Teaching informed by research: Strategies for strengthening an Asian

presence in visual arts education in secondary schools

Dr Jill Smith The University of Auckland

The AKO Aotearoa Academy of Tertiary Teaching Excellence SYMPOSIUM

Wellington, New Zealand – 7-9 December 2011

• As with curriculum, teachers‟ cultural understandings were

perceived predominantly in terms of biculturalism

• A broader than bicultural emphasis was evident mostly in

terms of Pacific Islands peoples‟ art forms as cultural

products, or study of individual artists

• Teachers professed no conscious knowledge of multicultural

theory or multicultural pedagogies in visual arts education

• Teachers‟ pedagogical practices reflected aspects of their

personal and professional histories

• Art works and artists studied were drawn primarily from the

modernist aesthetic and the western art canon

• The art and cultures of „others‟ were comparatively

downplayed in programs

The art and culture of the Asian sector was

noticeably absent

Findings from research Smith, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010

Strategy 1

Locating themselves

• pre-service visual arts students are „overwhelmingly White‟ Sleeter, 2001; Landsman & Lewis, 2006

• widening demographic gap between students and teachers Statistics New Zealand, 2006; Smith, 2005, 2007, 2010

• concept of all „teachers as cultural workers‟ Giroux, 1992

• attitudes and positions in relation to „others‟ Chalmers, 1995, 1999

• relationship between Western & non-Western art

and culture Brottman, 2005; Crowther, 2007;Freedman & Stuhr, 2004

• pedagogy is influenced by lack of knowledge concerning

the ethnic and cultural diversity of students Nieto, 2004; Smith 2007, 2010

• subject matter dominates pedagogy in secondary schools Nieto, 2004; Smith 2007

• importance of teaching from the point of view of students

• “culture is one of the differences students bring to school” Nieto, 2004

• “silence condones racism” Chalmers, 2003

Strategy 2

Developing a pedagogical stance

• scrutinizing The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum, The New

Zealand Curriculum and NCEA documents Ministry of Education, 2000, 2007; NZQA

• what lies behind documents, embedded meanings, what they „say‟ Hodder, 2003; Smith, 2007

• locating „cultural references‟ – greater emphasis on biculturalism

than multiculturalism – competing tensions Smith, 2007, 2010

• questioning the construction of curriculum Giroux, 1992; O‟Neill, Clark & Openshaw, 2004

Strategy 3

Examining national curricula & NCEA

• introduction to multicultural education Banks, 1994; Banks & McGee Banks, 2010; Nieto, 2004; Sleeter & Grant, 2003

• „modernist‟ approaches to multicultural visual arts education

- celebrating pluralism and diversity Boughton & Mason, 1999; Chalmers, 1996; Delacruz, 1995

• „postmodern‟ approaches to visual arts education – emphasising

difference, equity and democracy Duncum, 2009; Freedman & Stuhr, 2004; Mason & Eca, 2008

• critical pedagogy

and culturally responsive teaching Gay, 2000; Giroux, 1994; Nieto, 2002

Strategy 4

Acquiring knowledge

of culturally inclusive pedagogies

• pre-service teachers are „required‟ to apply theoretical knowledge

in planning programs for secondary school students which

take into account the art and culture of „others‟

• premised on the understanding that „appropriation‟ or imitation of

art forms and culture of diverse peoples is inappropriate

• requires consultation within cultural contexts

• informed planning to avoid „tokenism‟ or

„add-on‟ activities to mainstream

programs

Strategy 5

Applying knowledge in pedagogy

Pre-service secondary art teachers prepare and „model‟ an

„art, culture and curriculum‟ unit for year 9-10 secondary school students which draws

upon Māori and another culture

• they select a theme, subject, object or concept for the unit

• they prepare motivational material for both cultural perspectives

• they „trial‟ their unit as a „year 10 student‟,

doing research and making a partially

completed art work

Example 1 - pedagogical practices

Rachel‟s research: page 1

Rachel‟s research: page 2

Rachel Kang Korean

Maori Heru (comb)

&

Korean Binyeo &

Dwikkoji (hair ornaments)

as inspiration for making a

„Personal Identity Comb‟

Rachel‟s development of ideas page 1

Rachel‟s development of ideas page 2

Rachel‟s „partial‟ exemplar:

A „Personal Identity Comb‟

Jackson Tan Chinese Cambodian

Māori „Tiki‟ in carving & adornment

&

Chinese Dragon statuary

as inspiration for

a personal identity sculpture:

„The Layering of Culture‟

Jackson‟s research: page 1

Jackson‟s research: page 2

Jackson‟s development of ideas: page 1

Jackson‟s development of ideas: page 2

Jackson‟s partial exemplar: „The Layering of Culture‟

Penny Lin Taiwanese

Maori MOKO (tattoo) patterns

&

Chinese paper Window Flower

as inspiration for

contemporary personal jewellery

„Veiling and Unveiling‟

Penny‟s research: page 1

Penny‟s research: page 2

Penny‟s development of ideas:

page 1

Development of ideas: page 2

Penny‟s exemplar

…walking in / walking out…

„Veiling & Unveiling‟

On practicum Penny taught her programme to

year 10 students at Botany Downs College, 2010

Pre-service secondary art teachers conduct research on

artists and art works from „other‟ cultures to

produce a „teacher exemplar‟ in a specialist art discipline

for year 12-13 secondary school students

• they choose two „artist models‟ for their research, then decide

which „aspects‟ of both artists‟ processes and practices could be

used to inform their own practice in a drawing study

• The „teacher exemplar‟ illustrates the concept of using

„artist models‟ as an influence upon their

own art practice

Examples of pedagogical practices

Ellen Hsu Taiwanese

Artist model 1 – Ava Seymour, New Zealand photographer

Artist model 2 – Walker Evans, American photographer

Specialist art discipline – Photography

Theme for own practice

„Cultural Stereotypes‟

Ellen‟s research on Ava Seymour page 1 of 2

She uses photomontages to

produce work that is politically

and socially provocative and

contentious; creates scenes that

are simultaneously exciting and

repellant

“I‟m interested in

challenging established

concepts of normality and

lifestyle” (Seymour)

Ellen‟s research on Walker Evans page 3 of 4

He documents everyday street

scenes, shop frontages and

signage as „symbols‟ of the world

in which people live

Evans says that

“architecture can be as

representative of a

people as the people

themselves”

“Through his eyes we look upon

the past to ask what meaning it

holds for the future