An introduction to the arts in education

"Do the arts improve academic achievement? What does it mean to 'teach'art? What should the balance of classic and pop be in the music curriculum? Should we encourage young children on the stage? How do we judge whether what a child produces is good? How do we justify the arts in the curriculum? What should be the balance between form and content when teaching art?The Arts in education inspire considerable commitment and passion but this is not always matched by clarity of understanding. This book introduces the reader to key theoretical questions associated with arts education and clearly explains how these are related to practice. It provides an authoritative account of how ideas relevant to education are addressed by key authors in aesthetics, art theory and cultural studies. Covering all aspects of Arts education, the book considers:Why should we teach the arts?Definitions and theories of artInfluences on teaching the ArtsResearching the ArtsCreativity AssessmentThroughout the book there are examples of practice to illustrate key ideas and a discussion of useful background texts with a summary of content and arguments for further exploration. Written by a leading authority in t