New maps of learning for quality art education: what pre-service teachers should learn and be able to do

Abstract

It would be a rare thing to visit an early years setting or classroom in Australia that does not display examples of young children's artworks. This practice serves to give schools a particular 'look', but is no guarantee of quality art education. The Australian National Review of Visual Arts Education (http://www.australia council.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/36372/NRVE_Final_Report.pdf, 2009) has called for changes to visual art education in schools. The planned new National Curriculum includes the arts (music, dance, drama, media and visual arts) as 1 of the 5 learning areas. Research shows that it is the classroom teacher that makes the difference, and teacher education has a large part to play in reforms to art education. This paper provides an account of one foundation unit of study (Unit 1) for first year university students enrolled in a 4-year Bachelor degree program who are preparing to teach in the early years (0-8 years). To prepare pre-service teachers to meet the needs of children in the twenty-first century, Unit 1 blends old and new ways of seeing art, child and pedagogy. Claims for the effectiveness of this model are supported with evidence-based research, conducted over the 6 years of iterations and ongoing development of Unit 1.

The visual arts as a learning tool within an early childhood setting

“…The aim was to present a transparent and carefully documented process of how educators, children and a community had travelled to their current practices and understandings of the visual arts as a learning tool, as well as examples of factors that have been significant in shaping the teachers' pedagogy. This rationale aligned with the notion that visual arts practices are strongly influenced by teachers' beliefs and values (Craw, 2011;Gunn, 1998;Lewin-Benham, 2011;McArdle, 2008McArdle, , 2012Pohio, 2009;Visser, 2005). It also relates to beliefs that the act of examining these values can be significant in shifting thinking (Lewin-Benham, 2011).…”

“…As Leavy (2009) argues, "When our normative environment becomes highly visual then the visual becomes a part of how our consciousness develops" (p. 226). It becomes critical, therefore, that early childhood educators consider how best to prepare children to acquire visual literacy and to understand the potential for their own image making (McArdle, 2012).…”

“…A number of authors claim that the degree to which the visual arts are used as a tool for learning is significantly influenced by the teacher's pedagogical beliefs; that it is these beliefs and values that a teacher holds about childhood itself, the visual arts, and the role the visual arts play in education, that will affect when children create art, which materials they will use, and how they go about this process (Bae, 2004;Clark & de Lautour, 2013;Eisner, 1978;McArdle, 2003McArdle, , 2012Wright, 2003). For example, Clark and de Lautour (2013, p. 131) believe that "teachers' attitudes set the climate, contribute to the organisational culture of the setting and, along the continuum, creatively support, or ignore, the child's engagement with all experiences, including the arts".…”

“…The literature illustrates that previous approaches can still inform teachers in unpredictable and sometimes contradictory ways. Teachers who 'talk the modernist talk' still tend to revert to prefabricated art activities, thus illustrating the gaps that lie between philosophy and practice (Engel, 1995;Kindler, 1995;McArdle, 2012). McClure (2011) argues that the labelling of children's art making as expressive or creative has led to under-theorisation of visual arts practices.…”

“…One modernist myth that remains is a belief that children are innately creative and should be left to 'unfold' as they develop artistically. This myth has led to a deeply entrenched fear of intervention, meaning that many teachers do not see the value in gaining content knowledge in the visual arts (Eisner, 1973;McArdle, 2012;Richards, 2007). In contrast, Pendergast, Garvis and Keogh (2011) found that content knowledge was in fact very important when facilitating arts experiences within a holistic curriculum.…”