Research

The research programs of the ARTSmatters group have focused on a number of issues related to the professional development of teachers and artists, student engagement, school gardens and architecture, and the use of web-based tools to support learning in the arts.

Our research on teacher professional development began in the early 1990s when Dr. Rena Upitis and Dr. Katharine Smithrim received SSHRC funding to examine how general classroom teachers might learn embrace the arts by learning to become artists and musicians themselves. While the research on this program has ended, the curriculum and professional development programs continue to thrive in our local schools.

Following the work on the Teachers as Artists program, we were engaged in nearly a decade of research with The Royal Conservatory on Learning Through the Arts, a national program for school renewal, engaging local artists together with teachers to support the teaching and learning of all school subjects through the arts. This research involved nearly 50 faculty, school board representatives, graduate students, and undergraduate students across the country.

Another long-term research project examines how school architecture shapes learning. We're particularly interested in how the spaces in schools both constrain and enable students to take part in activities related to the domestic arts, fine arts, performing arts, and outdoor arts.

Other current research projects include studying (a) the impact of the Open Studio program hosted by The Studio at the Faculty of Education, (b) the long-term effects of taking part in elementary school musicals, (c) the culture of choral singing and conducting, and (d) the role of music education in rural communities.

The most recent multi-institutional research project, in collaboration with Concordia and The Royal Conservatory, designed to determine how the use of a web-based electronic portfolio called ePEARL, can be used to help students develop habits of self-regulation as they engage in artistic endeavors.

Publications and presentations related to these areas of research can be found on our site. We try and keep the site up to date, but if there is something missing, feel free to email us (rena.upitis@queensu.ca) and we'll send you what you are seeking.