Abstract Theories Impacting Art Foundations Course
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ABSTRACT THEORIES IMPACTING ART FOUNDATIONS COURSE DESCRIPTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES Alyson Pouls, Ph.D. School of Art and Design Northern Illinois University, 2017 Richard Siegesmund, Director Traditional art foundations models focus on teaching freshman level art students strategies of visual composition through the use of the elements and principles of design. These visual qualities are presented as the fundamental basis for all art compositions. Rooted in the early 20th century modernist concept of formalism, the elements and principles purposely divorce art from narrative, social, or cultural influences, in favor of standardized visual regulations, repeated exercises, and technical skills. However, K-12 art educators, higher education art education faculty, and foundations faculty agree that visual and technical skills must be supported by a conceptual element, central to the artist’s voice, reflecting an ever changing and evolving personal and social discourse in support of democratic practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Modernist formalism and Postmodern art theory on written foundations curricula in the United States, by gathering course descriptions from 97 public and private colleges, to locate formal, technical, and conceptual language imbedded within art foundations. Based on aesthetic theories suggested by Ranciere, Foucault, Dewey, and Efland, this study results in practical, applicable suggestions for a transformed art foundations curriculum that weaves together concept, skill, and visual qualities for a relevant foundations paradigm. NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY DEKALB, ILLINOIS DECEMBER 2017 THEORIES IMPACTING ART FOUNDATIONS COURSE DESCRIPTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES BY ALYSON POULS © 2017 Alyson Pouls A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN Doctoral Director: Richard Siegesmund ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I could not have completed this dissertation without the help of my brother, Dr. Steven Pouls, and his wife, Esther Pouls. The transportation help and the endless encouragement has made it possible for me to live this dream of completing my doctorate, and I cannot thank them enough. DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to the many students I have taught, my loving and patient husband Perry, and my late mother Deena, who always encouraged me to reach for the stars. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………..….…… ix LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………...………………………..….…… xii LIST OF APPENDICES………………...…………………………………………..….…… xiii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION…………………..…………………………….……..……………….. 1 Contemporary Context.……………………………………….…….….……………. 4 Personal Experience………………………………......………..….….……………... 12 Problem and Purpose…………………...…………………….……..….……………. 18 Research Questions and Sub-Questions…………………….………………….…….. 20 Significance of the Study.……………………………………………….…….….…... 21 Delimitations.……………………………………….………………….…………….. 21 Limitations………………………………......………..……………….……………... 22 Assumptions…………………...…………………….……………...….……………. 22 Definitions………………………………………………..……….….……….…........ 23 Methodology…………………….…………………………………..………….…….. 25 Organization of the Study……………………..……………….…………….…....…. 25 2. LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………….……………………… 27 v Chapter Page Introduction.…………………………………….…………….…….….……………. 27 Aesthetics and Democracy………………………………..........….….……………... 31 History, Purpose, and Evolution of the Stand-alone Art College in the U.S.….……. 38 Formalism and the Bauhaus Legacy…………...…………………….……….. 40 Art Education in Public Schools: Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE).... 44 Overview……………………....……………………………….…………….. 49 Advanced Placement (AP) Portfolio Assessment…………………….……………... 50 Art Foundations Now: Curriculum…………………..……………...….……………. 53 Professional Organizations: Foundations Now……………………………….…........ 55 Curriculum for Democracy…………………….……………………………….…….. 57 Summary………………..……………………..……………….…………….…....…. 60 3. METHODOLOGY………………………………………………………………..……… 61 Introduction……………………………..…………………………………….……... 61 Research Questions and Sub-Questions…………………….………………….…….. 61 Research Design...…………………………………..……………...………………... 62 Data Collection……….……………………………………….…….….……………. 63 Documents………...………………………………......………..….….……………... 64 Operationalized Definitions………………….....…………….……..….……………. 65 Sampling Strategy: Purposive…………………...………….………………….…….. 67 Sample Group 1 Criteria…………..…………………………….…….….…... 68 Sample 1 Search Protocol..………………….………………….…………….. 69 vi Chapter Page Sample Group 2 Criteria…………..…………………………….…….….…... 73 Sample 2 Search Protocol..………………….………………….…………….. 74 Data Collection…………………………………….……..……….….……….