About

The 2011-2014 NAEA Strategic Plan called for creation of a commission to: “conduct research and generate knowledge that enriches and expands visual arts education and widely share that research and knowledge.” The NAEA Research Commission officially launched at the 2012 NAEA National Convention.

The Research Commission continues to evolve with the strategic plan of NAEA, adopting the following statements of purpose and vision in July 2023:

Statement of Purpose
The NAEA Research Commission activates a research culture of advocacy, dialogue and policy making across environments, fostering networks and collaborations within communities of practice relevant to visual arts, design, and media arts education. 

Vision
The NAEA Research Commission supports diverse research within and beyond NAEA illuminating how art education fosters collaboration, communication, scholarship, transformative discoveries, innovation, creativity, and understanding. The commission’s vision:

• Broadens awareness of the value of research;
• Advocates for the needs of a variety of NAEA research communities;
• Shares research information and findings;
• Facilitates working groups, research partnerships, and interdisciplinarity;
• Supports professional learning to foster research initiatives;
• Contributes to leadership development in research;
• Cultivates research initiatives to shape education; and
• Promotes a vibrant, ethical, diverse, and inclusive research culture within and beyond NAEA.

NAEA Research Commission Network

Divisions, Interest Groups, and ultimately members locate themselves in the many connections of research that exist across the organization. The Research Commission is pursuing an enduring and emergent network of research communities to help us register our interests, articulate our needs, and identify or build the resources essential to supporting our individual and collective goals.

In lieu of a research agenda, the NAEA Research Commission Network offers an inclusive, connective, and responsive vision of research in the field of art education—the NAEA Research Commission Network. Through the Network, synergies will emerge, expand, and collapse on the basis of researcher interests and the communities of engagement that materialize around this work.

Give it a Minute: Research Conversations

Brought to you by the NAEA Research Commission, “Give It a Minute” is an opportunity to share research experiences and perspectives within art education—from all levels of teaching and learning—through 1-minute videos. View the growing collection of videos to see what your colleagues are doing.

Questions

For questions or more information about the Research Commission send an email to research@arteducators.org.