Abstract

When art teachers are asked to adopt a different teaching pedagogy, often little thought is given to the impact that those changes have on the lives of those teachers. This thesis answers the question: What are the possibilities and impediments of an experienced art teacher choosing to change art education pedagogy in mid-career? The author, a mid-career art educator investigates the experience of making a fundamental change to her teaching pedagogy. Drawing from the literature of holistic art education, pre-service elementary generalists in art methods courses, self-study methodology and grounded theory methods of analysis, this thesis documents the author’s transition between teaching styles.

Having successfully taught in a teacher-centered/authoritarian style for nearly 15 years, she rewrote her pedagogy based on the literature of holistic art education, emphasizing a more student-centered teaching method. She then attempted to apply this new pedagogy while teaching an art methods course for pre-service elementary generalist teachers. The structure of this study is based on weekly, audio-recorded self-interviews she conducted after each class. These audio-recordings were used to track her emotional and cognitive responses as she worked toward integrating her new teaching pedagogy into practice.

This study uncovers the feelings of vulnerability, stress and mental and physical fatigue the author experienced as a result from making these changes. Yet opportunities for growth are revealed as well. She gained new insights into the experiences of her students, a better understanding of how to navigate change in the classroom and a renewed sense of purpose to her teaching practice.
Drawing from these findings, the author presents a model for self-directed, holistic change to art education pedagogy that can help art teachers embrace and navigate change in their own classrooms.


This dissertation concludes with suggestions for future research in the following areas: the lives of mid-to-late career art educators whose voices are absent from the literature of art education; the notion of vulnerability in the lives of pre-service and early-career art teachers; and a longitudinal study on the long-term impact of holistic/student-centered art education pedagogy and elementary generalist teachers.