Arts-Based Research in Education

This text introduces readers to definitions and examples of arts-based educational research, presents tensions and questions in the field, and provides exercises for practice. It weaves together critical essays about arts-based research in the literary, visual, and performing arts with examples of artistic products of arts-based research (arts for scholarship’s sake) that illuminate by example. Each artistic example is accompanied by a scholARTist’s statement that includes reflection on how the work of art relates to the scholar’s research interests and practices.

Arts-Based Research in Education: Foundations for Practice:

• helps the reader understand what arts-based research is – tracing the history of the field and providing examples;
• includes end-of-chapter questions to engage students in practicing arts-based inquiry and to generate class discussion about the material;
• features a diverse range of contributors -- very established scholars in educational and social science research as well those new to the field;
• represents a variety of voices – scholars of color, queer and straight orientations, different ages, experience, and nationalities; and
• presents beautiful illustrations of visual art, data-based poems, plays, short stories, and musical scores.

First-of its kind, this volume is intended as a text for arts-based inquiry, qualitative research methods in education, and related courses, and as a resource for faculty, doctoral students, and scholars across the field of social science research methods.