The aim of this paper is to ascertain the main subject qualities in Junior Cycle (JC) Visual Art (VA) in The Republic of Ireland, and whether these qualities are unique to the subject. The context of JC VA education is outlined through the exploration of its values, aims and objectives as well as investigating the subject's unique qualities. A…

In this paper, we present a novel approach to defining, teaching, and assessing creativity by examining its origins and delineating the processes involved. The rationale for introducing this framework developed from studying existing thinking and questioning the current metrics for measuring creativity, which we posit are unfit for purpose. We…

To be awake means to have active attention, particularly the attention to carry a project into effect and execute a plan (Greene, 1977). Additionally, to be wide-awake requires a level of consciousness that provokes reflection and awareness in the quest for meaning, which can in turn contribute to the formation of self and ability to make sense of…

This article presents a problem-solving model to examine the often problematic relationship between expertise and creativity. The model has two premises, each the opposite of a common cliché. The first cliché asserts that creativity requires thinking outside-the-box. The first premise argues that experts can only think and problem solve inside the…

The development of generic skills is a focal issue in education policy and school curriculum reform across countries. This study in the Hong Kong context explores the sources of formal and non-formal curriculum and learning activities related to senior secondary students' perceptions of learning outcomes in creativity, communication, and problem…

This exploratory qualitative investigation examined the nature of 7 secondary school students who are highly artistic to link visual arts programs that best accommodate their learning needs. Instrumentation for data collection included 1 questionnaire, 3 in-depth semistructured one-on-one interviews, artwork documents, observations, and field…

In this article, the authors explore the corpus of literature on creative thinking and applied creativity in higher education to help composition teacher-scholars and writing center practitioners improve the application of creativity in written, visual, and multimodal composing practices. From studies of creative thinking investigated across…

Although goals change and reflect the issues of the time, two primary goals of education in a democracy have remained constant over time. The first goal is to educate for vocational competence and the second is to produce caring, intelligent, and wise citizens. Articulating the connection of design education concepts to the economy and social…

In 1994, the National Arts Education Association created a research agenda to address major research issues in the field of visual arts education for the purpose of examining, negotiating, and modifying commonly held beliefs in the field of art education. Research by arts educators has done much to inform visual arts education theory and practice,…

The call for more empirical research in art education during the 1950s seems to be a precursor of the contemporary move toward more systematic instruction in the visual arts. If making art employs nonverbal aesthetic concepts, then conceptual consistency and problem solving within studio instruction can facilitate students' acquisition, retention,…

In order to investigate the relationship between mental imagery and creative problem solving, a study of 44 separate accounts reporting mental imagery experiences associated with creative discoveries were examined. The data included 29 different scientists, among them Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, and 9 artists, musicians, and writers,…

Visual thinking is composed of three activities: idea-sketching, seeing, and imagining. This book suggests ways that people whose usual way of thinking is in words can turn to a new mode of thinking; preparations for it, including materials, environmental conditions, and an inner state of relaxed awareness; seeing; imagining; and idea-sketching…

Reviews empirical and theoretical writings showing how visual arts affect: growth of perception and awareness through use of the senses; clarification of styles of thought and their effect on personal expression; inventiveness and general problem-solving ability; feelings of confidence and self-worth; and general learning motivation and success.…

Argues that creativity is the essence of true learning and explores its role in art education. Studies the creative process at work in several artists. Considers David Perkins' work on the creative process, identifying characteristics of a creative environment. Concludes creativity is more akin to problem solving than to spontaneous and mysterious…

Interior design, as a field of study, is a rapidly growing area of interest--particularly for teenagers in the United States. Part of this interest stems from the proliferation of design-related reality shows available through television media. Some art educators and curriculum specialists in the nation perceive the study of interior spaces as a…