HOMESCHOOL ART STUDIO: CONTEMPORARY ART EDUCATION

FOR HOMESCHOOLED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN CENTRAL MONTANA

By

NANCY JONES

A CAPSTONE PROJECT PROPOSAL PRESENTED TO THE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS OF

THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ARTS
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
2016

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Summary of Capstone Project Proposal
Presented to the College of the Arts of the University of Florida
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Degree of Master of Arts
HOMESCHOOL ART STUDIO: CONTEMPORARY ART EDUCATION
FOR HOMESCHOOLED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN CENTRAL MONTANA
By
Nancy Jones
December 2015
Chair: Jodi Kushins
Committee Member: Craig Roland
Major: Art Education
Abstract
I will be developing an art education curriculum for homeschooled high school students in
Central Montana. To build a foundation for the curriculum, I have researched three main topics:
the history and current trends in home education methods, contemporary art education, and
curriculum development. These topics will help in the development of guidelines for working
with homeschool students. When complete, homeschooled high school students will have the
opportunity to experience a contemporary art education class that is structured similarly to their
homeschool instruction.

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Table of Contents
Title Page..........................................................................................................................................i
UF Summary Page...........................................................................................................................ii
Abstract...........................................................................................................................................ii
Table of Contents Page...................................................................................................................iii
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................1
Statement of the Problem....................................................................................................1
Purpose of the Study............................................................................................................2
Assumptions of the Study....................................................................................................3
Definition of Terms..............................................................................................................3
Study Limitations................................................................................................................4
Literature Review............................................................................................................................4
Research Method.............................................................................................................................9
Sites and Subjects................................................................................................................9
Data Collection..................................................................................................................10
Data Analysis.....................................................................................................................11
Summary/Reflections ...................................................................................................................12
References.....................................................................................................................................14
Author Biography..........................................................................................................................17
Timeline.........................................................................................................................................18

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Homeschooling in the Great Falls, Montana area is very popular, with approximately 400
homeschool families in the county (Mikulski, 2005). Several homeschooled high school students
have mentioned to me the need for a good art program. The research I have done regarding
homeschool art programs in Great Falls has revealed that local museums provide classes for
homeschoolers from Kindergarten through middle school, but there is a lack of art education for
older students. Awareness of this problem has inspired me to create a homeschool art program
specifically for high school students in my community.
My homeschool-focused curriculum will provide high school students with an
opportunity that they might not otherwise have to study art. Students in urban areas have access
to more opportunities in the arts, with museums, art-related activities, and established
homeschool programs available for all age groups. However, students in less populated cities and
towns, similar to Central Montana, may not have those same opportunities; therefore, a
homeschool art curriculum could benefit families and cooperatives interested in contemporary
art instruction.
Statement of the Problem
Homeschool families may feel overwhelmed by art curriculum because the curriculum is
poorly written, or pressure to be creative. Therefore, parents do not include it into their childs
education. The Homeschool Art Studio program will be a resource for parents who want to
incorporate art into their childs curriculum. This study is important because the homeschool
population is consistently growing in the United States,; and there should be art programs and
resources so that homeschool students can experience the arts.

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Purpose or Goals of the Study
My research goals are to understand the current state of art education among homeschool
families in my area specifically at the high school level and to create and execute a program
designed specifically for these students. The program will reflect prevailing non-religious
homeschool pedagogy by being student-directed and teacher-guided (Templeton & Johnson,
2008). The students will take an active role in their art education by choosing the art medium
they wish to study through choice-based art education. As their instructor, I will guide students in
their research, art making, and reflective writing.
Research Questions
These questions will guide my research and the gathering of my data.
1. If and how does the local high school homeschool population address art?
2. How would a comprehensive contemporary high school homeschool art curriculum
be designed and implemented?
3. How can such a program work with the local art community?
Rationale and Significance of the Study
This research is significant because the population of homeschooled students is growing
in the United States and all over the world (HSLDA, 2015), and homeschool is an underresearched educational field. Educators and researchers can benefit from homeschool research
because they are hearing the needs of this population. Also, the homeschool population has
beneficial ideas that could help in any kind of classroom.
All students should have resources available to have a quality art education.
Homeschoolers are no exception. The Homeschool Art Studio program will fill a need for local
homeschooled high school students to study art in a student-directed, yet instructor-guided

