Creativity in Crisis: Emphasizing the Importance of an Arts Education for Students
Decreasing access to arts education in US schools threatens students' development in essential skills, prompting advocacy from educators and researchers regarding their immense importance.
BRIANNA PAULINO
Students engaging in art-related activities and enrichment, Natalia Deriabina- Shutterstock 2014
Introduction:
Arts education is in a crisis. The rising costs of education, the demand for STEM careers, and the rise of AI have made employers question the value of arts education programs in the US. Despite the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 declaring arts essential to a well-rounded education, recent research shows that arts education is declining, according to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A 2008 report from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) indicated that young adults aged 18-24 across America received less arts education, regardless of their childhood socioeconomic status, than their 1982 counterparts. As schools face budget cuts and begin to devote more time to academic testing and a STEM-focused education, art programs are increasingly given less time, money, and space to immerse students. Furthermore, the increasing use of AI in social media and business threatens skills demanding creativity and critical thinking. However, according to Dr. Jelena Trkulja, a senior advisor at Qatar Museums, arts education fosters crucial skills in collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking, which are essential in our 21st-century world. A comprehensive arts education can significantly benefit students’ emotional, academic, and cognitive development, highlighting the importance the arts have in education.
Arts Can Help Students Grow Internally
Arts education is crucial for students’ social-emotional and interpersonal growth, providing benefits beyond creativity. Collaboration skills, essential for emotional development, are developed through arts engagement. In 2015, the NEA reported that singing, dancing, and visual arts positively correlate with greater cooperation, independence, and emotional regulation. Lobo and Winsler’s 2006 study, cited as an example from the NEA’s report, involved children attending a school dance group twice weekly for eight weeks. The study showed that children’s prosocial behaviors and cooperation improved significantly. Additionally, their anxious and aggressive behaviors lessened, and this effect was greater than in the control group. Having artistic programs that encourage engaging interaction can enhance positive attributes for students. Compared to classic education, where students sit alone at their own desks, paying attention to what’s on the board, arts education allows students to expand essential social skills. To further support this, parallel findings in the NEA’s report cite research linking participation in yearly drama programs to improved social skills. Similar school programs could cause better student collaboration, connections, and self-development.
Involvement in the arts is also linked to increased long-term civic and social engagement. Another NEA report examines four longitudinal studies on how arts education improves student achievement and civic engagement. An early 2000s study showed high school students from low socioeconomic backgrounds with arts education were four times more likely to join student government or social service clubs than those who did not. In addition, in a study finalized in 2007, arts involvement among 8th graders throughout their elementary and middle school careers correlated with increased weekly news consumption across socioeconomic groups. Given today’s climate of division and misinformation, cultivating a civic mindset in students is vital for their success and ability to respect others. Arts education, which encourages creativity, curiosity, and collaboration, encourages a potential pathway to develop a more civic and respectful mindset.
Creativity = Academic Success
A strong correlation exists between arts engagement and academic success, with the effect being especially prominent among students from lower socioeconomic groups. NEA’s longitudinal studies demonstrate that teenagers from low socioeconomic backgrounds who participate in the arts achieve better academically than those not involved in the arts. A 1999-2007 longitudinal study found that high arts engagement from kindergarten through elementary school correlated with higher science and writing test scores in 8th grade. In terms of GPA, a 2002-2004 study found that high school students from low socioeconomic backgrounds with arts credits had slightly higher average GPAs (3.17) than those with few or no arts credits (2.7). Through participating in arts programs, students are encouraged to think outside the box, challenge themselves to improve, and encourage themselves to continue their craft. These particular skills can be useful in improving academic performance. However, most school districts in lower socioeconomic areas may have fewer arts programs due to being underfunded. Even with an underfunded program, arts education’s benefits cannot be understated, and thus, investing in improved programs can increase success.
These studies reveal a substantial positive impact of arts programs on students from low-income families. Engaging with the arts offers cognitive advantages, including improved spatial reasoning, working memory, and increased creativity. While the arts can be criticized for not providing logical reasoning skills to students, they offer a variety of skills and perspectives that students can apply in any of their classes. Participating in the arts does not hinder academic success; it helps it.
A Chance To Be Free
Engaging in the arts provides students with fun, emotional release, and self-expression to help reduce stress. Engaging in creative pursuits provides a relaxing outlet for self-expression. According to Michelle Schroder, head of the New York State Art Teachers Association, the arts provide students with a pressure-free space for enjoyable and creative activities. In a traditional academic setting, students may feel stressed to follow a specific pathway that matches all of the teachers’ directions. However, through the arts, students have the opportunity to explore what they enjoy and who they are as individuals.
An arts-centered education provides therapeutic benefits, as shown in qualitative studies analyzed in the International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education. For example, a 2014 study published in Children & Society, Volume 28, found that arts involvement improved students’ emotional literacy, confidence, and social skills, helping them manage stress. Additionally, a 2013 study analyzed in an NEA 2015 report showcased that drawing a house helps elementary and middle school students distract themselves from upsetting events, improving their mood, and showing that creative expression temporarily eases their stress. While these studies showcase that these activities are temporary, they can have an immense impact on the students’ lives. Finding an outlet for expression can be helpful for students to manage their stress levels, feel heard in their work, and explore their creativity.
Through the arts, students can also participate in more creative roles, such as having higher chances of participating in their school yearbook or newspaper. Art-related activities allow students to discover different interests and understand themselves better. Through these research examples, the arts reduce stress through emotional release and allow students to explore their identity.
Conclusion
Through research articles and real-life examples, the arts provide students with critical tools for success. However, as funding becomes an issue and focuses shift more towards AI development, future generations are at risk of the arts’ essential benefits. Educators, policymakers, and communities must protect and expand access to comprehensive arts education programs. By investing in the arts, we invest in students’ creativity, resilience, and potential to thrive in a complex and rapidly evolving world.
