From the Field

The National Art Education Association (NAEA) Museum Division and the Association of Art Museum Directors have partnered to plan and implement a large-scale study examining the impact of K-12 single-visit field trips.  The goal of the study is to explore how engaging directly with original works of art, within the distinctive physical and social setting of art museums and through constructivist pedagogies, might lead to or heighten a range of student outcomes.  It is meant to begin to address the acknowledged lack of extensive, scientific research on learning outcomes in museums.

The Samuel H. Kress Foundation has provided a generous grant to support the planning year for this impact study, which began on August 1, 2014. NAEA and AAMD are now working closely with Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A) to design the study during this planning year.

The planning year (2014-15) focuses on gathering information toward the development of a plan for conducting a multi-site research study. As part of this process, RK&A conducted a national survey of the field to identify the most representative characteristics of single-visit K-12 field-trip practices in art museums across the United States. Read the Executive Summary of this survey here.

For more detailed information on the NAEA-AAMD Research Study please visit the NAEA Museum Education Division website.

Image: The Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA purchased a school bus in order to expand access to field trips. Learn more in the story on AAMD's website and 89.3 KPCC. Image courtesy of the Museum of Latin American Art.