Abstract:
This qualitative study employed a narrative approach to collect stories and explore the meaning created by six fine arts school graduates who engaged in arts-integrated learning (AIL) in their science classes. The goal of this study was to interview former AIL students and analyze their experiences as they described them. The arts school graduates in this study described overall improvements in their engagement, learning, and creativity in their AIL science classes. Science classes using the arts for engagement made learning enjoyable for five of the six participants and increased their interest in science. Most AIL participants reported learning and retaining the science information longer than they did in their traditional science classes. Interestingly, four participants reported that AIL lessons made them nervous when performing in front of their classmates, and that their groups got distracted and learned less effectively when not properly monitored by the teacher. While three participants learned adequately in traditional instruction, five of the participants believed learning through AIL in high school was essential to learning the science material deeply enough to be successful in traditional college science classes. Four of these fine arts school graduates also reported caring more for their learning than in traditional classes because their AIL science teachers cared enough to build engaging AIL lessons for them. Keywords: Arts Integration, Arts Enhancement, Arts Infused, Art, Science, Learning, Creativity, Engagement, Knowledge Retention, Stress, Science Interest, Teamwork, Critical Thinking, Traditional Instruction