Art education was the first priority being recognized to be able to develop human beings’ aesthetic sense. Ideally, a well-rounded human being would not only have knowledge and skill in ones’ occupation, but also have knowledge and comprehension of the value and merit of aesthetic sense. Consequently, the practice of art training was to develop ones’ aesthetic sense to be right and good way the human should live. Specifically, in the present, it is necessary to create a balance in life and not to be extreme on either side. The study of aesthetic sense is a way to fulfill ones’ life as the ultimate goal for art educational management and may serve as a powerful antidote to the forces that would homogenize culture worldwide (Miron, 2003, pp.29 – 30). 

Recently, many economic and social changes have affected children and youths causing them to have undesirable behavior. But this severe coarseness of mind and behaviour could be treated by the development of a greater sense of art aesthetics to nourish one’s mind to be perfect and delicate through the significance of aesthetic sense. However, the curriculum management of art education in Thailand has not been able to develop and enhance the students’ aesthetic sense to a satisfactory level. As can be seen from the report of the office of cultural surveillance (2011, pp.38-40), it was stated that children and youths are facing social obstacles or risks including mental health and stress problems, the intensity of which would be likely to increase. In addition, the study of the effect of external quality assurance in schools under the jurisdiction of the Office of Basic Education Commission (Kaptapol, 2007) indicated the students’ aesthetic sense and music and sports characteristics are at the lowest measurable level in both the first and the second round. So, there was a need to consider the curriculum development of art education for enhancing ones’ aesthetic sense by applying the existential–phenomenological theories of E.F. Kaelin as an account of aesthetic education (Johnson,1998), which focused on considering the performance of art by instinct or recognition of performance quality as an existential–phenomenological issue. Also, the theory of the knowledge management process by Broudy (1972), the aesthetical critique of Smith (1968), the theory of teaching art appreciation of Johansen (1979, pp.4 -14), and aesthetic experience model of Leder et al. (2004) were used in order to develop the students to be global citizens, able to live with others peacefully, and have beautiful minds as well as life equilibrium.

 

Research objectives

1. To study the approach, rationale, theory, problem, and need for Curriculum Development in Knowledge Management of Art Subject for Enhancing the Students’ Appreciation.

2. To develop the Curriculum for Enhancing Grade 7 Students’ Art Appreciation, and Art Learning Substance.

 

Curriculum development

Chookhampaeng (2008) defined curriculum development as “the construction of experience, the order and step for students to learn from experiences, change their behavior, and be able to obtain self-development based on objectives including: the curriculum development or outlining, the curriculum usage, and the curriculum assessment by constructing new curriculum as well as developing the former curriculum to be better.” The curriculum consisted of the following components: 1) rationale, 2) objectives, 3) curriculum content, 4) instructional activity management, and 5) measurement and evaluation. (Beauchamp, 1981; Tyler, 1949; Taba, 1962).

 

Curriculum development model

In developing a model of Curriculum Development, the researcher synthesized the models for implementation in curriculum development of Saylor et al. (1981), Taba (1962) and Madeja and Kelly (1970). This synthesis involved the following steps: 1) the study of basic information, problem situation, need, necessity, and basic approach of curriculum development; 2) determining the content material as well as activities and processes in knowledge management; 3) piloting the curriculum; and 4) evaluation and assessment. The curriculum development of this study was implemented using content in each course based on the Disciplines First Approach (UNESCO, 1981, pp. 19 – 20). The objective was to infuse art aesthetics into each course by applying Kaelin’s Existential–Phenomenological Account of Aesthetic Education (1966). For Kaelin, the way of existence of each learner should be as well a relationship with real environmental conditions, feelings, expression, and decision making (Kaelin, 1966, pp. 3 - 12).

