Program
Teaching M.A.
Number of Pages
42
Year Approved
2025
First Advisor
Laura Shaw
Second Reader
Lisa Silmser
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education, and students in early grades missed critical motor and social-emotional skill development. These students are now in middle school, where delays are evident in motor skills and decreased perseverance. This review examines how arts education can help rebuild these losses. The literature reviewed focused on studies published between 2020 and 2024 across the fields of education, psychology, neuroscience, and art therapy. Themes include motor skill development through art, cognitive growth and executive functioning, social-emotional learning, and grit and perseverance through art projects. Art education offers a unique setting for holistic recovery, but this requires educators to intentionally design lessons that target developmental and social-emotional growth.
Degree Name
Teaching M.A.
Document Type
Masterʼs thesis
Recommended Citation
McKinnon, M. A. (2025). Recovering Motor Skills, Grit, and Social-Emotional Learning Through Art Education: The Lasting Impact of Covid-19 on Middle School Students Who Were in Kindergarten–Third Grade During the Pandemic [Masterʼs thesis, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/1220
Terms of Use and License Information
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