Author's abstract: This qualitative study examined imagination in secondary art textbooks, both historically and in the current educational climate. An arts-based inquiry, as described by Barone & Eisner (Jaeger, 1988), investigated how imagination is manifested in some art books, how the standards movement has tended to limit imagination in art textbooks, and how art textbooks could expand students' imaginations. Using a framework based on the theories of Dewey (1934/1980), Greene (2001), and Eisner (2002), four art textbooks were analyzed for their qualities which expand students' imaginations. The study described a design for an imaginative art textbook. Analysis focused on the creative process, synthesis and higher level thinking processes, multiple representations of knowledge, and the aesthetic features of the textbooks. Four secondary art textbooks were analyzed, and a sample chapter was presented showing a design for a high school art textbook that was highly imaginative and offered many choices to the student and teacher. The view of this study was that the art textbook can expand imagination through aesthetic satisfaction, synthesis, and multiple representations of knowledge; and that a textbook can model imaginative graphic design. With this research, I hope to enhance public awareness of imagination in textbooks, especially in art textbooks. Through this 2 awareness I would like to see more innovative textbooks become available, leading to more imaginative teaching and learning.
","abstract_html":"<p>Author's abstract: This qualitative study examined imagination in secondary art textbooks, both historically and in the current educational climate. An arts-based inquiry, as described by Barone & Eisner (Jaeger, 1988), investigated how imagination is manifested in some art books, how the standards movement has tended to limit imagination in art textbooks, and how art textbooks could expand students' imaginations. Using a framework based on the theories of Dewey (1934/1980), Greene (2001), and Eisner (2002), four art textbooks were analyzed for their qualities which expand students' imaginations. The study described a design for an imaginative art textbook. Analysis focused on the creative process, synthesis and higher level thinking processes, multiple representations of knowledge, and the aesthetic features of the textbooks. Four secondary art textbooks were analyzed, and a sample chapter was presented showing a design for a high school art textbook that was highly imaginative and offered many choices to the student and teacher. The view of this study was that the art textbook can expand imagination through aesthetic satisfaction, synthesis, and multiple representations of knowledge; and that a textbook can model imaginative graphic design. With this research, I hope to enhance public awareness of imagination in textbooks, especially in art textbooks. Through this 2 awareness I would like to see more innovative textbooks become available, leading to more imaginative teaching and learning.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kerr, Lynda C."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)","degree_level":"Dissertation (open access)","degree_discipline":"Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["none"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2006,"date_issued":"2006-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2006-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:27:41Z","subjects":["ETD","Imagination","Art textbooks","Textbooks","Textbook design","Textbook adoption","Art education","Secondary education","Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1022","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["none"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Kerr, Lynda C."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-02-25T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation (open access)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["ETD","Imagination","Art textbooks","Textbooks","Textbook design","Textbook adoption","Art education","Secondary education","Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1022"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Author's abstract: This qualitative study examined imagination in secondary art textbooks, both historically and in the current educational climate. An arts-based inquiry, as described by Barone & Eisner (Jaeger, 1988), investigated how imagination is manifested in some art books, how the standards movement has tended to limit imagination in art textbooks, and how art textbooks could expand students' imaginations. Using a framework based on the theories of Dewey (1934/1980), Greene (2001), and Eisner (2002), four art textbooks were analyzed for their qualities which expand students' imaginations. The study described a design for an imaginative art textbook. Analysis focused on the creative process, synthesis and higher level thinking processes, multiple representations of knowledge, and the aesthetic features of the textbooks. Four secondary art textbooks were analyzed, and a sample chapter was presented showing a design for a high school art textbook that was highly imaginative and offered many choices to the student and teacher. The view of this study was that the art textbook can expand imagination through aesthetic satisfaction, synthesis, and multiple representations of knowledge; and that a textbook can model imaginative graphic design. With this research, I hope to enhance public awareness of imagination in textbooks, especially in art textbooks. Through this 2 awareness I would like to see more innovative textbooks become available, leading to more imaginative teaching and learning.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Landscapes of Imagination: A Critical Analysis of Art Textbooks"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["none"],"dc:creator":["Kerr, Lynda C."],"dc:date.available":["2014-02-25T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Author's abstract: This qualitative study examined imagination in secondary art textbooks, both historically and in the current educational climate. An arts-based inquiry, as described by Barone & Eisner (Jaeger, 1988), investigated how imagination is manifested in some art books, how the standards movement has tended to limit imagination in art textbooks, and how art textbooks could expand students' imaginations. Using a framework based on the theories of Dewey (1934/1980), Greene (2001), and Eisner (2002), four art textbooks were analyzed for their qualities which expand students' imaginations. The study described a design for an imaginative art textbook. Analysis focused on the creative process, synthesis and higher level thinking processes, multiple representations of knowledge, and the aesthetic features of the textbooks. Four secondary art textbooks were analyzed, and a sample chapter was presented showing a design for a high school art textbook that was highly imaginative and offered many choices to the student and teacher. The view of this study was that the art textbook can expand imagination through aesthetic satisfaction, synthesis, and multiple representations of knowledge; and that a textbook can model imaginative graphic design. With this research, I hope to enhance public awareness of imagination in textbooks, especially in art textbooks. Through this 2 awareness I would like to see more innovative textbooks become available, leading to more imaginative teaching and learning.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1022"],"dc:subject":["ETD","Imagination","Art textbooks","Textbooks","Textbook design","Textbook adoption","Art education","Secondary education","Education"],"dc:title":["Landscapes of Imagination: A Critical Analysis of Art Textbooks"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation (open access)"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:27:41Z"}