 

The approach of body of knowledge in art related to aesthetic promotion

The body of knowledge in Art Education regarding the promotion of aesthetic sense consists of: 1) quantitative knowledge, or learning how to think. This includes the history and basic theories of art; 2) art knowledge in practice, which refers to the application of theoretical approaches into technical processes of art performance, creation and production as a form of  learning by doing; and 3) values-based knowledge, which includes the aesthetic experience, criticism, analysis, and judgment of the value of art, which were important components for Art Aesthetic (Ministry of Education, 2008, pp. 1–12; Clark et al., 1987, pp. 135–136; Smith, 1989).

 

The approach of art aesthetic

Art Aesthetic referred to one’s appreciation, feeling in value, and satisfaction in art by reception through the Aesthetic Experience (Office of Nation Education Standards and Quality Assessment, 2012: 24; Fenner, 2008, pp. 18-19). The aesthetic sense is seen as one’s intrinsic value residing in the affective domain (D'Onofrio, 1986) based on Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education Objectives (Bloom 1956). Bloom’s pioneering work described steps in educational acquisition, including: 1) Receiving or attending, 2) Responding, and 3) Valuing. (Krathwohl et al., 1964, pp. 36-38) This was congruent with the steps in Art Aesthetic Development of Parson (cited in Clover, 1995, pp. 15-18) and Housen (Fairchild, 1991, pp. 267-280). The analysis of the relationships is shown in Table 1.

 

The attributes of art aesthetic sense

The researcher studied related approaches looking at the attributes  of  an  art  aesthetic sense, including

 

 

Ramachandran and Hirstein (1999, pp. 39-58), Broudy (1972), Smith (1989, pp. 216-217), Barrett (2007), Ross (1982, pp. 78-97), Crawford (1991: 21), Beardsley (1991), Fenner (2008, p. 38) and Goldman (1995). The conclusion is that a sense of aesthetics or art appreciation could be reflected from one’s aesthetic experience through one’s personal beliefs, preferences, comprehension and ability to interpret an art object. The students’ competency in judging the aesthetic value of an object is obtained from prior aesthetic performance. It was the task of the learner to understand oneself for developing the meaning in feeling and thought, in personal livelihood or existential intelligence which could be summarized and analyzed in order to show the relationship with the educational objective system. In Krathwohl’s Affective Domain which was in the level of Step 1) Receiving or attending when the students received stimulus, Item 1.3) Controlled or selected attention which was the highest level of Step 1. Step 2) Responding, Item 2.1) the Acquiescence, Item 2.2) Willingness to respond, Item 2.3) Satisfaction in response, and Step 3) Valuing, Item 3.1) Acceptance of a value, and Item 3.2) Preference of a value (Krathwohl, 1964 , p. 37) as follows (Table 2).

 

Research studies in aesthetics, aesthetic sense, and aesthetic promotion were consulted as the major goal of developing a learning management approach to the study of art. The study for the promotion of aesthetic sense through aesthetic experiences and affective responses were examined by studying different issues in aesthetics in the variety of theories, approaches, rationales, and models. The research methodology included both quantitative and qualitative research. Eckhoff (2006) explored children’s appreciation in a museum study program by using ethnographic methodologies. The research findings found that art comprehension and appreciation were influenced by the environment. In addition, the particulars of instructional management affected one’s appreciation from Moderate Level to High Level.  Palega (2011) found that the aesthetic experience was a relationship  between  various  senses.  Aesthetics was full of meaning because it was combined with emotional affect. Whitelaw (2012) studied the role of art in the lives of adolescents. The research findings indicated various practical ways to promote the goals of inquiry and analytic thinking. 

Curriculum development for enhancing the art aesthetic in substantial art learning for grade 7 students consisted of the following:

Phase I: The study of background information

1) The Study of Grade 7 Students’ art appreciation attributes.

The objective was to study students’ art aesthetic attributes. The methodology consisted of in-depth interviews conducted by a group of experts with art experience as well as art teaching, and the study from documents, textbooks, articles, and related research literature. Data from the study of documents, textbooks, articles, and related research literature as well as in-depth interviews were analyzed by analytic induction.

2) The study of the approach, rationale, and theory of knowledge management in the field of art for enhancing the students’ aesthetic attribute.

