"What is Literature? A Critical Anthology" explores the most fundamental question in literary studies. 'What is literature?' is the name of a problem that emerges with the idea of literature in European modernity. This volume offers a cross-section of modern literary theory and reflects on the history of thinking about literature as a…

At the forefront of current digital literacy studies in education, this handbook uniquely systematizes emerging interdisciplinary themes, new knowledge, and insightful theoretical contributions to the field. Written by well-known scholars from around the world, it closely attends to the digitalization of writing and literacies that is transforming…

Over the past two decades, educational scholars have seen major shifts in how literacy is viewed. One of these shifts has been toward conceptualizing literacy as a set of social practices (Street, 1995) that people embody and value. To disrupt current definitions of literacy, the valued practices that keep those forms of literacy in place must…

College campuses have become rich sites of hip-hop culture and knowledge production. Despite the attention that campus personnel and researchers have paid to student life, the field of higher education has often misunderstood the ways that hip-hop culture exists in college students' lives. Based upon in-depth interviews, observations of…

Children's theatre in the UK is thriving. Debates about why children should watch theatre and what educational, emotional and expressive benefits it can provide inform cultural policy on education. Children aged 4-11 are increasingly taken to watch tailored theatre performances, yet there has been virtually no reflective research on what theatre…

This semiotically informed article problematizes the concept of literacy as an aesthetic activity rather than reading skills and offers strategies for assessing young readers' understanding of fictional texts. Although not based on empirical research, the essay refers to and theorizes from extensive field studies of children's responses to…

This paper examines the research literature that points to the function of aesthetics outside the domain of the arts and discusses its importance to creativity and creativity education. The featured literature focuses on problem finding, problem solving, verification, and the development of an aesthetic sense. (EH)

Increased attention to the importance of the arts in general education demands that we carefully define what we mean by "art" when we argue that it should be included in the school curriculum. Education in the arts has traditionally meant education in the making of art, but while only a few students will go on to produce artistically in…

Describes the work of Harry S. Broudy and his impact on public education in the United States. Maintains that Broudy believed that universal values can be grounded in human nature. Presents Broudy's view that students in secondary grades should study the arts and humanities to acquire the values necessary for participatory citizenship. (CFR)

Maintains that research indicates that age is the primary factor influencing aesthetic response. Reports on a study of aesthetic preferences among 24 students at ages 8, 10, and 12. Finds that response style was a more significant factor than age. (CFR)

This article discusses sensory perception. The author reorganizes a previous conception of the interaction between sense organ and physical object and suggests how educational researchers study the perception of physical objects. (DF)

Analyzes the art criticism of nine university art education students writing about the work of Robert Rauschenberg. Identifies the students' use or nonuse of thematic unity, intertextuality, opposition, and description. These thinking strategies are primarily found in the works of three professional art critics. (MJP)

This collection of papers was presented at a South African national music educators conference. The conference set forth educators' concern about the current crisis in music education in South Africa. The critical state is summarized under two headings: (1) the law and abating status accorded to music education within general education; (2) the…

Examines types and functions of useful definitions of art in education. Considers the strengths and limitations of functionalist and proceduralist definitions. Identifies art as a concept operating within a culture; therefore, recommends embracing a variety of definitions to be used in contextually significant ways. (MJP)

The purpose of the monograph is to identify instructional practices in art criticism that are based upon historical developments in aesthetics. Part 1 presents a history of the transformation of the aesthetics into the three areas of art doctrine, art history, and art criticism. Part 2 provides an overview of major developments in the history and…