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The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between Visual Arts teacher candidates' media literacy, technology integration skills and STEM applications self-efficacy. The research, designed with the relational scanning model, was conducted with the participation of 204 Visual Arts teacher candidates. In order to collect the data, "Media Literacy," "Teacher Technology Skills" and "Teacher STEM Self-Efficacy Perceptions" scales were used in the study. The analysis of the research data was carried out with STEM analysis in the AMOS program. According to the research findings, visual arts teacher candidates' media literacy was found to be high, but their technology integration skills and STEM applications self-efficacy were found to be at moderate level. According to STEM analyses, media literacy and technology integration skills significantly predict STEM self-efficacy in Visual Arts teacher candidates, both separately and together.

Funded by the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) grant, this national study examines arts-based adult education organizations involved in dance, music, drama, and visual arts with a philosophical perspective aligned with a multiliteracies theoretical framework. Multiliteracies considers how cultural and linguistic diversity must be fostered to encourage adults to thrive in all learning environments and recognizes that multimodality provides an expanded way to engage in literacy practices. Utilizing Carey Jewitt's four theoretical tenets to characterize multimodality serves to structure the analytical framework for the findings and discussion of this paper. Multiple case studies and constructivist grounded theory were used for the methodology. Some of the sites discussed in this paper include an art gallery; an immigration museum; and a chamber music organization that offers interactive performances. Participants included adult educators and learners who had options around face-to-face interviews; observations; document analysis of lesson plans or exemplars; or secondary data analysis of original ¿lm footage shot in these spaces. This research has found that arts-based approaches can infuse the work of adult educators to engage adult learners in inclusive pedagogy and active citizenship.

Wellbeing education (WE) is increasingly offered among secondary schools internationally to promote the physical, social, emotional and mental health of young people. Current and emerging evidence proposes that scope exists for the enhancement of universal WE, and that arts-based approaches have significant potential for school programmes in enhancing the effectiveness of WE. This sits alongside a growing body of international literature that connects arts engagement with positive mental wellbeing across age groups. Existing research also shows that the evaluation of the goals, pedagogy and student engagement within WE from the perspectives of teachers is uncommon. To this end, this qualitative research investigated teacher perspectives on the potential for arts-based WE. Through an asynchronous group interview, 10 Australian secondary school arts teachers with expertise in a variety of visual and performing arts education reflected on current WE in light of their arts teaching practice, exploring possibilities for enhancement through art-based practices. Thematic analysis using a socio-ecological framework reveals strong support for arts-based WE, noting positive potential for arts engagement to facilitate increased teacher and student autonomy, relationship building, safe and inclusive environments, and enjoyable, embodied learning within WE.

Using student self-reports on a survey and objective records of academic achievement, I examined the effects of course modality on student satisfaction and academic outcomes at a selective liberal arts college in spring 2021. I compared three groups of undergraduates (N = 729) based on their predominant course modality: Online-Class Group, Residential Blended Learning Group, and Residential In-Person-Class Group. After controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, class level, and socioeconomic status, course modality demonstrated significant main effects on all three satisfaction variables and sense of connection a student felt to the institution. The Online-Class Group reported the lowest satisfaction with level of academic challenge, quality of teaching, and overall quality of academic experiences; it also reported the weakest sense of connection. The Residential Blended Learning Group differed from the Residential In-Person-Class Group on one variable: satisfaction with quality of teaching, on which the former reported lower satisfaction. Course modality did not affect a student's grade point average; although it interacted with gender in its effect on the number of course units a student passed, no subgroup difference by course modality and gender was significant. This study indicates that online classes and blended learning, especially the latter, have potential at liberal arts colleges. [Note: Last page of the PDF is blank, as provided by the publisher.]

