Measuring Critical Thinking: Results From an Art Museum Field Trip Experiment

• In Event: 35.082 - Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: 35.082-21 - Aesthetic and Cultural Learning in Museums and Public Spaces

Abstract

Research shows that participation in school-based arts education has declined over the past decade. A problem for the arts’ role in education has been a lack of rigorous scholarship demonstrating any educational benefits. A component of this problem has been a lack of available data. In this study, we use original data collected through a randomized controlled trial to measure the effects of school visits to an art museum. We find positive effects of art museum visits on students’ ability to critically examine a work of art. Importantly, we validate our findings with two separate experiments, adding extra validity to the assessment instrument and our results. Our research suggests that scholars should consider broader approaches to measuring student performance.

Authors

• Brian Kisida, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

• Daniel Henry Bowen, Texas A&M University

• Jay Phillip Greene, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville