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This paper discusses research methods used to examine children's art. The first part of the paper presents information on four theoretical approaches to the examination of children's art and discusses the teacher's role within that approach: (1) psychological approach, using art to discover the child's inner conflicts; (2) behavioral psychological approach, using art to examine the child's thinking processes; (3) developmental arts approach, comparing the child's visual expression to what is expected at a particular age level; and (4) artistic/aesthetic view, helping children develop a basic vocabulary for the visual language of expression. The second part of the paper examines the methods used for conducting research on children's art, noting that art and creativity must not be excluded from scientific research. This part describes the observational research into the creative process as carried out by Project Zero at Harvard University and provides a rationale for using qualitative research methods. The third part of the paper identifies three observational techniques that can be used by educator-researchers: (1) direct observation; (2) participant observation; and (3) indirect observation. The paper notes the need for an ethnographic, holistic, and natural on-site approach when researching children's art activities. The paper concludes by asserting that better conceptualizations of human thought, feeling, and creativity will likely contribute to more effective visual arts education programs. (Contains 69 references.) (KB)

This paper presents the observations and findings from case studies and projects with the theme of mosaic-making, which were conducted over a period of 10 years, 1987-1997, with young children ages 3 to 6. Emphasis is placed on the cultural heritage of the city of Thessaloniki as a center for the art of mosaic-making during the Early Christian and Byzantine periods. Archaeological and art historical reference is made to the writings of Chatzidaki, Haswell, and Kourkoutidou-Nikolaidou. Cultural and pedagogical theories of Frangos, Gardner, Housen, and Tzedakis are also cited. A holistic-developmental arts program is described which has as a main phase visits to the city's museums and Byzantine monuments. If holding to the theory that the foundations for one's appreciation of art and cultural heritage are established at a very young, preschool age, it was logical to introduce mosaic-making in the arts program at the child centers and kindergartens of Thessaloniki. The paper describes how conducting the holistic arts program, which included field trips to museums or monuments with preschool children, raised both theoretical and practical questions. Proposals and solutions to such questions are presented. (Contains 12 references.) (Author/EV)