Alternative theoretical and methodological approaches for exploring higher education in Art and Crafts

Abstract

This article presents and discusses approaches for exploring higher education in Art and Crafts. The concepts exploring versus research and the different foci in an insider perspective versus an outsider perspective introduces the theme. An insider perspective is said to be a useful starting point for inquiry, referring to Frayling’s trichotomy research into, research on and research through from 1993. The field of higher education in Art and Crafts education is shortly presented as comprising two main areas of knowledge: knowledge of education, and knowledge about the different subject areas within Art and Crafts. Both theory and practice are a part of these areas of knowledge. As higher education in Art and Crafts is a making profession, the most prominent challenge when exploring this today is thus said to be to develop research based knowledge on Education in Art and Crafts as a making discipline.  Two keywords are deemed to be useful in approaching this theme: Mode 2 knowledge production and transdisciplinarity. The article concludes with describing specific ways of doing this today from within the context of application. Two examples of large research projects in Scandinavia are presented as examples of such projects.