| This study concludes that cultural visits, such as those to art and science museums and similar sites outside the school building, positively affect the perception of student learning, teacher practice and school tone in a small urban high school. Cultural visits themselves grow out of museum education, arts integration and the theory of multiple intelligences. The case study used a combination of qualitative methods, including interviews with selected high school students, school staff and visitors. The study includes observations the cultural visits themselves, team meetings and classrooms as well as artifacts of student work.; The data in student learning suggest that cultural visits create interdisciplinary experiences and promote learning in different modalities. They expand classroom learning, creating deeper and broader connections of concepts and a shared reference point. They promote examination of ideas and objects from multiple perspectives, and provide a positive energy and excitement to learning; Furthermore, they develop an understanding of other cultures and connect to student performance on standardized tests. The data on teacher practice suggest that teachers embed cultural visits into their curricula, plan far them in theme-based, interdisciplinary teams that are valued for the opportunity to work with other teachers, artists and museum staff as well as with outside institutions and value cultural visits for their ability to reinforce class lessons, to provide learning in different modalities and develop high order thinking skills. Teachers reported issues as well. The data further suggest that school tone/climate is positively affected since cultural visits build community, trust, independence, confidence and respect in students, and create an understanding of other cultures. Cultural visits also promote museum attendance.; The research has implications in the areas of small school organization; educational outcomes of urban minority high school students, especially those with deficits in reading in math; arts integration into student learning and teacher practice; the importance of interdisciplinary teaming in teacher professional development and student learning on the high school level; increasing museum attendance; preparation for high school students for standardized tests; the hidden behavioral curriculum and building school community. |
