In 1976 John Lutz wrote a paper for the National Association for Research in Science Teaching. The paper was titled ‘The potential for Improving Science Education Through Transdisciplinary Integration with Art Education’. I want to use Lutz’s paper to highlight some historical points that can inform the transdiciplinary references and the dilemma facing art education.
The Lutz paper was based on a study that analyzed data collected from participants in the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the arts. One of the main survey findings was the need for theory and its alignment within course structures for improving scientific research.
Lutz suggests
that a theoretical foundation has generally been recognized as a prerequisite to meaningful and advancing educational research… If great advances are to be made in all educational science, a more active interest in and real commitment to theoretical constructs must be demonstrated by educators. (Lutz 1976)