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environment.
Assumptions
TheA main assumption is that homeschool parents need assistance with art education. I
know that not all parents include art education or exclude art education. My main thought is that
parents want help to provide the best education possible and that includes art education. Since I
am assuming they need assistance, thenthen I am also assuming that they do not have the
resources to provide a comprehensive contemporary art education to their high school children.
With a lack of resources, then the parents will be eager to give their input, complete the survey,
and allow their children to be a part of Homeschool Art Studio.
Assumptions regarding students are that there is an audience for Homeschool Art Studio.
Students will be willing to participate and through participation become excited about art. During
the written reviews, I assume that students will be willing to talk and respond about their
experiences in Homeschool Art Studio. After their participation, students will be inspired to be
involved in the local art community.
Definition of Terms
Homeschooling is defined as parents providing home-based education for their
children (Templeton & Johnson, 2008). The main idea is that children are learning at home with
customized instruction.
Compulsory education is defined as required schooling until a specific age. The age can
vary by state; in Montana, it is 16 years of age.
Inquiry-based art education focuses on questions that require critical thinking to create
answers to open-ended problems (Lampert, 2013).

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Choice-based art education provides space, time, varied materials and instruction, and
a climate that is conducive to independent work and the development of artistic behaviors
(Douglas & Jaquith, 2009, p.13). Students get to choose what they want to learn and explore.
Limitations of the Study
The studio space will be at the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, so the limitation will
be the funding for supplies. The students will have to pay a small tuition fee to cover supplies. I
will work with the museum to create a budget and schedule for the studio so we can utilize funds
to the best of our ability. Since the museum is partnering with me for Homeschool Art Studio,
this limits the number of students to ten. This is better than I had hoped, but it still limits the
diversity among the students and the differences in opinions. The numbers are not limited by the
availability if homeschool students, as our community has a high percentage of homeschool
families.
Another limitation is the art media that will be available during Homeschool Art Studio.
Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art has an established ceramics program for all ages, so I am
limiting the media to painting, drawing, pastels, woodworking and carving, digital photography,
and fiber arts. Because of the limitation of supplies, this also limits all the students from
following their interests.
Literature Review
During my research, I did not find resources that covered art education programs for
homeschool students. Therefore, my research is divided into three sections: homeschool history
and methods, curriculum development, and art education. For my project, I will bring these
topics together to form the basis of my research project and to build my art program for high
school homeschool students.

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A Brief History of Homeschooling
The research has shown that homeschooling was the preferred method of teaching for
families prior to the 1800s. Compulsory education came along in the 1850s, after which the
public school system was formed (Davis, 2011). The education system met opposition in the
1960s as families wanted more individualized instruction for their children than was available in
public schools; and so by 1993, homeschooling was legal in all states (Templeton & Johnson,
2008). Although some states are very strict in their homeschool requirements, this does not
discourage families.
Since 1999, the number of children who are being homeschooled has increased by
75%...the number of primary school kids whose parents choose to forgo traditional
education is growing seven times faster than the number of kids enrolling in K-12 every
year. (Lawrence, 2012)
Approximately three percent of school-aged children are being homeschooled for the 2015-2016
school year (Zeise, 2015). The numbers suggest that homeschooling is not just a trend and most
likely will not go away. As an art educator, I feel a responsibility to help homeschool students
gain access to a quality art experience.
Homeschool methods vary greatly, and many options exist for curriculum, but most
families fall into two categories: ideologues and pedagogues. Ideologues are those who
homeschool to transmit skills, values, and beliefs, and pedagogues are parents who believe they
can do a better job of educating their offspring than schools can (Templeton & Johnson, 2008).
Some families represent a mix of both ideologues and pedagogues.
Curriculum development is important to my research, as my program will feature a
custom art curriculum specifically designed with homeschool students in mind. To write the