This study identifies the best online teaching practices to benefit first-year visual arts students, notably to include instructor-created videos. Such instructor-created videos provide a firm foundation for these students to succeed in their first year of college. The introduction of Web 2.0, focusing on user-generated content, has shown potential to address this issue in online higher education. This study will examine the impact of instructor-created videos to improve learning outcomes, satisfaction, and persistence. It focuses on key areas such as Communities of Practice (CoP), Project-Based Learning (PBL), and instructional design in the visual arts. This study used a quantitative quasi-experimental design to examine the difference in student grades before and after instructor implementation of instructor-created multimedia elements in their courses. Findings highlight the value of instructor-created multimedia elements, particularly for 'C' students, including implementation and challenges. By considering these factors, instructors can create effective and engaging online courses for visual arts education that may improve student performance, retention, and persistence to graduation.

Research on young English language learners has been gaining popularity in recent years, but to this day remains underdeveloped. The present study aimed to add to this body of research by exploring the effects of visual arts activities implemented via comprehension and compared to more commonly used flashcard activities implemented via comprehension-based instruction on young English language learners' vocabulary acquisition and retention. The study specifically focused on very young learners who do not have access to the English language outside of the classroom. This study employed a withinsubjects counterbalanced design with young English language learners (N = 47) with a mean age of three years and eight months. The results provided evidence that both instruction types are highly effective in the productive and receptive learning of vocabulary among young English language learners. Furthermore, the positive effects of visual arts activities implemented via comprehension-based instruction on vocabulary retention were found to be significantly higher than those of the production-based instruction.

Teacher education programs at small liberal arts colleges and universities are among the most vulnerable to decreased enrollment, yet they are uniquely positioned to provide well-rounded future teachers and educational leaders for a democratic society. To inform recruitment efforts, this study examined students' perceptions of teaching careers and their motivations to study education at one small, highly selective liberal arts university. Findings suggest students perceive the teaching profession as honorable but lacking prestige. Their decisions to study education were impacted by personal desires, institutional structures, and professional structures. Findings offer insights into improvements that small college and university teacher education programs can make to attract and retain future teachers and develop thriving, innovative programs.

The purpose of the study was to gain further understandings of undergraduate students' perspectives on employability skill development in the liberal arts programs, as well as the perceived influence of the identification of employability skills in course curricula on undergraduate students' self-efficacy. Building on the results of a prior study on faculty perspectives in the liberal arts on employability skills, we also explored the ways students' and faculty members' perspectives were in alignment. Purposive sampling was used to select the undergraduate courses from three different undergraduate programs at the research site. Three relatively high enrolment courses were selected based on two key criteria: must be a second or third level undergraduate course and must be in a non-professional program in the liberal arts. Non-professional programs were considered programs where the students do not graduate with a specific professional designation or applied program. Two methods were used to collect the data for this project: an employability skill inventory and a survey distributed to students (N = 131). Course syllabi were also obtained to map employability skills. The findings of this study provide further insights with respect to the ways that employability matters to students and the ways in which students expect their instructors and institution to play a role in their employability development. Conclusions of this study underscore the need to consider bridging the disconnect between expectations of the students, the institution, and the faculty regarding employability development.

This study aims to determine the perceptions of fine arts high school music department students about the concept of "instrument training" through an alternative measurement and evaluation technique "Word Association Test (WAT)". In this study, the survey model, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The study group of the research consisted of 110 students studying at Nevit Kodalli Fine Arts High School Music Department in the 2021-2022 academic year. The data were obtained by applying the "Word Association Test (WAT)". Firstly, WAT was explained for informative purposes during the application. Then, the students were asked to write the first 5 words that they thought were related to the key concept of "instrument training" within 1 minute. Afterwards, they were asked to make a sentence related to these answer words. The obtained answer words were analysed by content analysis technique. As a result of the analysis, the answer words that the students associated with the key concept of "instrument training" were grouped under 9 categories (teaching materials, performance anxiety, motivation for the instrument, social skills, attitude towards the instrument, technical skills, student capacity, education and training). According to the order of these categories, the most frequently associated answer words with instrument education were instrument, etude, excitement, working, cooperation, happiness, note, talent and teacher. Under the category of performance anxiety and motivation related to the instrument, the students showed a negative distribution on the word "tiring". It was observed that the students had a positive cognitive structure in all categories.