…........ 77 Data Collection Processes: College Art Foundations Course Descriptions….. 80 Phase 2: Web Research/Document Analysis……………………...……....…. 81 Data Analysis………....……………………………………….…….….……………. 82 Quantitative Data…...………………………………......….….……………... 82 Chi-Square Tests………………………...……………………..……………. 84 Content Analysis Validity……………..…………………….……………….. 87 Unitizing…………………..…………………………………….…….….…... 87 Summary…....……………………………………….………………….…………….. 88 4. FINDINGS…………………………………………………………………..…..……….. 89 Summary of Collected Data…………………….…..……………………...………... 89 Research Questions.……………………………………..……………...………….... 90 Content Analysis Coding…………………….……………………...…………..…… 90 Curriculum Types…………………………………………………….……………… 91 Findings: Sub-Question (a)…………………………………..………...…………….. 93 State Colleges………………………………………….…………………...... 93 Private Colleges……….………………………………………………..……. 95 Findings: Sub-Question (b)………………...………………..………...…………….. 97 Findings: Sub-Question (c)…………………………………..………...…………….. 99 vii Chapter Page Results for “Type” and “Region”: Formal (FF)…………...………………… 99 Results for “Type” and “Region”: Technical (TT)…………...……………… 101 Results for “Type” and “Region”: Conceptual (CC)…………....…………… 101 Sub-Question (c) Findings: Interaction Effects………………………..…………….. 102 Results for “Type” and “Region” with Interaction: Formal (FF)………….… 102 Results for “Type” and “Region” with Interaction: Technical (TT)………… 103 Chi-square test for curriculum type (F/T/C/FT/FC/TC/FTC) by “Region”…………. 103 Midwest Region……………….……………………………………….…….. 104 Northeast Region………………………………………………..….……....... 104 South Region…………………………………………….…………....……... 104 West Region………………………………………….…………...……….… 105 Visual Model……………………………………………….…………………..……. 105 Summary……………………………………………………………...….………..…. 107 Conclusion…………………………………………………………....…………….... 107 5. INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS…………………………..……………….…….. 109 Limitations….…………………………..……………….…..…………………..…… 109 Organization of the Chapter.……………..…………..…………………...…….....… 110 Interpretation of the Findings.………………………...……………………..………. 110 Similar Results between State and Private Colleges……………………...…. 111 Regional Differences in Conceptual Language………………………..….… 115 Cause of Regional Differences……………………..……………………….. 115 viii Chapter Page Curriculum Models….…………………………..……………………..………..…… 121 A Rancièrian Theoretical Curriculum Model………………..……………… 122 A Foucaultian Theoretical Curriculum Model………………..……..……… 126 A Deweyan Theoretical Curriculum Model………………………………… 129 Towards a Democratic Post-Modern Curriculum Model…………………… 132 Building a Spiral Curriculum…………….…………………………...……….……. 133 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...… 137 Suggestions for Future Research……………………………...………..…………… 139 EPILOGUE……………………………………………………………………....…….……. 142 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………..…….……. 146 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………...…….……. 154 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Definitions of Categories…………………………………………..………………… 66 2. Example Index of College and University Collected Information……………...…… 80 3. Sample of Sorted Data……………………………...………………...……………… 83 4. Variables Used for Comparisons and Format of Results…………………….……… 85 5. Codes for Curriculum Types……………………………...……………….………… 92 6. Public Colleges Results……………………………...…………………………….… 94 7. Private Nonprofit Art Colleges Results…………………………....………………… 96 8. Public and Private Colleges Combined Results……………………………...……… 98 A1. Sample Group 1: Public Colleges and Universities With Largest Population per State Offering Visual Art-Related Bachelor Degrees With NASAD or Regional Accreditation………………………………………………………………...…...……… 155 B1. Sample Group 2 : Chart of Private Nonprofit Schools With Bachelor’s-Level Art Programs by State With NASAD or Regional Accreditation…………………………… 160 C1. Raw Data Counts: Public Schools……………………………...…………………… 165 D1. Raw Data Counts: Private Schools……………………………...………...………… 173 E1. Region 1-Northeast: PUBLIC COLLEGES: 9 STATES/9 COLLEGES…..……… 183 E2. Region 1-Northeast: PRIVATE COLLEGES: 9 STATES/9 COLLEGES…...…… 184 E3. Region 2-Midwest: PUBLIC COLLEGES-12 STATES/12 COLLEGES…….…… 185 E4. Region 2-Midwest: PRIVATE COLLEGES-12 STATES/12 COLLEGES………… 186 x Table Page E5. Region 3-South: PUBLIC COLLEGES- 17 STATES/ 17 COLLEGES….....……… 187 E6. Region 3-South: PRIVATE COLLEGES- 17 STATES/ 16 COLLEGES…..……… 188 E7. Region 4-West: PUBLIC COLLEGES-13 STATES/13 COLLEGES……....……… 189 E8. Region 4-West: PRIVATE COLLEGES-13 STATES/9 COLLEGES….…..……… 190 F1. Presence of Formal (FF) Curriculum…………………………………….…..……… 192 F2. Type 3 Analysis of Effects for FF Probability…………………………...…..……… 192 F3. Analysis of Maximum Likelihood Estimates for FF……………………..…..……… 193 F4. Contrast Estimation and Testing Results by Row for FF………………...…..……… 193 F5. Type 3 Analysis of Effects for TT Probability…………………………...…..……… 194 F6. Analysis of Maximum Likelihood