Holistic Art Instruction and Narrative Thinking.

This paper investigates how recent research on narrative thinking and the construction of narrative meaning by cognitive psychologists, educators, and art educators (Bruner 1986, 1990, 1997; Egan, 1991; Johnson, 2001; Lyle, 2000; Polkinghorne, 1988; Rosen, 1985; Siegal, 1999) aligns with the goals of holistic art instruction as described by London et al. (2004). Particular attention is given to Bruner's theory of narrative cognition as well as Bruner's definitions of the grammatical and aesthetic elements of narrative form. Three examples of art problems grounding holistic art instruction in K-12 classrooms are analyzed to demonstrate how the elements of narrative thinking operate when students engage in the process of solving holistic art problems. The paper argues that the synergistic relationship between narrative thinking and holistic art instruction provides a rationale for establishing narrative learning theory as an appropriate cognitive framework for the development of holistic approaches to teaching and learning in art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]