Faculties of Fine Arts in Turkey train artists and designers by using the universal language of art, taking into account scientific, artistic and cultural developments, developing students' creativity and productivity. In addition to the problems encountered by fine arts students and artists, who have creative personality elements, during the performance of art and the application of methods and techniques available in the literature, the level of use of technology will directly affect their artistic performances and activities. The aim of this study is to examine the creative personality traits and internet usage status-purposes of university students studying in Fine Arts Faculties on a relational basis. The study, which was conducted in the relational survey model, included 205 students studying at the fine arts faculties. Creative personality traits scale and internet usage intentions questionnaire were used to collect the data of the study. According to the findings of the study, the creativity personality traits of the participants are at a high level. In addition, creative personality traits of the students show partial differences according to gender variable. According to another result of the study, it was seen that the students of the Faculty of Fine Arts use "Social networking sites", "Video sharing sites", "Photo sharing sites" applications at a high level. Again, the internet usage purposes of the participants differ according to the gender variable. Finally, significant relationships were found between the participants' creative personality traits and their internet usage purposes.

The objectives of this research were to study (1) the development of knowledge on the aesthetics of Lam in Ubon Style, and (2) the process of transferring knowledge to inherit the performing arts of Molam Morlam-Ruang-Tor-Klon in Ubon style. Data from documents and fieldwork were analyzed and presented using descriptive analysis. The results showed that there are developments and changes according to the eras, divided into the old era before 1937, a few numbers of performers; the changing era into theatrical performance; the modern Morlam era brought popular musical instruments to play; and the current Morlam era, in which light and sound technology is used to help in the performance of three aspects of aesthetics: melody, poetry, and aesthetics of singing techniques. Regarding the process of transferring knowledge, the results indicated that two national artists have provided knowledge by practicing the performing arts in singing, dancing, and poetic gestures. Improvements are made in each area to enhance learners' skills development. The study provides significant insight and implications for developing learners' skills in performing arts at home.

Noospheric education is considered the basis for the formation of an environmental culture in people and society aimed at solving a complex of problems related to ensuring the sustainable development of society. Identifying promising areas for noospheric education development and demonstrating the importance of students developing a noospheric vision of the world through the visual arts depend on whether the necessary conditions for achieving the desired results have been established. This study aims to examine the impact of software on the effective formation of students' noospheric vision of the world using the visual arts. A quantitative and qualitative research design was used in this study. The study involved 240 fourth-grade students at secondary school no. 12 in the city of Almaty (Kazakhstan). The findings revealed issues with the formation of students' noospheric worldviews which demonstrates that students have an unstable perception of the intellectual sphere and develop an enthusiasm for the bright, spectacular objects and phenomena of their surroundings rather than their content. Experts can use the research findings to model environmental education in secondary schools, in the practical work of visual arts instructors, in the creation of curriculum and instructional aids for the visual arts and in the transmission of information on noospheric concepts.

The current study explores the impact of visual arts education on early childhood, highlighting its role in enhancing creativity, imagination, and emotional expression in pre-school children. It explores the perspectives of pre-school teachers on the importance of visual arts in children's development and the challenges they face when integrating the arts into the curriculum. The study used quantitative and qualitative research methods. The study highlights how pre-school educators value the visual arts for its potential to enhance cognitive and social skills and how demographic factors influence these perceptions. In addition, it explores the practical aspects of art education, including classroom management and resource allocation, to offer a comprehensive view of the current state and future potential of visual arts in early childhood education. Finally, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the central role of the visual arts in early education. It highlights the need for supportive educational policies and resources to enrich the learning environment.

