Necessity of a Dictionary of Contemporary Art in Theory and Practice Concerning Art Education

AbstractTechnological and scientific developments affecting all disciplines have been infinitely effective in both theoretical studies and application approaches especially among all fields of social sciences beginning from the second half of the 20th century. Reflections of postmodernism, considered as mentality of the era, on educational institutions of social sciences were mentioned as a paradoxical complexity similar to its theoretical applications. Differences in approaches regarding applications by modern and anti-modern viewpoints in education cause an increase in studies focused on theory. In this sense, being places where connection of postmodernism with the art is excessively occurred, higher art education institutions are in interaction with both modern and postmodern structures such as theoretical knowledge acquisition, acquisition of artistic skills based on intellectual foundations and reflecting acquisitions on educational status. For instance, contemporary art courses dealing with today's art with dominance of art historical progress, is important on the one hand in creating application through theoretical foundations and in terms of perceiving how sociological constitutions of periods affect the art; on the other hand in the analysis of similar applications and reflecting theoretical acquisitions on works in studio courses. There are several classes and subject fields supporting each other contents in programs of educational institution of undergraduate level. The purpose of this study is to piece together content similar to a dictionary that may help effective understanding theoretically of the structure of contemporary art related to disciplines such as visual art, linguistics, semiology, sociology and psychology. In this study, which employs qualitative research methods, considering the extent of the scope the study, participants are chosen among instructors of graduate education in the field of art education. Information gathered from the studies of undergraduate instructors is processed using document analysis and data acquisition methods, and finally analysed via concept analysis. Concluding with final commentary on the issue, the research suggests the necessity of such a comprehensive structure, namely a dictionary of contemporary art, for students and instructors of higher education