Transforming Art Education in Saudi Arabia: Inclusion Of
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TRANSFORMING ART EDUCATION IN SAUDI ARABIA: INCLUSION OF SOCIAL ISSUES IN ART EDUCATION Ghadah Shukri H. Albakri Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2020 APPROVED: Jim Laney, Major Professor Carol Wickstrom, Major Professor Dan Krutka, Committee Member Nadine Kalin, Committee Member Misty Sailors, Chair of the Department of Teacher Education and Administration Randy Bomer, Dean of the College of Education Victor Prybutok, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Albakri, Ghadah Shukri H. Transforming Art Education in Saudi Arabia: Inclusion of Social Issues in Art Education. Doctor of Philosophy (Curriculum and Instruction), August 2020, 242 pp., 26 tables, 24 figures, 3 appendices, references, 217 titles. The purpose of this study was to describe in-service Saudi Arabian art education teachers’ (a) philosophies of education before and after an issues-based art education (IBAE) workshop, (b) perceptions of the IBAE workshop and its products, (c) perception of the importance of IBAE approach, reasons, topics, and challenges after the workshop, and (d) perception of IBAE within the Saudi Arabian context. A mixed-methods approach was followed. The qualitative portion of the study utilized a post-workshop questionnaire and reflective essay completed by 37 participants, and personal teaching journal protocol and focus group discussion from 18 participants who attended the workshop and implemented the IBAE lesson in their classrooms. Analysis of the data confirmed that art teachers’ perspectives towards IBAE positively increased after attending the IBAE workshop. Specifically, in the quantitative findings, participants indicated a positive attitude toward the teaching philosophy of social reconstruction after the IBAE workshop. These results demonstrate that the tenets of social reconstruction align with the IBAE approach. In addition, the quantitative data suggests that teacher participants’ overall perception of the importance of addressing social issues in the art curriculum was positive, with 91.9% of respondents agreeing. Overall the qualitative findings, indicated a positive attitude toward the IBAE workshop. Further, the analysis confirmed that these teachers had positive perspectives toward incorporating social issues in their art education again in their classroom of the IBAE approach especially within the Saudi Arabian context. Copyright 2020 By Ghadah Shukri H Albakri ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Achieving my dream of earning a Ph.D. would not have been possible without the support of my family, committee members, and friends. I would like to dedicate this study to my family. Without their love and support, I would not have been able to complete this journey. To my parents, Shukri and Khairiah, thank you for your prayers and your support, which have kept me optimistic during the process of completing this study. Special appreciation goes to my dear husband Dhafer, for being my rock and supporting everything, and our two sons, Mazen and Battal; thank you for offering help, patient, and being supportive. Thank you to my brothers Faisal and Hussam, and my sisters Maha, Jameela, Shatha, Reema, and Shahad, for being supportive all the time. Thank you to all of my friends and relatives, who supported me and kept asking when I would return home. I thank the Islamic Society in Denton, especially Imam Mohamed and sister Marie. Indeed, huge thanks go to the Saudi government for providing the scholarship for me to attain my degree. I would like to acknowledge my committee members, first, Dr. Carol Wickstrom, whom I appreciate beyond words. Dr. Wickstrom, I would like to thank you for guiding me through the entire process and particularly for your expert help in the qualitative part. Thank you for being so supportive and kind. Dr. Jim Laney, your guidance, contribution, and role as a Major Professor were a valuable part of my dissertation writing process and in the creation of a professional development IBAE workshop. Dr. Laney, thank you for your support, time, and knowledge in preparing the art workshop, which made my dissertation much more powerful and fruitful. Dr. Nadine Kalin and Dr. Dan Krutka, thank you for your support, time, knowledge, and optimistic motivation. Finally, thank to Dr. Jeffrey Rasch and Jim Redmond, for their support, time, and commitment. Their constant support, help, and encouragement improved my dissertation. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ x CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY ...................................................................... 1 The Global Movement to Integrate Social Issues Within Art Education ........................... 2 Saudi Arabian Integration of Social Issues Within Art Education ..................................... 3 The Purpose of the Study .................................................................................................... 6 The Method of Study .......................................................................................................... 8 Potential Contributions of the Study ................................................................................... 9 Organization of the Dissertation ......................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ............................................................. 11 Research Question 1 ......................................................................................................... 11 Vision 2030 ........................................................................................................... 11 Changes Related to Arts Education ...................................................................... 12 Research Question 2 ......................................................................................................... 13 The Historical Roots of Art Education in Saudi Arabia ....................................... 13 The Phases of Growth and Development.............................................................. 14 Research Question 3 ......................................................................................................... 20 The Current Status of Saudi Art Learning and Teaching ..................................... 20 Saudi Art Education and/or Social Studies ........................................................... 22 Needed Developments in Light of Recent Socio-Political Changes in Saudi Arabia .................................................................................................................... 23 Research Question 4 ......................................................................................................... 25 The History of the IBAE (IBAE) Approach ......................................................... 25 Instructional Strategy of the IBAE (IBAE) Approach .......................................... 27 Definition and the Procedures of Using IBAE (IBAE) ........................................ 28 Research Question 5 ......................................................................................................... 30 Humanistic and Social Reconstruction Concept Foundation with IBAE: Why? . 30 iv Conceptual Foundations of the IBAE Approach .................................................. 31 Philosophies for Humanism and Social Reconstructionism in Light of the IBAE in Saudi Arabia.......................................................................................................... 39 My Positions and Examples .................................................................................. 43 Research Question 6 ......................................................................................................... 44 Art Education Approaches in Light of Social Issues ............................................ 44 Why was IBAE Chosen for this Study? ................................................................ 50 Research Question 7 ......................................................................................................... 52 Research Question 8 ......................................................................................................... 53 Research Question 9 ......................................................................................................... 55 The Importance of Issues-Centered Education ..................................................... 56 The Imperative to Make Issues-Centered Education Part of the School Curriculum ............................................................................................................................... 57 The Global Movement to Integrate Issues-Centered Education Within the Art Curriculum ............................................................................................................ 58 How Issues-Centered Education Informs Art Education ...................................... 59 Applying Issues-Centered Education in the Art Curriculum ................................ 65 Example of Informing Students about Social Issues in Art Education ................. 68 IBAE: Example of a Particular