Visual art in primary grades: A portrait and analysis

This article examines visual art as it is conceived of, and practiced by, classroom teachers. Based on a 3-year study (conducted under the auspices of the National Arts Education Research Center), data sources included intensive observations of art teaching in Grades K-3 in three elementary schools, semistructured interviews with teachers and principals, and analysis of materials. The study of art programs in the schools unravels a chasm between teachers' advocacies on the one hand, and their classroom practice on the other. This chasm can be understood within the contexts in which art programs operate, in particular, the incompatibility of teachers' views of art with the broader values and goals of the schools.