The objective was to know the approach, rationale and theory of knowledge management in art as a subject in order to enhance the students’ aesthetic by studying the documents, textbooks, articles, and related research literature. For data analysis in this phase, the analysis, synthesis, and content analysis were administered in order to obtain the knowledge management process for enhancing grade 7 students’ art aesthetic attribute.

3) The study of the problems and need for knowledge management in the field of art as well as the enhancement for Grade 7 students’ art aesthetic attribute.

The objective was to know the problems of the situation of knowledge management in art as well as to enhance grade 7 students’ art aesthetic attribute based on the Core Curriculum of Basic Education 2008 and to know the need of knowledge management in the field of art as well as to enhance grade 7 students’ art appreciation. The samples in this study were 10 art teachers in Sri-sa-ked-wittayalai School, selected by purposive sampling; 12 students in grade 7 of Sisaket Wittayalai School who were enrolled in a course on the foundation of art, and selected by purposive sampling; and 50 parents of students in grade 7 who were selected by cluster (Area) random sampling as single-stage cluster sampling. The methodology consisted of focus group discussion regarding the problem of knowledge management in art for enhancing grade 7 students’ art appreciation for teachers and students. In addition, the assessment of parents’ need for curriculum development was performed by using a rating scale.

Data from focus group discussion were analyzed by analytic induction. Data from the survey of need were analyzed by calculating the Mean (), and Standard Deviation (S.D.) of parents’ need level.

Phase II: Curriculum Development

1) Development of Tentative Curriculum.

To determine a tentative curriculum to be developed so that it would be relevant to the development of students’ art appreciation attributes, the basic information from Phase 1 was used as a guideline by determining the curriculum’s rationale. Then, the curriculum and its components were outlined to be congruent with this rationale. The components included the objectives, content, the learning and teaching activities, and the tools for measurement, assessment and evaluation.

2) Validation of Tentative Curriculum.

To evaluate the propriety and congruence of the tentative curriculum, and to revise and improve its weak points, documents were analyzed by seven experts in curriculum development as well as those with experience in art and art teaching. Data were analyzed by calculating the Mean (), and Standard Deviation (S.D.).

3) Instrument of Curriculum.

The instruments for trying out the curriculum were: (1) The handbook of curriculum development consisting of: 1) introduction for instructional management (preparation for students, preparation for teachers, knowledge management, and measurement and evaluation); 2) the learning unit and lesson plan (learning content, learning objective, knowledge management activity, knowledge management media, measurement and evaluation of learning achievement). The quality of curriculum handbook was determined by evaluating the propriety which was scored at “Highest” level (=4.33–4.66) (2) the art aesthetic attribute evaluation form. A content analysis was performed by asking 5 experts in curriculum and knowledge management in art education to consider the congruence as well as analyzing the Index of Congruence (IOC = 0.6–1.00), searching for construct validity by using the Known-Group Technique, calculating the item total correlation and reliability (α = .96), (3) Students’ art aesthetic observation form (evaluated by the teacher and by classmates), the quality assessment was performed by 5 experts’ consideration and analysis using the Index of Congruence (IOC = 0.6 – 1.00); and (4) the self report form. The quality assessment was performed by 5 experts’ consideration and analysis using the Index of Congruence (IOC = 0.6–1.00).

4) Pilot Study.

To investigate the feasibility, potential problems, and obstacles in using the developed curriculum, a pilot study using learning unit 1 for 5 lesson plans was conducted. The population included 395 Grade 7 Students attending Satree-siriked School, and who were enrolled in the course entitled Foundation of Art. The samples were 39 students from one class of the former group. They were selected by cluster (Area) random sampling as Single-stage cluster sampling. For data collection, the researcher assessed the art aesthetic sense before and after the pilot study through the art aesthetic attribute evaluation form, and collected art aesthetic attributes after examining (1) observations by teachers of the level of aesthetic knowledge of the students; (2) observations by classmates of the level of aesthetic knowledge of the students; and (3) self-report with support by co-researchers for data collection. For data analysis: 1) Art aesthetic attributes were analyzed by dependent-samples t-test; 2) the students’ art aesthetic observation form (completed by teachers, and by classmates);  3) the self-report data were analyzed by calculating the mean, and standard deviation. 

