Gardner-Webb University Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University Education Dissertations and Projects School of Education 5-2016 A Case Study of Arts Integration Practices in Developing the 21st Century Skills of Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration Cari A. Maneen Gardner-Webb University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.edu/education_etd Part of the Art Education Commons, and the Curriculum and Instruction Commons Recommended Citation Maneen, Cari A., "A Case Study of Arts Integration Practices in Developing the 21st Century Skills of Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration" (2016). Education Dissertations and Projects.edu/education_etd/182 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Education at Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Education Dissertations and Projects by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Gardner-Webb University.
For more information, please see Copyright and Publishing Info. A Case Study of Arts Integration Practices in Developing the 21st Century Skills of Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration By Cari A. Maneen A Dissertation Submitted to the Gardner-Webb University School of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Gardner-Webb University 2016 Approval Page This dissertation was submitted by Cari Maneen under the direction of the persons listed below. It was submitted to the Gardner-Webb University School of Education and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Gardner-Webb University.
______________________________________ ________________________ Jennifer Putnam, Ed. Date Committee Chair ______________________________________ ________________________ Morgan Blanton, Ed. Date Committee Member ______________________________________ ________________________ Kelly T. Date Committee Member ______________________________________ ________________________ Jeffrey Rogers, Ph.
Date Dean, Gayle Bolt Price School of Graduate Studies ii Acknowledgements I would like to express my appreciation to my family and friends as this dissertation could not have been possible without their love and support. To my husband and best friend, Shawn, thank you for being with me every step of the way. Your encouraging words were so appreciated at times when I became overwhelmed. You brainstormed ideas with me when I had none left.
You always listened with an empathetic ear when I had to ―talk through‖ procedures to better understand them. I am grateful for the enormous shoes you filled because my role of ―mom‖ shifted to data collector, data analyzer, and writer. For your unwavering support, patience, and love, I am forever grateful. To my principal, Ronette, thank you for your kind words of encouragement and flexibility with the schedule.
Your thoughtfulness was felt and always seemed to come at times when I most needed it. To Melissa, Ginger, and Stephanie, I appreciate you all taking the time to sit and listen when I met a roadblock. Just bouncing ideas around was highly beneficial and allowed me to proceed in the right direction. Thank you to my cohort friends, Lisa, Chad, Erica, Kari, Julie, Michelle, Teree, Jamie, Matt, Brittany, Kristi, Kristen, and Ali, for your kind words and valuable feedback.
This process was very challenging, but you all made it fun and memorable. Thank you to my dissertation committee: Dr. Blanton, and Dr. You are three of the most positive people I have ever met.
I would come to you with what I thought was a problem and you helped me see a learning opportunity. I admire each of you for your commitment to learning but, most importantly, your commitment to students. My sincere appreciation goes to Lori and the participants who willingly took time iii from their busy schedules to volunteer for the study. I could not have asked for a friendlier group of people to work with.
Because of you all, I have learned more about arts integration best practices which will help me be a better educator. Finally, my sincere thanks and gratitude are extended to my children, Kayla and Michael. Sometimes there were days when you only saw the back of my head as I sat typing at a computer. Not once did either of you complain or ask me why I was undertaking this role.
Kayla, you once told me that I was your inspiration. I hope that I continue to be. Michael, your acknowledgment and thoughtful words after my dissertation proposal meant so much. You have both seen me struggle and greet success along this journey.
Thank you for supporting my dreams. Always remember, you too can accomplish yours. I am excited you were all on this journey with me. I am so blessed.
iv Abstract A Case Study of Arts Integration Practices in Developing the 21st Century Skills of Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration., 2016: Dissertation, Gardner-Webb University, A+ Schools Program/Arts Education/Arts Integration/ Experiential Education/Multiple Intelligences/21st Century Skills/Critical Thinking/Creativity/Communication/Collaboration This qualitative, single case study explored teacher perceptions of arts integration practices in developing critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration (4 C‘s) at a North Carolina A+ (arts-integrated) kindergarten through eighth grade charter school. A combination of interviews, document analysis, and site observations were utilized to answer the guiding question: What is the impact of a school-wide arts integration program on creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication? The research focused on three questions: (RQ1) What strategies/methods are used to implement a school-wide arts integration program at this school? (RQ2) What strategies/methods are used to foster student acquisition of the 4 C‘s through arts integration at this school? (RQ3) What 21st century support systems align with the school-wide arts integration program at this school? Data gathered from interviews, observations, and documents revealed common themes or practices implemented at the school to sustain the school-wide arts integration program: collaborative planning, leadership support, focus on the process of learning rather than the product, multiple learning pathways and measures of success, professional development, community partnerships and relationships, and reflection as a tool for growth. The arts integration strategies perceived by participants at the research site that promote the 4 C‘s include student engagement in group projects, student self- and peer- analysis of artistic work, student creative choice, and student expression of knowledge through multiple art forms and mediums. The 21st century support systems of standards, assessments, curriculum and instruction, professional development, and learning environments were found to be in alignment with the arts integration support systems at the school site.
