Abstract:
With a national arts framework in place and a move in most Australian states towards implementing national curriculum profiles, there is a heightened need for current research which can direct and inform arts education access, good practice, pedagogy and assessment. A survey of recent AARE conference abstracts indicates a dearth of arts education presentations. This paper will examine some of the reasons for this , and report on a range of efforts to take up this challenge. In establishing a research culture, what are the inhibitory factors, the crucial decisions which need to be made regarding methodology, supervision and documentation, and how will the results be communicated and applied in a practical and creative education environment? Is it the responsibility of the arts education academic to undertake this research, or should teachers in the field be directed towards more formal evaluation and examination of their own practice? Is there a place for new technologies in communicating the outcomes and the recording of arts processes and product? The authors will illustrate these issues with current examples from various arts areas such as dance, music and the visual arts.