The findings of basic information

1) The findings of Grade 7 Students’ Art Aesthetic Attribute.

According to the experts’ in-depth interviews, and the study from documents, textbooks, articles, related research literature, and data found that the art aesthetic sense referred to one’s appreciation, satisfaction in beauty and virtue  as  value  sense  of  art  through  one’s aesthetic experience. The persons with art aesthetic sense as classified by affective domain theory of Krathwohl et al. (1964, pp.36 - 37) consisted of: 1) controlled or selected attention referring to one’s interest, selection to see, seeing, and being familiar with artwork consisted of the content, material and method, visual elements, and organizing principles of ten art components; 2) acquiescence referred to the acceptance and giving an importance to the principle of art components, rules, theory, and recognition including ten components; 3) willingness to respond referred to one’s initiation and intention to practice the art performance by oneself including 7 sub-attributes; and 4) satisfaction in response referring to one’s satisfaction, appreciation, and delight, conformity, in approach, technique, method, and model of art including 9 sub-attributes; 5) acceptance of a value referring to one’s recognition in value, the opportunity in art expression and practice, the analysis, critique, assessment, and development in art including 7 components; and 6) preference of a value referred to one’s support as well as participation in the art activity and precise expression in one’s faith in the artist who created the artwork including 7 components.

2) The findings of approach, rationale, theory of knowledge management in the field of art for enhancing the students’ aesthetic sense.

The knowledge management system based on curriculum should be implemented for developing the students’ ability to see with wisdom, intelligence, and wit (Smith, 2003; Freedman, 1994) by integrating the content and learning experience of more than one subject for students’ learning associated with their real lives (Greer, 1984; Ornstein and Hunkins, 1988) by analyzing, critiquing, and practicing art through a learning process for enhancing their aesthetic sense.

3) The findings of problems and need for knowledge management in Grade 7 Students’ study of art.

The findings of problems and need for knowledge management in the study of art, and enhancement for art aesthetic sense, found that the system of instructional management (based on school curriculum) implemented by most teachers was focused on work practice. Therefore, most of learning activities were the Art Practices. In addition, the emphasis was on performance indicating the skill and evaluation in work practice. This caused many students without art skill who had no self confidence in learning art to be anxious in learning activities, thus affecting their interest in art. For the parents’ need in knowledge management of art subject of grade 6 students, it was found that the parents’ overall need was in “High” level. ( = 2.63 , S.D. = 0.53).

 

The findings of Curriculum Development

1) The findings of tentative curriculum development were as follows:

 

The Rationale of Curriculum

The rationale of curriculum was that the program should enhance the students’ knowledge and understanding of themselves in their art aesthetic feeling by integrating the emphasis on subject material from a body of knowledge in art regarding the enhancement for art aesthetic sense including: 1) Quantitative Knowledge, 2) Practical or performative knowledge in art, and 3) Qualitative knowledge in art as indicated by DBAE (Discipline – Based Art Education) through PRemAA Process (P-Preparation, Rem-Remembrance, A-Acquaintative, A- Appreciation).

 

Objective

The objective is for the students to know and understand themselves relating to art aesthetic sense regarding one’s appreciation, sense of value, and satisfaction of art through one’s perception from aesthetic experience by selecting one’s interest, acquiescence to respond, preference of a value, willingness to respond, satisfaction to respond, acceptance of a value, and preference of a value.

 

Curriculum content

The content as derived from the above rationale should focus on subject content which determined the learning unit to associate body of art knowledge in enhancing art aesthetic sense as well as DBAE curriculum management to cover the content as follows: 1) Fundamental art consisting of knowledge in: definition of art, the kinds of art, art components, visual elements, composition, and aesthetics, 2) History of art, knowledge of history consisting of the history of Thai art, 3) art criticism, and 4) art production including the infusion of fundamental art.