This article focuses on recent changes in Rhodes College's Foundations in the Liberal Arts curriculum that were motivated by a desire to help students become competent and engaged debaters of meaning and value in the trying times of the 21st century. I focus on how my own two foundational liberal arts classes--"The Bible* and Nationalism" and "The Bible* and Comparative Ethics"--sought to widen the category of scripture for college students in their value discussions, as well as the benefits and potential limitations of moving away from the Bible as the sole source of moral formation in the American classroom.

Chuanjiang Haozi, a distinctive form of folk music originating from the Yangtze River Basin in Chongqing, China, serves as a unique cultural treasure, blending utility with artistic expression. This study aims to investigate the preservation and promotion of literacy through performing arts education in Chuanjiang Haozi in Chongqing Province, China. Through a comprehensive research approach, including interviews with key informants who are inheritors of this art form, this study delves into the preservation and promotion strategies for Chuanjiang Haozi. The research site encompasses the Chuanjiang River system, spanning Chongqing and Sichuan, where this art form has deep historical roots. The two key informants were interviewed to gather essential information for this study, including prominent inheritors of Chuanjiang Haozi, providing valuable insights into its cultural significance and preservation challenges. The data analysis process involves transcription, coding, categorization, and theme identification, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the research topic. The research results advocate for a multifaceted approach, including the establishment of digital museums, festival tourism, legal support, and funding for inheritors, to ensure the continued preservation and promotion of Chuanjiang Haozi. These strategies aim to integrate tradition with modernity, safeguarding this intangible cultural heritage for future generations.

H ow can we integrate art and social studies to advance art teacher education for social justice? This question has guided our collaborative journey as teacher educators at the same institution. At a public university in the southern United States, the first author is an art teacher educator, and the second author is a social studies teacher educator. We share a commitment to teacher education for social justice. Since fall 2022, we have collaborated to explore the pedagogical value of arts--social studies integration to empower preservice teachers as social justice teachers.

Within gifted education, discourse-based instructional methods, such as Socratic Seminars, are identified as strategies to support the development of gifted and advanced readers' critical thinking skills. While research on dialogic discourse has centered on key components such as discourse patterns and the types of questions teachers ask, the unique nature of teachers' listening has a limited research base. In this qualitative study, we examined five teachers' perceptions, focusing on one teacher as an illustrative case, of their listening during dialogic discourse-based lessons with gifted and advanced readers. Major themes included that (a) teachers' listening is multifaceted and individualized, (b) teachers listen for certain reasons, (c) teachers' expectations inform their and their students' roles during discourse, and (d) teachers' listening is related to their belief systems, and (e) there are barriers to effective listening. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Cultivating innovative talents in the humanities and social sciences is a pivotal element in the development of high-level innovative talents with a direct impact on a nation's superstructure and economy. Nevertheless, this area has often been a weak link in the talent market. In response to this challenge, Chinese universities have initiated the "New Humanities and Social Sciences" reform, emphasizing interdisciplinary education to nurture high-quality talents. However, the impact of interdisciplinary education within this context on the creativity of humanities and social science students, along with the intricate underlying mechanisms, remains a question yet to be fully answered. To address these issues, using survey data from 184 students majoring in humanities and social sciences in Sichuan Province of China, we employed structural equation modeling to explore the impact of interdisciplinary education on the creativity of humanities and social science students, the moderating effect of metacognitive awareness and the mediating role of knowledge integration ability. The research findings unequivocally affirm the significantly positive influence of interdisciplinary education on the creativity of humanities and social science students. Knowledge integration ability mediates the relationship between interdisciplinary education and creativity. Furthermore, metacognitive awareness plays a moderating role in the relationship between knowledge integration ability and creativity.