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curriculum, I will be using the Backward Curriculum Design Process by Wiggins and McTighe
(1998). This process begins with the lesson goals and builds into lesson plans. By using this
method, I hope to provide students with a guide for their art education that gives them a
framework that can be differentiated for each student. My vision for this program and curriculum
is also inspired by inquiry-based and community-based art education. I will go into more detail
regarding curriculum development in the Research Methods section of this proposal.
Art Education and Community
Inquiry-based classroom activities require students to solve problems and answer
questions that have more than one possible resolution (Lampert, 2006, p. 46). Inquiry is
important to the curriculum, because it coincides with many homeschool objectives. For that
reason, the homeschool art program will be based on the eclectic style and will be adaptable,
incorporating multiple resources, and allowing learners interests to be the guiding force. Most
homeschool methods require students to search out the answers and learn through research.
Homeschool students are accustomed to an inquiry-style of learning.
Also, the curriculum will highlight the local art community and provide experiences that
inciteinspire students to create. Students will visit galleries and museums and interact with local
artists. As London (1994) suggested, To the degree that ones personal encounters with the word
are engaging and vivid, one will discover material for engaging and vivid personal expression
(p. 4). The program will include times for experiences in the outdoors, downtown, at museums,
and in galleries. Students will reflect on these experiences and find inspiration from the art
community.

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Homeschool and Customization
A major benefit of homeschooling is the opportunity it provides for customization of
education for students. In the home with a small class size, parents have the ability to
differentiate learning for each child. [T]he informal environment of homeschooling affords
natural opportunities for teaching and learning to become more personal, thoughtful, and
individualized (Ray, 2002, p. 52). The Homeschool Art Studio will keep class sizes small,
giving students the opportunity for a more individualized art experience.
Many resources on homeschooling cover the different styles of homeschooling and
provide parents options in choosing what is best for their family and children. Some styles that I
encountered include: Classical Homeschooling, the Charlotte Mason Method, Eclectic
Homeschooling, the Montessori Method, School-at-Home, Unit Studies, Unschooling, and the
Waldorf Method (Templeton & Johnson, 2008). Most homeschoolers fall under Eclectic
Homeschooling, which combines a variety of resources and is very flexible.
One of the downfalls of homeschool art education is the lack of curriculum that makes art
approachable and understandable to both parents and students. Many parents are intimidated by
art concepts beyond simple crafts such as Thanksgiving hand turkeys and projects involving
popsicle sticks and macaroni. Homeschool Art Studio is a place for students to discover and
explore the fine art universe with a knowledgeable guide, giving parents one more resource with
regard to art education.
Contemporary Art Education
Hetland, Winner, Veenema, & Sheridan (2013) observed five high- quality art teachers
and their classrooms to discover what excellent visual art teachers teach, how they teach, and
what students learn in their classes (Hetland, et. al., 2013). Their study, findings, and classroom

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framework are outlined in the book Studio thinking 2: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts
Education, Second Edition. This book will help me develop guiding concepts that are important
for the homeschool art program and determine the benefits of these concepts to high school
students.
Homeschooled high school students are in a unique situation in that they have flexibility
and freedom to experience many aspects of real life: taking self-selected lessons, doing school
research at the public library, volunteering in the community, and shadowing job professionals.
High school students have many opportunities to experience life, such as those listed above, and
the homeschool art program will give them the time and resources to create and process their
experiences into meaningful artworks. The community-based art education will be a guiding
resource to provide quality art experiences outside of the studio. Community-based art
education begins where learning theory and psychology tells us all learning begins: with
experience, with direct encounters with life (London, 1994, p. 19).
Inquiry-based lessons will be at the forefront of the art program. The students will be
presented with questions and problems that will have multiple answers. The goal of effective
creative inquiry is to guide students in thinking deeply and originally so that they make
individualized choices about how best to express their resolution of the problem (Lampert,
2006, p. 49). The homeschool students in my program will be required to solve problems in their
artwork and answer questions to develop critical thinking. For example, if a student chooses
watercolor, then they will research all aspects of watercolor including technique, history, and
science to better understand the medium. After their research, the student will use this
information to create their artworks and try different methods to find what works best. I will help

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them with different ideas to solve their problems. This exploration and experimentation will
benefit them in their other studies as well.
Research Method
I will use action research as the main method to gather data: In short, action research
is the study and enhancement of ones own practice (May, 1993, p.114). This will allow me to
improve my teaching skills while developing and field testing an art learning program for high
school homeschool students. As a part of the action research, I will use elements of case study
research in formatting my data, detailing and interpreting the research as to its relation to the
field of art education. The purpose of the case study is to present a detailed description of the
case and the researchers interpretation of its significance to the field of study (Tollefson-Hall,
2013, p. 204).
Sites and Subjects
I will gather the data regarding homeschooling and art education within my community
via surveys of local homeschool cooperatives, online support groups, and homeschool parents
with high school aged children. The survey will consist of questions regarding art education
provided for high school homeschooled students, and I am hoping for at least 25 responses from
among the approximately 400 homeschool families in our area. I will request families to
participate in the online survey through the Great Falls Homeschoolers Facebook Group. The
network of families will also aid in recruiting students for my action research. Specific questions
will include:

Do you include art on a regular basis in your homeschooling curriculum for high school?
If so, how?