 

Instructional activity

The learning activity management by using the PRemAA Process in learning for enhancing the students’ aesthetic sense, consisted of the following processes : 1) the Preparation referred to the process of selection, the readiness preparation for perception from the aesthetic object as well as the study of aesthetic object details; 2) Remembrance Step referred to the analysis process for recalling one’s memory regarding to aesthetic experience by considering it as a whole; 3) Acquaintance Step referred to one’s perception process in aesthetic experience, being able to understand, interpret, and become familiar with the aesthetic value with specific relationship; 4) Appreciation Step referred to one’s evaluative   process  for  concluding  the  aesthetic  value from acquainted process in aesthetic experience and the aesthetic object until knowing its value and accepting, being satisfied and appreciating.

 

Measurement and evaluation

The measurement and evaluation consisted of: 1) before the learning activity management based on curriculum by evaluating the students’ art aesthetic attribute using the students’ art aesthetic evaluation form, 2) the measurement and evaluation during the learning activity management as the evaluation after the learning activity management in each lesson plan, 3) the evaluation after the learning activity management as an authentic assessment by using: (1) The students’ art aesthetic attribute assessment form, (2) The art aesthetic attribute observation form by teachers, and the art aesthetic attribute observation form by classmates, and (3) self report.

 

Details of curriculum

The learning unit is based on the curriculum and is congruent with rationale, objective, and content analysis of curriculum (Table 3).

2) The investigation of quality in tentative curriculum.

According to the evaluation of propriety of this curriculum by seven experts, it was found that the curriculum included the overall propriety at “Highest” level. (= 4.55, S.D. = 0.49) As for the evaluative findings of tentative curriculum it was found that the developed curriculum consisted of an index of congruence between 0.83–1.00, the overall index of congruence = 0.95 which was in the quality criterion.

3) The outcome of Pilot Study.

The experimental findings were shown as comparative findings of the mean value in art aesthetic attributes before and after the study of grade 7 students as the samples of this study. The mean values and application of the standard deviation of art aesthetic attributes observation form by classmates as well as the self report were as follows (Table 4).

As shown in Table 1, there were significant differences in Grade 7 Students’ Art Aesthetic of grade 7 students studying the developed curriculum, between pre-test and post-test at .05 level.

According to Table 5, grade 7 students, the samples in studying by developed curriculum, there were significant differences in Mean Value of Students’ all of 6 aspects in Aesthetic Sense between the pretest and posttest at .05 level.

 

 

According to Table 6, the students’ overall mean value of art aesthetic attribute was at a “High” level. (= 4.47, S.D. = 0.30) The highest level of mean value included the acceptance of a value and preference of a value.

As shown in Table 7, the overall mean values of the aesthetic attribute observation evaluated by teachers, the aesthetic attribute observation evaluated by classmates, and the student’s self-report after studying the developed curriculum, ranged from high to moderate, and high levels with the mean value = 2.69 and standard deviation = 0.45, the mean value was 2.49 with a standard deviation of 0.52, and the mean value was 2.53 with a standard deviation of 0.51 respectively.

Furthermore, it was also found that  student  reflections in all six aspects of art aesthetic sense in the students’ self report were as follows: Controlled or Selected Attention: It was found that the students expressed their interest in art or artistic activity as well as searching for experiences or participating in art activities, chose to view art, and appreciated the content of artworks. Acquiescence: It was found that the students appreciated expression of their own and the others in artworks. Willingness to Respond: It was found that the students acted upon and practiced basic arts skills as well as initiating the creation of artwork enthusiastically in order to transfer their thoughts as well as imagination through Art Component. Satisfaction in Response: It was found that the students were pleased and cheerful in chosen art activities, satisfied with their work performance as well as others,’ and appreciated artwork. Acceptance of a value: It was found that the students created their artwork delicately and evaluated the work of others politely.

 

 

 

 Preference of a value: It was found that the students invited or supported others to join art activities as well as expressed their opinion indicating their confidence on Artists’ ideas in creating the Art Performance. 

