| As our society moves into global, technology-driven, information society, the inclusion of electronic technology in art curriculum has become a central issue in the art world and the field of art education. In particular, the expansion of the Internet has brought new content and new images to art curriculum, which, in turn, enhances a comprehensive approach to art education or Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE). Although recent studies focusing on the computer use in art education have confirmed the priority of information technology in art education, it has not been sufficiently examined how the Internet is currently used by high school art teachers to enhance comprehensive art instruction. Therefore, this study would allow us to examine how the Internet is perceived and used by high school art teachers in the State of Missouri, and we can identify how the Internet can be employed to enhance art instruction with an emphasis on DBAE.;To examine this timely issue, a mailed questionnaire was used as a research instrument. Five themes were explored in the questionnaire: access to the Internet in art classrooms, art teachers' perceptions of Internet use, the scale and scope of Internet use, the effectiveness of Internet use, and barriers to using the Internet. The questionnaire was mailed to a randomly selected sample of 400 high school art teachers in Missouri. The number of the respondents was 213 while the sample size was reduced to 349 when art teachers who had retired or moved were eliminated. This raised the total response rate to 61%.;This study has contributed in the field of art education in the following aspects. First, this descriptive study focusing on the current status of instructional use of the Internet by high school art teachers in Missouri would serve as the first step for future studies on issues of the information technology. Second, the study also has provided a comprehensive understanding of high school art teachers' perceptions and usage of the Internet from the perspective of comprehensive art education namely DBAE. Finally, the study has shown to some extent how high school art teachers in Missouri implement a DBAE curriculum and teach visual culture by examining instructional use of the Internet. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
