Investigating Kindergarten Parents' Selection of After-School Art Education Settings in Taiwan

The research purpose was to investigate kindergarten parents' selection of after-school art education settings in Taiwan. A review of the literature and interviews with parents were conducted to identify several possible factors that would impact on parents' selection of after-school art education settings for their children. Then, the researcher self-compiled a survey and distributed 550 copies to parents and 515 copies were obtained. The effective return rate was 93.6%. The findings were as follows: 1. The majority of parents believed children can attend after-school art education settings at the age of four years, and parents also believed that art specialists have a great impact on children's drawings. 2. Type of kindergarten attended by children (public or private), mother's age, mother's occupation, and education level of mother and father have significant effects on decision making regarding the selection of after-school art education settings for their children. 3. The effects on learning: More than 85% of the parents believed that their children have achieved their expectation, which was to enrich creativity, patience, and attention. And, over 80% of the children discussed what they had learned with their parents. 4. The most popular way to teach is to combine teacher-directed and student-directed methods. 5. The most frequently used art materials are markers and crayons in after-school art education settings.