Teacher Perceptions of Arts Integration into General Education Curriculum

In elementary schools, art is often taught as a supplement to general education, and is frequently separated from academic subjects. Traditionally, elementary school students were only exposed to art through with “pullout programs.”” (McKean & Sudol, 2010). However, incorporating arts into the general education classroom, and into academic subjects, can potentially have positive outcomes such as allowing students to . Students who learn with an integrated approach are often inspired to broaden their conceptions of the world, and themselves, and to obtain and use knowledge in an authentic way (Brand & Triplett, 2012).make authentic connections across disciplines. “A common thread that permeates national reform efforts stresses the need to integrate, or make connections among, the different areas of the curriculum” (Duran, Duran, & Worch, 2009, p. 19). The purpose of this research study is to analyze the frequency and quality of arts integration into general education curriculum, as well as its perceived benefits or drawbacks.The purpose of this research study was to examine teacher reports of the frequency and quality of arts integration into general education curriculum, as well as what teachers perceived to be its perceived benefits or drawbacks. Thirty-one educators associated with a large university in the northeast United States completed a survey. The educators are special educators, specials teachers (educators who facilitate pullout programs for the arts, languages, or physical education), and classroom teachers. Most participants indicated that they saw the need for arts integration in general education curricula, although many described feeling constraints from district or curriculum requirements. Results show that most educators view the arts as beneficial for students’ cognitive retention of material, understanding of material, or emotional intelligence