Is art combined (or integrated) into other subjects? If so, how?

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What local resources (Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, C.M. Russell Museum, local
galleries, First Friday Art Walk, Western Art Week, private art lessons, etc.) do you use
for art education?

What would help you in providing a quality art education for your high school student?

Would you be interested in an art program for high school homeschool students?

Data Collection
I will develop my curriculum for Homeschool Art Program using the process described
by Chapman (1985). The first stage, I will define my desired results and create priorities based
on my knowledge of art and art education. The second stage, I will present a survey to
homeschool parents for feedback on the desired results. The Backward Curriculum Design
process is stage three. I will develop lessons for homeschoolers using backward design and do a
field study where students experience the lessons. Stage four, I will self-publish my program
process and principles on ISSUU so that homeschool families, art teachers, and homeschool
cooperatives can access my art program ideas. The homeschooling styles and art education
methods will be utilized in my curriculum development so the students can have a quality art
education in a format that is familiar and correlates to their learning styles and abilities.
When I conduct my research, I will have four high school homeschool students go
through my class for six weeks during April and May of 2016. The students will attend the class,
located at my home, twice a week for two hours. They will participate in the student-directed art
lessons and at the end of each week fill out a review of the class. A summary review will be
required from each student at the end of the six weeks answering questions regarding the studio
experience. The questions will include:

Would you take more art classes like Homeschool Art Studio?

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Did you feel the instructor was knowledgeable?

Do you feel that you learned something new about art? If so, what?

What were your favorite things about the lesson?

What were your least favorite things about the lessons?

How do you feel about the format of the lessons?

Would you recommend Homeschool Art Studio to other high school homeschoolers?
The data gathered during the study will include interview recordings and notes, surveys,

artworks, observational field notes, and photographs. The interviews and surveys of the
homeschool families will be completed at the beginning of data gathering, approximately by the
end of March in 2016. Observational field notes will be taken in April and May during the
classes with students. I will take a few moments to observe students as they work and take
photographs of their artwork, classwork, and gallery field trips. The hardcopy data will be
organized by date in a binder, as well as digitally in a file on my personal external hard drive.
Data Analysis
I will look at the survey answers for feed back from the local homeschool community. It
is important that I understand how they are approaching art education since I am an outsider
looking in. The online survey website will provide the response data and I will be able to see
how many families are intentional in their art education, how many use outside resources, how
they measure the importance of art education, and how many are interested in an art program.
The analysis of the information from the survey will provide a background for understanding the
current state of art education in the local homeschool community and gauge the interest in a
homeschool program.

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I will be taking observational notes and photographs, and the students will be writing
reviews of their experiences in Homeschool Art Studio. To analyze these reviews and notes, I
will be looking at student progress individually. I want to see where they started and how far they
progressed during the six weeks. The format will be similar to case study findings because I will
organize the data by each student.
For analysis of observational data, I will focus on answering my research questions.
First, this practice leads to a focused analysis when the temptation is to analyze data that are
outside the scope of the research questions (Baxter & Jack, 2008, p. 555). To avoid being
distracted, I plan to concentrate on my questions while analyzing the data. To link the data to my
research questions, I have considered using a blog to keep my notes organized and to use tags to
label my entries. The tags will help me easily sort and find patterns and similarities. Also, I will
use color-coding in my written notes to organize patterns.
Further Research
Homeschool students use many different resources for their education, and this art
program will be another resource to round out their high school education. Other communities
can use this program to reach the homeschool students in their area who are interested in art. The
amount of information and research on homeschooling and art education is slim, but this project
will help the topic expand just a little bit more.
Summary
The Homeschool Art Studio program will provide homeschooled high school students
with art education that had not been previously available to them. I expect to find an open and
excited homeschool group that will utilize this program for the students benefit. The program

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will give homeschool students an opportunity to explore and study art with an experienced art
educator as their guide.

