Where Are You From? Art Education for Third
Culture Kids
Laura Keeney
A Capstone Project Presented to the University of Florida in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts.
A Capstone Project Presented to the University of Florida in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts.
Abstract
The aim of my capstone project was to investigate and construct an art curriculum framework tailored for middle school students in international schools. Many students in international schools are known as Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and research suggests that these students struggle with issues of personal and multicultural identity, as well as forming a sense of belonging (Pollock & Van-Reken, 2009; Moore, 2011). This capstone project suggests ways that art education can serve as a vehicle for addressing these issues. Using qualitative research, curriculum development methods, and grounded theory, I examined background research involving TCKs as well as educational initiatives in global and international education, identified emerging themes from TCK literature and artist studies, and then constructed a series of creative study prompts from those themes that can be used to develop art lessons around. Finally, at the end of my capstone paper, I address future plans and aspirations for this research project.