Arts education research has increased significantly since the beginning of the new millennium. This peer-reviewed book, the first of two volumes, captures some of the exciting developments in Canada. There is geographical diversity represented from across this large country, as well as theoretical and methodological diversity in the chapters. There is also a sense of togetherness with those, and other, diversities. There are calls to action and calls to play. We hear voices of artists, researchers, and artist researchers. The life histories of others, and of the self, are presented. Perspectives on Arts Education Research in Canada, Volume 1: Surveying the Landscape provides a wide spectrum of current research by members of the Arts Researchers and Teachers Society (ARTS)/La societé des chercheurs et des enseignants des arts (SCEA), a Special Interest Group (SIG) within the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies (CACS), which is in turn, is a constituent association of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE). Contributors are: Bernard W. Andrews, Julia Brook, Susan Catlin, Genevieve Cloutier, Yoriko Gillard, Kate Greenway, Michael Hayes, Nané Jordan, Sajani (Jinny) Menon, Catrina Migliore, Kathryn Ricketts, Pauline Sameshima, and Sean Wiebe.

Arts education research in Canada has increased significantly since the beginning of this century. New forms of arts-based research, such as ethnodrama and a/r/t/ography, have arisen and made significant contributions to the literature. Researchers in departments/schools/faculties of dance, drama, music, visual arts, media studies, cultural studies and education have been successful in acquiring peer-reviewed grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council to undertake large-scale projects and disseminate the findings internationally. The purpose of this edited collection, entitled Perspectives on Arts Education Research in Canada, Volume 2: Issues and Directions, is to provide an overview of the current research undertaken across the country, thereby providing a valuable resource for students, professors and research associates working in the arts disciplines, media studies, education, and cultural studies. Contributors are: Bernard W. Andrews, Kathy Browning, Ranya Essmat Saad, Maia Giesbrecht, Shelley M. Griffin, Rita Irwin, Glenys McQueen-Fuentes, Laura Nemoy, Lori Lynn Penny, Jennifer Roswell, Michelle Searle, Alison Shields, Anita Sinner, Darlene St. Georges, Peter Vietgen, John L. Vitale, Jennifer Wicks, Kari-Lynn Winters, and Thibault Zimmer.

This peer-reviewed academic yearbook stems from the inaugural meeting of the newly formed UNESCO UNITWIN network on Arts Education Research for Cultural Diversity and Sustainable Development, held at the National Institute of Education, Singapore in April 2017. It presents international scholarly perspectives on issues related to arts education and cultural diversity in terms of: i) national and international policies; ii) terms, concepts and vocabularies; iii) current and ongoing research; and iv) best practices. The UNESCO UNITWIN is an arts education research think tank that gathers and leverages original research and critical commentaries on the arts and sustainable development from UNITWIN member states and beyond (Australia, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Hong Kong, Kenya, Korea, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, the Netherlands and the United States of America).

Partnerships among a variety of institutions - for profit, not-for-profit, and non-profit - are a relatively recent organizational development. Such partnerships link businesses, government, and social agencies. The primary reason for these relationships is to achieve goals sooner and more efficiently by building on the resources and expertise of each partner. In arts education, schools, arts organizations, cultural institutions, government agencies, and universities have engaged in joint ventures to improve the teaching and learning of the arts disciplines in their schools and in their communities. These partnerships have been particularly beneficial for teachers, many of whom have limited background in the arts but are expected to teach them in their classrooms. Arts partnerships initially focused on the goals of the participating organizations; that is, to develop artistic skills, to build future audiences, and/or to encourage young people to consider an artistic career. More recently, partnerships focus on educational goals rather than solely artistic ones. Despite the challenges and complexities of arts education partnerships, most partners believe that the benefits to students, teachers and the community outweigh the disadvantages and consequently, as the research in Working Together demonstrates, they are willing to justify the time, energy, and expense involved to improve the quality of arts education.

This edited book not only makes a much-needed contribution to research in arts education but also provides a strong grounding of evidential support for Singapore arts education, in contrast to the current state of affairs in arts education in many parts of the world where severe cuts in funding, lackluster support for the arts and imperialist agendas are pervasive. The case of and for Singapore – presented in this edited book through rich descriptions of the dedicated, contextualized practices of arts educators, artists and researchers – offers readers many valuable lessons and reflections on the continued survival and advancement of arts education.

"This work′s quality, diversity, and breadth of coverage make it a valuable resource for collections concerned with qualitative research in a broad range of disciplines. Highly recommended." —G.R. Walden, CHOICE The Handbook of the Arts in Qualitative Inquiry: Perspectives, Methodologies, Examples, and Issues represents an unfolding and expanding orientation to qualitative social science research that draws inspiration, concepts, processes, and representational forms from the arts. In this defining work, J. Gary Knowles and Ardra L. Cole bring together the top scholars in qualitative methods to provide a comprehensive overview of the past, present, and future of arts-based research. This Handbook provides an accessible and stimulating collection of theoretical arguments and illustrative examples that delineate the role of the arts in qualitative social science research. Key Features Defines and explores the role of the arts in qualitative social science research: The Handbook presents an analysis of classic and emerging methodologies and approaches that employs the arts in the qualitative research process. Brings together a unique group of scholars: Offering diverse perspectives, contributors to this volume represent a wide range of disciplines including the humanities, media and communication, anthropology, sociology, psychology, women′s studies, education, social work, nursing, and health and medicine. Offers comprehensive coverage of the genres employed by qualitative researchers: Scholars use multiple ways to advance knowledge including literary forms, performance, visual art, various types of media, narrative, folk art, and more. Articulates challenges inherent in alternative methodologies: This volume discusses the issues and challenges faced when employing art in research including ethical issues, academic merit issues, and even funding issues. Intended Audience This is an essential resource for any scholar interested in qualitative research, as well as a critical resource for all academic and public libraries.

Highlighting Rita L. Irwin’s significant work in the fields of curriculum studies and arts education, this collection honors her well-known contribution of a/r/tography to curriculum studies in the form of arts based educational research and, beyond this, her contributions towards understanding the inseparability of making, knowing, and being. Together the chapters document an important beginning, as well as an ongoing transitional time in which curriculum understood as aesthetic text is awakening to the ways in which art practices stimulate a social awareness at the level of other embodied practices. Organized in three themes, gathering, transforming, and becoming, this volume brings together a selection of Irwin’s single and co-authored essays to offer a variety of rich perspectives to scholars and students in the field of education who are interested in the ways in which arts-based research allows the possibilities of bringing together the artistic, pedagogical, and scholarly selves of an educator.