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References
Baxter, P. & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and
implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13(4), 554-559.
Chapman, L. (1985). Curriculum development as process and product. Studies in Art
Education, 26(4), 206-211.
Davis, A. (2011). Evolution of homeschooling. Distance Learning, 8(2), 29-35.
Green, C. L. & Hoover-Dempsey, K. V. (2007). Why do parents homeschool? A
systematic examination of parental involvement. Education and Urban Society, 39(2), 264285.
Hanna, L.G. (2012). Homeschooling education: Longitudinal study of methods, materials, and
curricula. Education and Urban Society, 44(5), 609-631.
Hetland, L., Winner, E., Veenema, S., & Sheridan, K.(2013). Studio thinking 2: The real benefits
of visual arts education, Second edition. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
HSLDA. (2015). Homeschooling Research [Webpage]. Retrieved from
http://www.hslda.org/research/faq.asp
Kaple, J. E. (2015). Finding the heart in our kindergarten homeschool through compassionate
a/r/tographic inquiry (Order No. 1589175). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
Global. (1696928868). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1696928868?
accountid=10920
Lampert, N. (2006). Enhancing critical thinking with aesthetic, critical, and creative inquiry.
Art Education, 59(5), 4650.
Lawrence, J. (2012, May 21). Number of homeschoolers growing nationwide. Education News.
Retrieved from http://www.educationnews.org/parenting/number-of-homeschoolers-growing-

15
nationwide/
London, P. (1994). Step Outside. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
May, W. (1993). "Teachers-as-researchers" or action research: What is it,
and what good is it for art education? Studies in Art Education, 34(2), 114-126.
Mikulski, C. (2005). Cascade County Homeschoolers [Yahoo group]. Retrieved from
http://yhoo.it/1LyYXzD
Montana Office of Public Instruction. (2015). Facts About Montana Education [Online
brochure]. Retrieved from http://opi.mt.gov/PDF/Measurement/EdFacts2015.pdf
ODonnell, T. (2013). Homeschooling and contemporary art education in Central Florida
(Masters thesis). Retrieved from http://ufdc.ufl.edu/IR00003633
Ray, B. D. (2002). Customization through homeschooling. Educational Leadership, 59(7), 5054.
Seymour, R. L. (2001). Using electronic media to enhance art instruction by home schoolers
(Order No. EP21440). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (304751250).
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304751250?accountid=10920
Templeton, R., & Johnson, C. (2008). Homeschool learners. In T. Good (Ed.), 21st century
education: A reference handbook. (pp. 297-309). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications,
Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412964012.n82
Tollefson-Hall, K., (2013). Conducting Case Study Research. In M. L. Buffington & S. W.
McKay (Eds.), Practice theory: Seeing the power of art teacher researchers.
(204-208).

Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.

Zeise, A. (2015). Number of homeschoolers in the USA. A to Z Homes Cool Homeschooling.

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Retrieved from:
http://a2zhomeschooling.com/thoughts_opinions_home_school/numbers_homeschooled_stu
dents/#how_many

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Author Biography
Nancy Jones was born in Louisiana and moved to Montana when she was eight years old.
She loves Montana and cant imagine living anywhere else. However, she holds on to her
Louisiana roots by cheering on her Louisiana State University Tigers and New Orleans Saints.
One of her favorite hobbies is photography, and she currently provides professional portrait
photography in the Great Falls, Montana area.
Nancy graduated from high school in 2004 from Eagle Christian School, an online high
school program, and that experience has provided a homeschooling background and a passion for
teaching art to homeschool students. She taught art at Foothills Community Christian School for
three years before deciding to take time off to stay home with her son, Samuel. Since leaving her
teaching job, Nancy has found that she can continue teaching by providing a place for
homeschool students to learn about and create art.
Her college career began at Montana State University-Great Falls-College of Technology,
where she graduated in 2007 with an Associate of Arts Degree with a Secondary Education
Concentration. She finished her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art at the University of Great Falls in
2010. Nancy looks forward to graduating from the University of Florida with her Masters of Art
Education in 2016.

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Timeline

choosing committee members, appointing a chair November 2015

completing forms and applying for permission to conduct your research via the UF IRB
December 2015

presenting your research proposal to your Capstone Committee January 2016

2 required committee meetings after proposal presentation January & February 2016

conducting your research April & May 2016

completing an independent study related to your research Summer A 2016

taking the Capstone Research course Summer B 2016

submitting draft paper and project of final capstone to committee prior to defense June
& July 2016

defending your research July 2016

graduation August or December 2016