Boys\u27 education and the arts: A case study of boys\u27 attitudes about art and music education in an independent school for boys

This study examines the attitudes of middle and upper school aged students toward art and music within the formal context of required and elective courses in art and music. Students at Chestnut Hill Academy, a K-12 independent school for boys in Philadelphia, are the subjects of the study. Using a case study methodology involving participant observation, research interviews, transcript review, and student surveys, the study closely examines student attitudes about art and music within the curriculum. In addition, the study examines how the students fit the arts into their own developing sense of masculinities. The study attempts to provide insight into the unique opportunities that a single sex school provides young men in the area of art and music education, as well as providing an understanding of the value of courses in art and music in the development of young men