Relying solely on explanations of an art object's characteristics as a basis for judging its value is educationally misleading. Students also need to understand that value judgments are bestowed by people and that these justifications of "good" art are conditioned by the viewer's social milieu and beliefs about art. (Author/SJL)

Explores theoretical and practical advantages of a constructivist shift from breadth to depth, and from formalism to contextualism, through the inclusion of artists' primary source writings. Believes that students benefit from linking artist's words to their images providing students with another point from which they can survey the world of…

Maintains that the explosion of information technology combined with a cornucopia of new critical approaches places even heavier demands on art teachers and students. Examines some of the cognitive and curricular consequences of these changes. Offers recommendations for guiding future research on art learning and curricular development. (MJP)

Seeks hard evidence from high school art teachers that a studio curriculum promotes global understanding and appreciation of artwork, including historical art. Indicates that studio experiences alone do not enhance students' ability to understand or appreciate well-known historical artwork but that including critical and historical inquiry…

Criticizes the traditional approach to art education that emphasizes formal properties such as line, color, and shape. Proposes that teachers develop student abilities to go beyond the visual level of artworks and gain access to the complexity of meanings that art possesses. Includes contemporary art examples and corresponding analyses. (MJP)

Argues that developing general critical appreciation is one of the highest goals in education and that art education can foster such appreciation. Examines art's unique content and approaches to knowledge. Outlines a structure for integrating art production, art criticism, art history, and aesthetics in a model fostering general critical…

Explicates a multicultural approach to art education that enhances critical thinking. Grounds this approach in the philosophical principles of constructivism that emphasize the student's construction of meaning rather than the passive transmission of knowledge from a teacher. Discusses the possibility of multicultural reasoning and its…