National Art Education Association (NAEA) presently is involved in initiating and supporting research efforts to advance visual arts education at all instructional levels and in all educational contexts. This document presents eight research areas with lists of general questions that need to be addressed, suggested research methodologies, and 10 recommendations for research efforts toward the next century. The recommendations, which derive from issues and practices related to the need for and content of a visual arts education research agenda, include: (1) NAEA will adopt and develop this research agenda in more detail; (2) detailed demographics issues will be addressed; (3) concepts of content and practices of art instruction will be examined; (4) curricular issues will be addressed, including content, instructional philosophy and objectives, and teaching strategies, resources, and outcomes; (5) instruction issues will be examined, including classroom management, program support mechanisms, methodology, time allotments, and resources; (6) context issues will be addressed related to various settings and context in which art education occurs; (7) learning issues will address measurement of attitudes and values, learning strategies and impact by art instruction; (8) teacher education issues will address the structure of all phases of teacher education from undergraduate programs through post-baccalaureate education and alternative certification standards; and (9) technology, wherein NAEA will establish an electronic data base to collect information and support visual arts research that includes identification of past and present researchers, research issues, and methodologies. An accompanying document provides a six-step "Blueprint for Implementing a Visual Arts Education Research Agenda." (MM)