Research in art education and arts based educational research: issues, trends and looks

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide a visual and written description of some problems and theories, authors, findings and results, both on the international scene and in the context of Spanish universities, being carried out currently in the field of Art Education Research. I used a five-fold approach. First, I present a synthesis of research issues that most frequently appear in published research leading textbooks on Art Education. Secondly, I show the most pressing and emerging research issues, on which professional international associations in Art Education insisted actually. Thirdly, I outline some of the major research journals specializing in Art Education. Fourth, Finally, I present a new and highly controversial research approach emerged in the territory of Art Education: Arts based Educational Research (AbER). Finally, I present a photo series composed by twenty-nine interpretive descriptive portraits of the look of professionals of the training of the artistic look, working in seminars, conferences and classrooms during the past seven years.