Despite a key feature of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and a core strength of liberal arts and sciences education, interdisciplinarity is also a noisy buzzword which does not always make sense from an institutional point of view. Traditional interdisciplinary fields take it for granted like fish in the water while, somewhere else, people keep a distance with questions. "Doing" interdisciplinarity faces additional boundary challenges due to strong gravitational forces that are national, historical, and increasingly from between college and workplace. For a higher education institution whose vision for robust interdisciplinarity is rooted across these boundaries, it is not enough to set up a curriculum, hoping that once and for all the train of interdisciplinarity will roar on. In reality, it may take a higher magnitude of interdisciplinarity and constant enabling mechanisms to balance out certain gravitational forces, such as the pro-STEM and pro-exam tendencies in Chinese higher education. This study surveyed the inaugural undergraduate class of Duke Kunshan University (DKU) as well as its undergraduate faculty to propose a theory of change for scaled interdisciplinarity. The resulting theory of change elaborates on an actionable definition of interdisciplinarity using a vocabulary common to college and workplace, a mobility lens for measuring and leveraging different and especially higher magnitudes of interdisciplinarity, and a linchpin mechanism for energizing this mobility so that interdisciplinarity is more entwined with other institutional facets of teaching, learning, and research.

In visual arts education, understanding abstract concepts and intricate symbolism is crucial for appreciating traditional art. However, traditional teaching methods often fail to facilitate students' grasp of these ideas, resulting in reduced engagement and inefficient learning. To overcome this, our study integrates Augmented Reality (AR) technology into a card game to enhance visual arts education. Using a quasi-experimental approach and a gamification model, we evaluated the influence of AR technology in the card game. Sixty Primary 6 students participated, divided into an experimental group (using an AR-based card game) and a control group (using a conventional card game). The study concluded that AR technology significantly improved student performance, flow state, and reduced cognitive load, highlighting its potential to enhance visual arts education. This study contributes to the ongoing research on Augmented Reality Game-Based Learning (AR-GBL) for visual arts education. It also guides art teachers in effectively integrating AR technology into authentic classroom teaching environments.

This text aims to revisit a practice developed in a course on art education within the Ph.D. programme in Arts Education at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto. We approached this space through the construction of a workbook that was practised during classes. The exercises aimed to reflect on the positionality we occupy and on art education as a field of practice/research built on several colonialities. The idea of theory as a practice enacted through questioning, displacements, staying in research and getting to know the archives we inhabit framed the work carried out. The text is an exercise in revisiting the workbook, activating it now through reading and outside the group of participants to which it was made. It is not linear in the sense of recounting the experience; rather, it seeks to blend today's writing with the exercises drawn from that workbook.

Although visual arts pedagogies are considered central within early childhood education programs, teacher self-efficacy has a direct impact on the quality and delivery of visual arts curricula. Until recently, the visual arts self-efficacy, pedagogical knowledge, and practice of in-service early childhood teachers have remained largely unexplored. The authors of this paper present a qualitative, iterative re-analysis of their three PhD studies which broadly focussed on early childhood visual arts praxis and specifically examined the visual arts beliefs and pedagogy of early childhood teachers in Australia and New Zealand. A thematic analysis of the intersecting self-efficacy findings raised in the three studies identifies the powerful influence of self-efficacy on teaching practice in the visual arts domain and offers new understandings about visual arts self-efficacy amongst early childhood teachers. The combined findings reveal several factors that restrain or enhance teachers' visual arts self-efficacy across time, including the impact of childhood experiences, pre-service training and epistemological beliefs. The paper also identifies several enabling conditions that appear to support teachers to develop and maintain positive visual arts self-efficacy beliefs, including practical engagement with materials, sustained professional learning, relational trust and intentional leadership. These enabling conditions offer practical strategies and research recommendations in service of positive visual arts self-efficacy to enhance quality visual arts teaching in early childhood contexts.

With small liberal arts colleges (SLACs) producing an increased percentage of STEM graduates, whose voice resonates most regarding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree persistence? Chemistry professor? Dad? Best friend? This study investigated if undergraduate student perception of close social subgroup influences affected motivation characteristics (i.e., self-efficacy, STEM interest, and outcome expectations) and STEM major persistence. STEM majors (N = 295) across each college year at a Midwestern, 4-year liberal arts institution were surveyed regarding subgroup influence on motivation toward STEM degree attainment. A hypothesized structural equation model was tested to determine the subgroups that STEM majors perceived affected STEM motivational factors and degree persistence. Results indicate that STEM professors and friends have significant explicit and implicit effects on STEM degree persistence. The model accounted for a significant amount of variance in STEM interest, self-efficacy, and persistence for the overall sample and for underrepresented group members. Educational implications for college administrators and professors, and future research directions are discussed.

