Becoming a researcher in arts education

In this course, the students acquire skills in navigating artistic research and understanding the intricate connections among practice, learning, meaning making, and research in arts education. The course actively contributes to the cultivation of socially engaged and responsible art education. Throughout the course, students develop individual project descriptions tailored for their master's theses. The students will learn to articulate and critically evaluate their own perspectives and choices connected to the research process. Throughout the course, the students will strengthen their skills in identifying and reflecting upon the diverse resources and forms of knowledge in relation to their practice and research in arts education. The students engage in inquiry led peer review and support, fostering a community of research practice. The students gain experience in presenting and developing their own research ideas and designs throughout the course.

Knowledge

The student

• has advanced understanding of methodologies of research in and with the arts, including arts-based and practice-led research as well as theory-driven and critical research
• has thorough knowledge in existing theories and methods in arts education research
• has a thorough grasp of the interplay between research inquiries and the strategic selection of theory and methodology appropriate for their master's thesis
• has thorough kowledge about the formal requirements to the master's thesis in the field of arts education

Skills

The student

• can plan a master’s level research project
• can critically assess relevant theoretical and methodological literature and link this to their own master's project
• can present own master research in written and verbal ways, as well as as a multimodal exposition
• can argue for methodological choices in their own master’s proposal

• can examine the methodological options available and how they might inform choices during the research, writing and dissemination processes.
• can articulate the lineage of their own research project in the existing research in arts education

General competence

The student

• can contribute to the peer review processes in critical and caring ways
• can engage in a dialogue with current research methodologies and theories in arts education
• is able to examines different understandings of quality in arts education research
• can make ethical judgements related to their own research
• Can safeguard and promote arts education characteristics in their own master research

The teaching methodology for the course consists of workshops, collaborative learning, and participatory activities towards development of the research community. Throughout seminars, the feedback from the course teachers and the fellow students will guide the work of the students.

Compulsory course assignments

There are three compulsory assignments in this course. They are as follows:

• Presentation 1
• Reflection statement

• Presentation 2

All compulsory assignments will be assigned with approved/not approved and must all be approved in order to take the examination for this course.

Compulsory activities

Preparation that takes place during the seminars for the compulsory assignments.

Self-directed and collaborative learning in and outside of the scheduled seminars

3 compulsory assignments