Art Education: Issues in Curriculum and Research

The fine arts have never gained a major place in either public school curricula or educational research, even though specialists in art education have been active for many years and the fine arts are generally recognized as important aspects of past and present culture. A major obstacle to progress in art education has been the inability, or perhaps the unwillingness, of artists, art critics, and art educators to define art in a manner that makes systematic curriculum development and research possible. Criteria for such a definition are suggested, and a definition is proposed as the first step toward over-coming the observed problem. Positive implications for curriculum development and instructional research are outlined for further debate and discussion.