Graduation Term

2016

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

School of Teaching and Learning

Committee Chair

Nancy Latham

Abstract

Many teacher candidates who enter teacher education programs have received altered curricula that addressed the new common core of reading, writing, and mathematics (Beveridge 2010). This new common core curriculum neglects the importance of arts education. These students who have not been exposed to arts education, are reluctant to engage in the arts and fully participate in an arts education course as part of their teacher preparation (Hallam, Gupta, & Lee, 2008). These teacher candidates exhibit a low level of arts engagement and arts teaching self-efficacy and are therefore less confident with engaging and teaching the arts (Garvis, 2009). The lack of engagement with quality arts experiences in adolescence and university settings may perpetuate the lack of creativity and dedication for creating quality educators who contribute to arts education (Eisner, 2002).

This mixed method research study has examined the role of arts integration courses in the preparation of teacher candidates' self-efficacy on teaching and engaging in the arts. This study adds to mixed-method research as it relates to self-efficacy and preparing teacher candidates to teach the arts after taking an arts integration course. The findings of this research contribute to the overall effectiveness and reliability of art integration in the classroom. The researcher found that teacher candidates who enter an arts integration course had a wide variety of exposure to the arts from no experience to school curriculum, extra-curricular activities, and community arts experiences. Prior to taking an arts integration course, the students indicated a neutral level of arts self-efficacy. At the conclusion of the semester-long courses on arts integration students' self-efficacy improved to a positive level of self-efficacy in engaging with and teaching the arts with the greatest change in vicarious experiences.

Access Type

Dissertation-Open Access

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2016.Vetere.M

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