The study of basic information

A curriculum was developed for enhancing the art aesthetic response with the ultimate goal of knowledge management for the field of art education (Hamblen, 1997).  According to the study of situation, problem, and need for enhancing the students’ aesthetic sense, it was found that the knowledge management for art education was not able to develop students’ aesthetic attribute as it should. Besides, the parents needed some knowledge management for enhancing the students’ aesthetic attribute, scoring at a “High” level. This finding was supported by Rush’s  (1997, p.29)   recommendation that most schools should enhance the students’ aesthetic attributes, since the aesthetic sense referred to one’s appreciation as well as satisfaction in beauty and virtue as ones’ feeling of value in Art. According to the researcher’s aesthetic experience, the characteristic of persons who had aesthetic sense could be classified based on the theory of affective domain of Krathwohl et al. (1964), which was similar to the study of aesthetic development of Parson (cited in Clover, 1995, pp.15-18), and Fairchild (1991, pp.267-280) which was the same as the presentation in learning performance in aesthetics of Stewart (1994, pp.80-81). The students’ desirable characteristics included: 1) search for nature as well as experience art and beauty, 2) believe in the value, 3) appreciate that value, and 4) respect that value.

 

Curriculum development

The curriculum for enhancing grade 7 students’ aesthetic sense and art learning substance, was the program promoting the students’ knowledge and understanding of themselves regarding their aesthetic sense in art through the infusion of subject content by bringing the body of knowledge  in   art   regarding   the  enhancement  for  art aesthetic sense including: 1) quantitative knowledge, 2) practical or performative knowledge, 3) qualitative knowledge in art, and curriculum organization such as DBAE through the infusion of fundamentals of art by applying an existential–phenomenological account of Kaelin (Johnson, 1998) who paid attention to significance of consideration in art performance by instinct or awareness of quality of performance directly which was aesthetic phenomenon or experience. The curriculum consisted of: 1) Rationale, 2) Objective, 3) Content, 4) Instructional activity by using PRemAA Process, and by being congruent with the questions for curriculum development which Tyler (1949, p.2) recommended. The curriculum development should consider the learning experience management of how to help students to accomplish their goals as well as establish an effective curriculum. The research findings show that the students had art aesthetic attributes during the post-test at a higher level than the pre-test. In addition, the overall mean value of posttest in aesthetic sense evaluated from the observation form by teachers, the observation form by classmates, and the self-report ranged from “Moderate” levels to “High” levels. These findings have supported the research findings of Palega (2011) regarding “aesthetic experience in daily life through phenomenon process.” The in-depth interviews regarding the various kinds of perception in aesthetic sense indicated obviously that the aesthetic experience was meaningful because of the infusion in affect. Furthermore, Venable (1997) found that there was a relationship between the students’ aesthetic comprehension and DBAE. Moreover, it was in the same direction as the research studies of Whitelaw (2012), Shin (2012), and Eckhoff (2006) in the issue of phenomenon study in aesthetic attribute of individuals as well as a study program in museums using the qualitative research affecting the students’ aesthetic development. The current research was supported by the Standards of the Core Curriculum in Basic Education 2008. The standard of Art Learning [ALS] 1.1 specified that students need to be able to create work in visual art according to their own imagination as well as analyze, critique, and criticize the value of visual art, and express their feelings and thoughts in artwork independently, and appreciatively. Furthermore, ALS 1.2 focused on the goal that students should understand the relationship of visual art, history, and culture. They should see the value of art, its cultural heritage, local wisdom, Thai wisdom, and universal wisdom. (Ministry of Education, 2008)

It can be concluded that the curriculum enhancing grade 7 students’ aesthetic sense and art learning substance is important as well as necessary for student development, since it could develop the students’ attributes in aesthetic sense. The curriculum includes feasibility in both theory and practice which could be applied as the model of development in students’ aesthetic sense for those who are interested in it. 

The author(s) have not declared any conflict of interests.