Effective Art Education Practices: Evaluation, Policy, and Discourse

Author

Heather Romaine Casteel, University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleFollow

Date of Award

12-2018

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Education

Major Professor

Pamela A. Angelle

Committee Members

Joy Bertling, Mary Lynne Derrington, Norma T. Mertz

Abstract

With First to the Top legislation in Tennessee, art teachers are being evaluated annually with a one-size-fits-all measurement tool designed for all educators, regardless of the content or grade level they teach. The TEAM evaluation model is meant as both a means of accountability and professional development meant to improve teaching practices, and, hence, improve student learning (TDOE, 2012). Two policy documents, the TEAM rubrics and the NAEA Professional Standards for Visual Arts Educators (2009) provide teachers, school leaders, and policymakers with guidelines for determining the effectiveness of art teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate how art teachers frame effective art education practices. Further, the study examined how art teachers frame Tennessee teacher evaluation policy and national art education policy, which articulate the “good teaching” practices found in art classrooms. The research design used discursive psychology and discourse analysis as both the theoretical framework and methodology. The findings of this study suggest that the TEAM rubric is useful for defining some general education practices, but specific art education practices are better defined by the NAEA policy. Participants found the TEAM evaluation system problematic both as an accountability measure and a source of professional development due to lack of evaluators’ art content knowledge and being an incomplete measurement tool. Art teachers have to position themselves as advocates and are responsible for their own professional growth. Teachers did not reference the NAEA policy document. There are implications for school leaders, national and state policymakers, and higher education teacher preparation programs all of which want art teachers to use effective practices.

Recommended Citation

Casteel, Heather Romaine, "Effective Art Education Practices: Evaluation, Policy, and Discourse. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2018.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/5328