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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