Evaluating Arts Education Initiatives: complexities and dilemmas

Author(s):

Ailbhe Kenny

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

11. Educational Effectiveness and Quality Assurance

Format:

Paper

Session Information

11 SES 02 A, Classroom Practice and Curricula Effectiveness

Paper Session

Time:

2009-09-28

11:15-12:45

Room:

HG, HS 46

Chair:

Guenter L. Huber

Contribution

It is now globally recognized that creativity inspires innovation and in turn produces thriving economies. Europe is now positioned in relation to knowledge, cultural and creative economies. National, regional and local education policy makers are increasingly utilising capital theories to implement policies for the development of economies. This use had also filtered out into local government arts education policies where the arts too are also being seen as a form of investment today. In light of such global and national pressures, it is imperative to ensure that evaluative work of local government arts education initiatives is carried out in order to ensure best practice, influence future directions and inspire new and innovative approaches. This paper raises questions around what is evaluation? More specifically, what is evaluation in arts education? Where evaluation of arts education initiatives sits within such definitions creates difficulties. Researchers point to such dilemmas claiming that due to the nature of arts education, measured outcomes are often insufficient, implicit, subjective, complex, and intangible (Amabile, 1983, 1996; Newman, Curtis, & Stephens, 2003; Humphreys, 2006). In addition, there can be problems with arts organisations claiming impacts and outcomes without the back up of sufficient evidence. Arts and cultural education initiatives across Europe now require evaluation for accountability, as funding mechanisms, to demonstrate outcomes and results and for short and long term planning. Despite these pressures arts organisations are often limited in terms of funding, time allocation and funding to carry out high quality evaluations (Taut &Alkin, 2003; Bamberger, M., Rugh, J., Church, M., & Fort L., 2004; Wright, 2007). This paper uncovers the increasing interest in examining the effects and impact of arts in education programmes on areas such as social inclusion, poverty, economics, health and the regeneration of communities. Taking local government arts education initiatives as a focus across Europe, the research will examine local government responses to arts education evaluation and highlight examples of good practice. In particular, Irlenad is taken as an exemplar where within Irish local government arts education initiatives, much of the evaluation of projects occurs in-house, unpublished and unavailable to the public eye.

Method

The research makes use of quantitative and qualitative research methods in the form of a document analysis, questionnaires, direct observation, interviews, literature surveys and meetings in a process of triangulation to instil confidence and consistency in the data gathered. The document analysis took place within Europe with a focus on the UK and Ireland. A sample of Irish local government arts officers were observed in their place of work which involved interviewing the officers and collecting relevant documentation. Interviews took place with relevant policy makers such as within the Arts Council of Ireland as well as a sample of artists who were involved in local government arts education initiatives. Questionnaires were also distributed to every Arts Officer in Ireland.

Expected Outcomes

A knowledge gap exists in relation to arts education evaluation and the research addresses this issue by investigating evaluation processes, methodologies and policies for arts education programmes.There is an urgent need for more effective methods of evaluating arts education. The research examines the best approaches to this work particularly in an Irish local government context and puts forward new ideas on how such evaluations or development of indicators might be carried out.

References

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Author Information

Ailbhe Kenny

Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland

Arts Education

Limerick

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