The Effects of Arts Integration Professional Development on Teaching
by Young, William R., Ed.D., WALDEN UNIVERSITY, 2011, 185 pages; 3454228

Abstract:

Standards-based accountability has affected pedagogical practices in schools by requiring teachers to cover content through direct instruction rather than focus on students' diverse learning needs. Arts integration is one strategy that can differentiate teaching and thereby serve more learners. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to investigate the effects of a professional development graduate program on non-arts teachers' abilities to implement arts-integrated lessons. Multiple intelligences theory, differentiation, and andragogy represented the conceptual framework for this study. A purposeful sample of 6 non-arts teachers from 3 regions of the United States was interviewed. The 4 research questions addressed the teachers' perceptions about valuable arts integration experiences, the aspects of the program that helped change the teachers' practices, the effects of arts integration on students' learning, and how context affects teachers' ability to implement arts integration. Interview transcripts and memos were analyzed by the researcher using an open coding approach, which led to 3 key conclusions: participants perceived the courses' andragogical aspects as the most valuable program components; participants perceived their students to have increased motivation during arts-integrated lessons; and the school principal and high-stakes state testing were contextual factors that the participants identified as affecting the extent to which arts integration was implemented. Based on the qualitative findings, it is recommended that arts integration professional development be available to teachers to help improve student engagement and communication. This study contributes to positive social change by describing how arts integration professional development may help teachers differentiate pedagogical practices and meet additional students' learning needs more effectively.

 
AdviserCarol Philips
SchoolWALDEN UNIVERSITY
SourceDAI/A 72-07, p. , Jun 2011
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsArt education; Curriculum development
Publication Number3454228
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