ABSTRACT
This study investigates the influence of art teaching on the affective and cognitive development of secondary school students in Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa state, Nigeria. Descriptive Survey method of research was used. Simple random sampling method was used to select 140 art students and 14 teachers from 14 selected secondary schools. The objectives of the study were to document the influence of art education on the affective and cognitive development of the learners; find ways to improve the affective and cognitive development of the learners through knowledge application; stimulate research activities in Art Education in secondary school educational and curricula development and to advocate for increased involvement in Art Education research. The instruments used for the study were questionnaire and interview. Data collected were analyzed and results presented on tables using frequency distribution, percentage and mean score to determine acceptable and unacceptable responses and a simple percentage of data analysis was also employed. The findings of the study showed that; art plays a vital role on the affective development of the learners as art assisted them learn to manage their emotions; art influenced the cognitive development of the students by building new knowledge from prior knowledge; art can improve the affective and cognitive growth of the learner by providing a unique arena of human behavior and increasing the learners interest for learning; the evidence of art on the affective and cognitive domains of development of the learners include problem solving and attitude. The study concluded that, the value of art lies in its great potential to help learners experience learning as a holistic endeavor that connects their personal feelings with intellectual and physical skills. As a result of the findings, it is suggested that, the teachers must understand child?s psychology and appropriate teaching strategies and choose appropriate art activities for the effective development of the learners according to their various stages of development. Arts-based teaching and learning should be encouraged so that the learner will experience the development of skills such as ability in the area of creativity, self direction and complex thinking. The art teacher requires motivation, positive disposition, a strong knowledge base, possession of adequate skills and competence. Finally it is suggested that the Federal Ministry of Education and all stakeholders should adopt workable policies which will revive the educational sector.