Linking the nature of secondary school students who are highly artistic with curriculum needs and instructional practice

Abstract

This exploratory qualitative investigation examined the nature of 7 secondary school students who are highly artistic to link visual arts programs that best ac-commodate their learning needs. Instrumentation for data collection included 1 questionnaire, 3 in-depth semistructured one-on-one interviews, artwork docu-ments, observations, and field notes. Findings related to creativity, motivation, social and emotional perspectives, and cognitive processes supported the signifi-cance and benefits of visual arts in student growth. Results identified the development of critical thinking, problem-solving skills, risk-taking, meeting chal-lenges, transferability of skills, extending local and world connections, and environmental and societal concerns. Through artwork production and insight into their needs, students conveyed valuable suggestions for programming en-hancements and visual arts classroom settings. These findings are meaningful for educators and curriculum developers as they distinguish the importance of diver-sified and differentiated learning opportunities in engaging students who are highly artistic to meet their optimal potential, and suggest implications for educa-tional practice.