Walker, M. A. (2014). From theory to practice: Concept-based inquiry in a high school art classroom. Studies in Art Education, 55(4), 287-299.
This article was an inquiry into the effectiveness of the teaching methods of a specific high school art teacher. The author’s research questions were:
The research methodology used was a mixed methods qualitative study that combined survey and case study. The researcher considered phenomenology during her observations and notes and used triangulation to analyze her data. Data Collection Who: The author studied 26 students between the ages of 14-19 and their high school art teacher. The students were racially diverse and had varying levels of experience in art prior to this class. The researcher met this teacher during his presentation during the 2007 NAEA conference. What: The author collected data using a questionnaire given to students at the beginning and end of the study, observing in the classroom, conducting interviews with the students and the instructor, student artwork, video, audio, and student and teaching reflective writing samples. The researcher interviewed the teacher and 14 of the 26 students, recorded class discussions, photographed student artwork. When: This study was conducted over 5 months. Where: The study was conducted at a public high school with a mostly white and middle class demographic. It is the only high school in the district, but the teacher studied is not the only art teacher in the building. I think the methods used were able to answer the research questions. The author concluded that students in Mr. Miller’s class grew in their level of engagement, more diverse in the depth of concepts they tackled. They chose more unconventional materials, and used a more sophisticated decision making and problem solving process. From student interviews, she found that students felt valued, developed a stronger sense of self, better problem solving skills, and a better ability to apply what they had learned to themselves and other classes. Even though Mr. Miller does not self-identify as a TAB teacher, the goals of his teaching are very similar or the same. He wants his students to be creative and make postmodern art that is expressive and meaningful. He believes his teaching style represents a paradigm shift away from traditional skills and elements and principles focused curriculum. In his class, students choose their own materials and process to answer an essential question. They also work reflect on their work through writing before and after making what Miller calls their “artifact”. This study definitely shows that Mr. Miller’s teaching style and philosophy does increase student growth and artistic thinking. The limitations of the study are that it is only in one classroom with one teachers. The study is unable to answer if other teachers could replicate the results by using Mr. Miller’s teaching style, or if the other teaching styles could be used with similar results. However, this study is a powerful indicator that a focus outside of skills/formalism is a benefit for student creativity. It would be interesting to see a longitudinal study of Mr. Miller’s students to see how they reported their satisfaction with their art class later in life. It would also be interesting to see how they reported feeling after switching to a more traditional class.
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The research question I am interested in pursuing is: How is Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) applied and implemented at the secondary level? There are many resources available for teaching TAB at the elementary level, but the secondary level, especially high school, is an area where no defined best practice seems to exist. One of the exciting things for me about TAB is that most of the best "research" out there is grassroots based and appears on teachers' blogs, Facebook groups, and twitter. These teachers are striving for best practice through reflection, collaboration, sharing, and informal means. I am interested in looking at these resources and practices through a more formal research lens. BooksIn Engaging Learners Through Artmaking, the founders of TAB, Katherine Douglas and Diane Jaquith, lay out their philosophy of teaching and practice of teaching TAB in their elementary classrooms. This book is the "How?" and the "Why?" of teaching with TAB pedagogy. It has the positive of being a direct source, but is very elementary focused. While the philosophy can be applied to the HS level, many of the practices are not applicable. This text is a series of essays written by teachers who employ the TAB pedagogy and philosophy in their classrooms. The Learner-Directed Classroom shows a wide breadth of practices in different classrooms. It includes perspectives from some middle level teachers, but HS perspectives are absent. Studio Thinking 2 is one of the most commonly cited texts related to TAB practices. Although it does not align itself with TAB in name, it focuses on using the Studio Habits of Mind as a foundation for art curriculum and assessment. This aligns with the TAB philosophy of creating a learning space that is more like an artist's studio and less like a traditional classroom. This text seems to focus less on theory, and more on classroom practice. Websiteshttp://teachingforartisticbehavior.org This is the official site for Teaching for Artistic Behavior. The site provides information about TAB philosophy and practice, as well as links to journal articles, message boards, and social media groups. http://www.openartroom.com This website is created by practicing HS teachers Melissa Purtee and Ian Sands. The use this site as a sounding board to reflect and share their philosophy and successes teaching TAB at the HS level. Journal ArticlesSmoke and Mirrors: Art Teacher as Magician by Nan E. Hathaway © 2013. This article discusses the shift from the teacher centered to the student centered approach and how it changes the responsibilities of the teacher. Instruction shifts from the whole group to targeting smaller groups and individuals. High School TABology - Ian Sands, School Arts March 2016 This article discusses the lack of resources available for teachers implementing a TAB pedagogy at the High School level. The article suggests using units based on what artists do and how they practice as a basis for best practice at the HS level. Even though Ian Sands is one of the leading voices in promoting TAB education at the secondary level, this article was submitted to a less formal publication. Issues and DirectionsLooking for and reading through these resources has brought up many questions and directions of inquiry that I could follow to research TAB practices at the secondary level.
What are best practices in TAB assessment? How are they similar or different to those in DBAE? Core-subjects? Why are there so few scholarly sources about secondary TAB? Do practitioners not have the education or access to publish through more official channels? Are they forgoing them for more democratic/practical platforms? Are students in TAB classrooms able to reach the same pinnacle of skill as those students in DBAE structured classrooms? Do students in TAB classrooms have a stronger artistic voice? Are students coming out of TAB programs more creative? Can students in TAB programs apply their learning to daily life? Are students in TAB classrooms stronger than peers in 21st C. Skills? What research from other disciplines links/supports TAB pedagogy? (Core subjects, general education research etc.?) What other pedagogy does TAB support? (Holistic education, Social practice, Critical pedagogy) Do TAB teachers know they are using facets of these research backed pedagogies? While TAB is a current hot topic in art education, there are many avenues of research that haven't been explored. |
AuthorMorgan Singleton is a secondary art educator with a Master's degree in art education. Archives
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