This study addresses the problem of insufficient emphasis on art courses in helping students develop 21st-century skills. As globalization continues, industries increasingly interconnect, creating a necessity for 21st-century skills. Universities are responsible for equipping the next generation of scholars with the soft skills needed to succeed, such as creativity, adaptability, innovation and collaboration. However, universities disservice students and their future employers by isolating departments and overlooking collaboration opportunities. Rather than this narrow-minded approach to education, academia must challenge the status quo and reflect on the needs of an increasingly globalized world. This research study used a qualitative single case study methodology based on constructivist learning theory and design thinking to analyse the effect of art education courses taken by non-art majors on students' development of 21st-century skills. The literature examines why a lack of emphasis on the arts exists and what skills students gain through arts exposure.

Engaging students in the reading process is challenging when they are unable to connect to texts. It is important to provide inclusive and diverse texts (IDTs) in the language arts curriculum. To promote a positive reading experience, all students need to read IDTs with non-stereotypical depictions of girls, women, people of Color, and more. This is challenging when obstacles such as limited resources, a lack of teacher preparation to meet challenges, and stakeholder opposition to "non-traditional" literature may hinder educators' efforts to include IDTs. Using effective instructional strategies, increasing home and school literacy connections, and providing focused teacher training can help overcome these obstacles. Literary texts that reflect multiple identities will promote a more equitable representation of all students within the classroom community. This paper discusses possible strategies and approaches for including and engaging with IDTs and resources educators can use to address instructional challenges and find high-quality texts.

COVID-19 imposed dramatic changes on educational practices worldwide with American institutions of higher learning moving a significant number of their courses and educational programs to electronic online modes. In the post-pandemic world, the same institutions and educational programs recognize the need to incorporate technological components into their courses. Yet, some disciplines and areas of study may be better equipped for this change than others. The liberal arts are believed to be more reliant on face-to-face interaction and thus can be argued to have been more negatively affected by the required move to synchronous online learning during the pandemic Instructors have the option of teaching online courses either synchronously or asynchronously. As synchronous online learning requires course delivery in real-time via online video conferencing, the hope is that some of the drawbacks associated with teaching liberal arts online can be mitigated with technology-based, face-to-face interaction. In the spirit of exploring the relationship between liberal arts education and synchronous online learning, this research aimed at gauging Jacksonville liberal arts students' levels of satisfaction with the quality of instruction in synchronously delivered courses during the spring semester of 2021. Informed by the Community of Inquiry theory, of special interest were aspects of synchronous online learning like interaction with the virtual platform (video conferencing), interaction with content, interaction with instructor, and interaction with peers. Three local institutions participated in this study, yielding a sample of 141 students who participated in an anonymous Qualtrics survey pertaining to their learning experiences in the synchronous mode. Using a mixed-methods approach, results show positive perceptions, challenges, and recommendations for synchronous online learning.

This article reports on research focused on a visual arts education course offered during a primary teacher training in Chile. It was driven by the increasing cultural diversity in Chilean schools, the potential of art education to respond to this context and the limited space that this field has in the national curriculum, an issue that is replicated in most teachers' training programmes. Intercultural and students' cultural funds of knowledge theories informed a framework that was implemented in the investigated course to strengthen pre-service teachers' cultural identity and the adoption of culturally inclusive practices. Through focus groups with the students and analysis of their visual journals, the research explored whether the course impacted their perception of visual arts education, and their cultural identities. Through a/r/tography, an arts-based methodology that articulates art, research and education, the study presents the students' voices and imagery, testimonies that contributed to reassess the space given to art education in primary schools and teacher training programmes.

