Written explanation of my rationale:
Throughout primary school, high school and university I always greatly enjoyed both experiencing the creative arts and learning about other subjects through the creative arts. I personally believe, then, that the greatest value of learning in, through and across the creative arts is because they're incredibly fun. If I am to be a good teacher I don't just want my students to learn – I want them to enjoy learning, so they keep on learning long after I am no longer their teacher. Including the creative arts in the primary school classroom seems, to me, to be an ideal way of ensuring that this occurs.
I have also, of course, learned a lot about the benefits of the creative arts in this course, and there have been numerous papers and reports published on the benefits of the creative arts to students social, emotional and academic achievements. However, I haven't been able to find a clear consensus on exactly what these benefits are.
The most comprehensive report I have found on the value of the creative arts is Champions of Change, which was produced for the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (Fiske, 1999). This report focuses on all levels of schooling, and on art as a subject area and as a method used to teach other subject areas. It provides evidence showing that the study of art leads to social, emotional and academic gains and claims that the arts offer “unparalled opportunities for learning that enables young people to reach for and attain higher levels of achievement” (Fiske, 1999, p. 0).
Other papers focus specifically on primary school-aged students. Children about to enter kindergarten can 'develop physical, cognitive and social competence through the creative arts' (Armistead, 2007, p. 86). Arts infusion programs in primary schools, which integrate the arts into other KLAs and also teach the arts on their own, can also help to promote academic achievement, creativity and self-esteem (Luftig, 2000). Many primary school educators “believe that the arts should hold a valued place in the education curriculum” or should even “be viewed as a common core of the curriculum and not as an educational frill” (Luftig, 2000, p.208)
The creative arts can also be used to engage at-risk students (something I find particularly exciting!). One study found that the creative arts can help at-risk students develop valuable life skills, including communication, conflict-resolution, positive self-concept and social development (Boldt & Brooks, 2008, p.223). Teaching the creative arts in these schools can also help to increase a sense of community, by engaging students, promoting attendance and increasing self-regulatory behaviour in the classroom (Boldt & Brooks, 2008, p.223), and this in turn allows students to attain higher academic results in more exam-focused subjects, especially when theses subjects are integrated with the arts, so that they contain a creative dimension (Boldt & Brooks, 2008, p.224).
However, some researchers have argued that placing too much emphasis on the creative arts as a tool for increasing academic results actually undervalues it (Hetland & Winner, 2001, p.3). We should not treat the arts simply as a means to an end. Instead, we should show that they are valuable in and of themselves. After all, the arts have been around for longer than the sciences, and they are an intrinsic part of human history and culture ( Hetland & Winner, 2001, p.5). Education without them is impoverished.
I have tried to convey all of these ideas in my rationale, specifically focusing on how the arts can help engage an at-risk student. I have also aimed to show that the arts are intrinsically valuable, and have tried to convey the pure joy and fun that I associate with the creative arts.
References
Armistead, E. (2007). How a creative arts enrichment program prepares children for kindergarten. YC Young Children. 62:6, 86-93.
Boldt, R. & Brooks, C. (2006). Creative arts: Strengthening academics and building community with students at-risk. Reclaiming Children and Youth. 14:4, 223-227.
Fiske, B. E. (1999). Champions of change: The impact of the arts on learning. Washington DC: President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
Hetland, L., & Winner, E.(2001). The arts and academic achievement: What the evidence shows. Arts Education Policy Review, 102:5, 3-6.
Luftig, R. (2000). An investigation of an arts infusion program on creative thinking, academic achievement, affective functioning, and arts appreciation of children at three grade levels. Studies in Art Education. 41:3, 208-227.
