Linking the Nature of Secondary School Students who are Highly Artistic with Curriculum Needs and Instructional Practice

Thi s exploratory qualitative investigation examined the nature of 7 secondary school students who are highly artistic to link visual arts programs that best ac-commodate their learning needs. Instrumentation for data collection included 1 questionnaire, 3 in-depth semistructured one-on-one interviews, artwork docu-ments, observations, and fie ld notes. Findings related to creativity, motivation, social and emotional perspectives, and cognitive processes supported the signifi -cance and benefits of v isual arts in student growth. Results identifie d the development of critical thinking, problem-solving skills, risk-taking, meeting chal-lenges, transferability of skills, extending local and world connections, and environmental and societal concerns. Thr ough artwork production and insight into their needs, students conveyed valuable suggestions for programming enhancements and visual arts classroom sett ings. The se find ings are meaningful for educators and curriculum developers as they distinguish the importance of diver-sifie d and diffe rentiated learning opportunities in engaging students who are highly artistic to meet their optimal potential, and suggest implications for educational practice. ISSN 1918-5227 Pages 46- 60