Performing arts education has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis around the world since early 2020. Educators had to adapt the classes with remote learning when face-to-face instruction had been suspended during the pandemic. Although frustrations and confusion continued to abound with the implementation of new pedagogies, online teaching, and learning spurred new practices, innovative ideas, and breakthroughs. Some performing arts educators took this opportunity to explore new skills and strategies and provided performing arts students with more impactful learning experiences. Presently, with the COVID-19 pandemic gradually showing a sign of easing, many Hong Kong schools have returned to in-person instruction. Meanwhile, the impactful learning feedback from students triggered calls for redesigning the pedagogy of performing arts education. This study placed the impact of COVID-19 on performing arts education into context and drilled down into the delivery of performing arts education in the post-pandemic era. This study reviewed teaching and learning experiences of performing arts education, with the following three research questions addressed: (a) What is the correlation between performing arts students' academic traits and their proficiency in utilizing technology during the COVID-19 pandemic? (b) What are the influential factors impacting the hybrid learning experience and outcomes of performing arts students during the COVID-19 pandemic? (c) What are the anticipated expectations of performing arts students regarding future models of arts education? Furthermore, practical solutions and insights for performing arts educational delivery in the post-pandemic era are provided in this study.

Military Families and the Arts is an ArcGIS StoryMaps collection that serves military families by mapping art museums and arts centers located near active-duty military installations. The interactive maps are organized by military branch and browsable by an alphabetical list of active-duty military installations. The ArcGIS StoryMaps collection serves three primary functions: to assist military spouses pursuing a career in the arts with finding a comprehensive list of potential employers, to assist military dependents with finding arts-related opportunities to network into their current or new communities, and to assist military families with finding art-related activities near their military installation in the continental United States.

Over the past decade, the arts' potential role in advancing mainstream transdisciplinary curriculum models, like STEM, has been more overtly recognized, both within arts and STEM communities. In this study, we explored STEAM curricula centered around data visualization, a transdisciplinary practice commonly utilized in design and STEM fields and increasingly practiced in contemporary art. Through addressing the research question "What opportunities and challenges for learning does arts-based data visualization provide Grade 4-8 students?," this study highlights the value of transdisciplinary curriculum models that incorporate the arts for fostering K-12 students' learning. However, the findings related to student engagement and teacher perceptions also raised some important questions. Which classroom contexts are most conducive to such inquiry? And, which contexts and conditions will avoid reinforcing the disciplinary hegemony that marginalizes the arts, a crucial, yet increasingly underappreciated, system of inquiry and knowledge needed for navigating life in the twenty-first century?

This paper examines the interplay of creativity, education, and the expressive arts. We begin by presenting a narrative literature review focusing on the use of artistic tools to promote creativity, self-expressiveness, and meaningful aspects of emotional and social learning. This review reveals strong connections between the different components of this interplay, and a special attention is given to the use of arts to promoting creativity and meaningful learning. We then propose the Empowering Creative Education Model (ECEM), which aims to provide a practical framework for employing artistic tools in each of the model's four developmental circles: I, Us, Educational and Community. Each of the four circles includes unique aspects of personal development.

In a challenging world, the spotlight on children's wellbeing has strengthened. There is extensive research about the ways in which well-designed arts education programs positively impact children's wellbeing. Despite this, arts education continues to be marginalised in schools. When researchers with arts education and leadership experience teamed up to consider the intransient nature of the resistance to arts education in primary/elementary schools, they conducted a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) to see if this offered new insights. The iterative process of sharing and interrogating personal stories to distil collective meanings (themes) highlighted four features of education programs that provide sustained support for children's wellbeing: centering in a discordant world; effective leadership; experiential processes, engagement, and trust; and harnessing the transformative potential of the arts. The CAE also pointed the team towards conducting future inquiries about the currently under-researched role of the school principal in instigating cultural change that sustains meaningful arts education.