impact of art integration as an intervention to assist learners' visual perception and concept understanding in elementary science

Art integration as educational reform has been the focus of recent debate. The suggestion has been made that the arts can provide unique learning opportunities in other content areas. To provide empirical evidence for this added value of the arts in learning, this study investigated the efficacy of teaching science concepts in and through the visual arts by implementing an art integrated lesson. The study investigated the impact of an art integration to assist elementary level learners' visual perception so they could more accurately form mental models of the science ideas. The hypothesis suggests that participants in the art intervention who construct a three-dimensional representation of abstract science concepts will gain an increased understanding of those concepts. Specifically, students who work with parallel concepts in art and science to make and manipulate three-dimensional, kinetic models of the sun, earth, and moon will be able to more accurately visualize the relationships between these heavenly bodies. Fifth grade students participated in the study which was integrated into the regular curriculum. Seventy-six randomly selected students comprised the experimental group and participated in the art project. After the completion of traditional textbook and lecture presentation by the classroom teachers, a researcher developed Science Concept Test was administered to all fifth grade students. Statistically significant results indicated that the differences between the groups on the science concept test were due to the integration of the art intervention. These empirical data show significant differences between the group receiving the art intervention and the group receiving traditional classroom instruction, supporting the efficacy of the art integration model. In conclusion, the study supports the literature that suggests the efficacy of art integration partnerships as alternative avenues for presenting and representing knowledge. The study additionally supports the literature establishing the need for concrete modeling of science concepts at the elementary level. Furthermore, the study indicates the need for further investigation into attitudes toward art integration partnerships, the role of the arts in the culture of education, and the viability of instruments to assess conceptual understanding in the visual arts and in science.