Date

5-2026

Document Type

Capstone Project (Open Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Department

Liberal Studies

Major

Liberal Studies

First Advisor

Paoze Thao

Abstract

The integration of the arts into education has a beneficial effect on K-8 students’ cognitive development and creativity. However, there is a lack of recognition of art in schools because there is no standardized way to test if students are learning from the information being taught. The focus of my project is to find what art is being taught currently in classrooms for K-8 students and how teachers know they are impacting their students. If teachers are using an art-related curriculum in their core subjects, how are they integrating it, and why is it not as popular compared to other curricula? In the process of this project, I have anonymously interviewed four different teachers who have worked in K-8 education and twenty students in varying grade levels, asking them about their input on how art is integrated into their education and if they want to see more art in their core curriculum than they are seeing now. Alongside my survey, I have also been researching other curriculum that has art already integrated into them, such as Literature classes having a unit on Shakespearean plays, letting students have a deeper understanding of the world of literature and theatrics. What I have found in my literature research and hands-on experience has supported my research that students need art to develop better as learners and humans.

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