Introduction



How We Started! The collaborative inquiry group, comprised of teachers served by Intermediate Unit 1 in southwest Pensylvania, discussed various issues that could be investigated. The group centered on the issue of arts advocacy. The group felt that the arts and arts programs in the schools were underappreciated and underserved thereby depriving the students in that region of learning experiences and arts activities that are available to students and communities in other regions. The group felt that the people living in the area served by these teachers, (commonly known as the Monongahela Valley and also known as the “rust belt”) were greatly concerned with issues relating to job opportunities and career possibilities. The group wondered that if parents and students were informed about arts related economic possibilities their attitudes might become more supportive of arts activities in the community and more supportive of arts programs in the schools. The group felt that career education in the arts is an important aspect of arts advocacy in general and that improved knowledge on the part of students and parents might influence pupil motivation and thereby directly effect classroom practice. The assumption is that student motivation is central to effective learning and teaching. If students and parents did see economic value for arts education in the schools would pupil motivation improve. Would students become more successful in arts content area classes?

From the speculations and assumptions described above the following hypothesis emerged: Knowledge about career opportunities in the arts increases pupil motivation

**Goal**

The purpose of this study is to either prove or disprove this hypothesis by measuring changes in attitude and pupil motivation as a result of a unit of study centered around careers and career opportunities in music and visual art