 21 Definitions of Terms .................................................................................................................. 21 - 24 Assumptions to Be and Not to Be Debated ................................................................................ 25 - 28 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 28 Chapter 2: Review of The Literature ................................................................................... 28 -45 Introduction to The Literature .................................................................................................... 29 - 31 Sources of Information on Executive Functioning & Specific Learning Disabilities .................... 31 - 34 Sources of Research Structure & Information Gathering Design ................................................. 34 - 39 Sources of Theory Basis & Relative Conceptual Analysis .......................................................... 39 - 45 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF ART EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WHOM EXPERIENCE iv SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION: A CASE STUDY OF TREE INDIVIDUALS Chapter 3: Methodology & Design of Study ................................................................... 46 - 59 Setting ................................................................................................................................... 46 - 47 Participants ............................................................................................................................ 47 - 49 Researcher Role ...................................................................................................................... 48- 49 Research Procedures .............................................................................................................. 49 – 50 Ethical Considerations .................................................................................................................. 50 Research Methods ................................................................................................................... 50– 57 Research Limitations .............................................................................................................. 58– 59 Context for The Study ................................................................................................................... 59 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 59 Chapter 4: Results of The Study ................................................................................... 60 – 102 Introduction to Data Collection Process .....................................................................60 – 62 Pedagogical Emphasis on Lesson Planning ....................................................................... 62 Introduction to Data Collection Process .....................................................................60 – 62 Lesson Planning Structure ..........................................................................................63 – 64 Art Lesson Plan Alignment with Research Imputes and Assessment Based Protocol ......... 64 Emphasized Teaching Steps for Use in Research............................................................... 65 The Research Sight ....................................................................................................65 – 66 Pre-Assessment & Baseline ............................................................................................... 66 Furthered Explanation of Lesson Plan Steps for Use in This Research .......................66 – 72 The Pre-Assessment Project Criteria & Lesson Planning ............................................72 – 74 Main Lesson Planning ................................................................................................75 – 77 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF ART EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WHOM EXPERIENCE v SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION: A CASE STUDY OF TREE INDIVIDUALS Presentation of Data ................................................................................................. 78 – 101 Student Redirection ....................................................................................................... 78 Case Study “T” .....................................................................................................80 – 87 Case Study “J” ......................................................................................................88 – 94 Case Study “F”..................................................................................................... 95 – 101 Chapter 5: Discussion & Implications for The Field ........................................................... 102 Introduction to Findings ........................................................................................ 102 – 103 Presentation of as Researcher & Self – Practitioner: Conclusions that Impacted Educational Style ................................................................................................... 103 – 105 Presentation of Findings in the Context of the Research Environment .................... 106 – 107 Presentation of Findings in the Context of Literature Sources.......................................... 107 Implications for the Field ......................................................................................