The results of this study led the researcher to conclude the school-wide practices of arts integration promote student acquisition of the 4 C‘s. Recommendations include providing education preparation programs with redesigned curriculum offerings to emphasize the connection between the arts and 21st century skills, such as the 4 C‘s. Adapting the school infrastructure to support collaborative planning, teaching, and professional development in arts integration practices that support the 4 C‘s should also be considered. v Table of Contents Page Chapter 1: Introduction .1 North Carolina A+ Schools Program .7 Statement of the Problem .11 Purpose of the Study .14 Significance of the Study .14 Definition of Key Terms .18 Organization of the Remainder of the Study .19 Chapter 2: Literature Review .20 Constructivist Learning Theory .22 Experiential Learning Theory .26 Theory of Multiple Intelligences .29 Framework for 21st Century Skills .31 21st Century Support Systems .33 The 4 C‘s: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, Collaboration .36 Education Reform and Arts Advocates.40 Value of Arts Integration for Students .44 Value of Arts Integration for Teachers .51 Concerns and Challenges of Arts Integration .59 Research Design and Rationale .61 Role of the Researcher .61 Description of the Setting .62 Sampling Procedures and Participants .65 Data Collection Steps .77 Chapter 4: Data, Analysis, and Findings .79 Description of Arts School .132 Chapter 5: Conclusions, Discussion, and Recommendations .134 Summary of the Study .136 vi Interpretation and Conclusions .137 Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations.160 Appendices A The A+ Essentials .176 B Permission Letter for Study .178 C Teacher Participant Informed Consent .180 D Focus Group Interview Guide Protocol .183 E Interview Guide Protocol .196 G Document Review Protocol .198 H Member-Checking Letter .200 I Actions and Timeline .202 J Peer Review Letter.204 K AIT Meeting Master Schedule 2015-2016 .206 L Example of Data Deduction Process .209 M 21st Century Skills Assessed on Report Card .219 Tables 1 Comparison of Employer Surveys Top Rated Employee Skills .3 2 2013 Gallup Poll of 21st Century Skills Instructional Expectations .4 3 Interview Participant Background Information .64 4 Alignment of Research Questions with Data Instruments .66 5 Alignment of Research Questions and Interview Questions .68 6 Data Collection Framework .84 7 RQ1 Strength Codes .88 8 Arts Integration and 4 C‘s Theme Distribution .106 9 21st Century Support System of Standards .115 10 21st Century Support System of Assessment .120 11 21st Century Support System of Curriculum and Instruction .122 12 21st Century Support System of Professional Development .127 13 21st Century Support System of Learning Environment .129 Figure P21 Framework for 21st Century Learning .32 vii 1 Chapter 1: Introduction Educators, educational experts, and business leaders in the 21st century unremittingly seek answers to the venerable question: How do we prepare students for the future? With increased focus on student accountability measures and the implementation of 21st century skills, teachers are searching for creative and innovative ways to teach all students.
In order to succeed in the 21st century, today‘s students must be taught the necessary skills to acquire mastery of rigorous standards and acquire the cognitive and social skills to compete and function in a globalized society and economy (Partnership for 21st Century Skills [P21], 2006; Taylor, 2011). Over the past decade, P21, a national organization comprised of business and education leaders, has advocated for standards focusing on core academic knowledge and emphasizing life and career skills (P21, 2006). North Carolina adopted the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics in 2010, with full implementation in 2012-2013. These standards, adopted in 45 states and the District of Columbia, represented the largest curriculum alignment effort and change in the history of United States education.
The Common Core State Standards offer a set of clear and consistent goals for students in kindergarten through Grade 12; the intent of the standards is ―to help ensure that students in every school will acquire the knowledge and skills critical to success in college, career, and life‖ (Conley, 2014, p. Although the Common Core State Standards identified the concepts students are required to learn at each grade level, they did not specify the instructional methods or the curriculum teachers must use. Conley (2014) stated, ―[T]he Common Core State Standards encourage best practices in teaching and learning. Educators build on their current effective methods to implement the Common Core State Standards in ways that make the most sense for the 2 students in their classroom‖ (p.
As the Common Core State Standards are being implemented in school systems, P21 (National Education Association [NEA], n.) urges educators to fuse the 3 R‘s (reading, writing, and ‗rithmetic) with the 4 C‘s (creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication). P21‘s (2015) Framework for 21st Century Learning stated, ―within the context of core knowledge instruction, students must also learn the essential skills for success in today‘s world, such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration‖ (p. A review of the literature uncovered three major business surveys that itemized the work skills deemed necessary for employment in the 21st century. The first survey conducted by P21 (2008) named oral communication, teamwork, ethics/social responsibility, professionalism, and reading comprehension as the top five skills employers sought.
The Critical Skills Survey distributed by the American Management Association (AMA, 2010) is the second major business survey to outline 21st century workplace skills. The survey was distributed to 2,115 managers and executives. Participants were surveyed on the skills necessary for entry-level jobs. Respondents indicated that in addition to having workers who can read, write, and perform arithmetic, they also need skills in creative thinking (problem solving); communication; collaboration; and creativity (innovation).
Results from the AMA (2010) survey indicated 75.