Teaching academic and behavioral skills through arts-based programming: an evaluation study

The purpose of this project was to examine the utility of a pro-social skills framework, which promotes arts integration, in promoting pro-social and emotional development in students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). The overarching inquiry considers instructors’ perception of the impact that the curriculum has on improving the social skills of the students enrolled in the arts program. This study was aimed to identify the knowledge, motivational, and organizational (KMO) influences that oftentimes hinder instructors’ ability to effectively facilitate learning interventions that ultimately assist EBD students in growth that is both evident and measurable and to address those issues so as to improve the program quality. Clark and Estes (2008) gap analysis framework is utilized to assess the KMO influences that are existent in a federally funded organization in an urban, northeastern state. A convergent mixed method approach is applied in the data collection and analysis processes. Although surveys are administered, thus rendering the study a combination of both qualitative and quantitative, the chief design was qualitative in that an inductive approach was taken during data collection and analysis. The analysis of the collected data revealed that instructors value implementation of instructional strategies that promote identity development and foster social skills in students. Furthermore, the findings and results emphasize the benefits of creating safe environments and fostering authentic relationships with students who exhibit emotional and behavioral challenges. The results of this study may be used to contribute to the discourse on effective and innovative strategies for intervening with students who have emotional and behavioral challenges.

本研究旨在检验一项倡导艺术整合的亲社会技能框架，在帮助情绪与行为障碍（Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, EBD）学生提升亲社会能力与情绪发展方面的应用价值。本研究的核心探究维度为授课教师对该课程体系助力参与艺术项目的学生提升社交技能之影响的感知情况。本研究旨在识别常阻碍教师有效开展学习干预、进而助力EBD学生实现可观测、可量化成长的知识、动机与组织（Knowledge, Motivational, and Organizational, KMO）障碍因素，并针对性解决相关问题以提升项目质量。本研究采用Clark与Estes（2008）提出的差距分析框架，对美国东北部某城市内的联邦资助机构中存在的KMO障碍因素进行评估。本研究在数据收集与分析环节采用收敛式混合研究方法：尽管通过发放调查问卷收集数据，使本研究兼具定性与定量研究属性，但其核心设计为定性研究，即数据收集与分析过程中采用归纳式研究路径。对收集到的数据进行分析后发现，授课教师高度重视能够促进学生自我认同发展、并培养其社交技能的教学策略的实施。此外，研究结果凸显了为存在情绪与行为障碍的学生创建安全学习环境、并与其建立真实信任的师生关系的重要价值。本研究结果可为针对情绪与行为障碍学生的有效干预创新策略的学术讨论提供参考依据。