Building LeadershipRoles for Teachers in Art

EducationENID ZIMMERMAN

by their administrators, but by colleagues asIntroductionwell. As a university art educator, one of mymost important tasks is to assist art teachers toIn the United States there has been a recent

interest in restructuring schools to support new learn new roles and develop new skills,enabling them to become transformative lead-contexts for teaching and learning. Darling-

Hammond [1996] observed that if reform efforts ers at local, state, and national levels [Thurber &Zimmerman, 1996; Zimmerman, 1997]. Thisare to be successful, improved teacher prep-

aration and professional development pro- goal has been accomplished, to a great extent,by working collaboratively with art teachersgrammes, as well as emphasis on greater auto-

nomy for teachers, should play key roles. Other and helping them participate in a larger projectof teacher empowerment.educators have emphasized the need for teach-

ers to be knowledgeable about their subject Although research about art teachers hasbeen increasing in recent years [Galbraith, 1995;matters and, at the same time, become empow-

ered to be advocates for educational change in Zimmerman, 1994], there still is little inquiry inthis area, particularly about staff developmentmatters of importance for their students and

communities [Kincheloc, 1993]. aimed at increasing leadership roles in art edu-cation. As a result of studying at a summer pro-Sprague [1992] has described four paths to

empowerment for teachers. The first is through gramme at Indiana University that had as oneof its goals empowering K-12 art teachers toresistance against societal structures that have

mitigated against teachers’ feelings of pro- become leaders, the following three relatedstudies were conducted to discover whether artfessionalism. The second is through collabor-

ation in which teachers network with others teachers took initiatives suggested by Sprague[1992] to resist inequities in their teaching con-and share common concerns. Third is through

shared administrative leadership, the goal of texts, collaborate with others, gain administrat-ive control of their classroom practices, andwhich is to reform educational institutions so

teachers gain more control over their own eventually become leaders and change agentsin their schools, communities, and beyond.working conditions. The final step,

empowerment through ‘transformative vision’,calls for teachers to become aware of their polit- The Artistically Talentedical power and position themselves so that they Programmecan make deep and lasting changes to theirschools and communities. From 1990 to 1994, Gilbert Clark and I co-ordi-

nated an Artistically Talented Programme [ATP],Art teachers, a majority of whom are women[Zimmerman, in press], are in a field that is little a two year endorsement programme, at Indiana

University [IU] that was supported through avalued as an important subject in most schools.They often are viewed as powerless not only contract with the Indiana Department of Edu-

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282 ENID ZIMMERMAN Building Leadership Roles for Teachers in Art Education

cation’s Gifted and Talented Programme. All community of teachers, inspire one another tobecome leaders in dissemination of ideas andteachers attending ATP were certified art teach-

ers, accepted into the programme on a competi- teaching practices, assume leadership roles,write grants, exhibit their students’ works,tive basis, and required to be teaching in or

about to start a programme for talented visual present their projects publicly at professionalconferences, and publish about their experi-arts students in their schools. They received

scholarship support that paid room and board, ences with these projects in educational maga-zines and in a monograph to be disseminatedtuition, supplies, and book expenses, as well

as a stipend for purchasing art resources. Each throughout the state. The ATP classes focusedon building a network of teachers who wouldsummer the ATP met for two and one half

weeks and classes were offered in the mornings not only be influencing their own talented artstudents, but also developing programmes to beand afternoons; approximately half the parti-

cipants were returning ATPers and the other shared with other teachers and students in theirschool corporations, at the state level, and inhalf were a new group of participants. Although

these art teachers took ATP courses at IU during some cases nationally [Thurber & Zimmerman,1996]. There was a conscious attempt by thethe summer, they also had responsibilities to

the programme throughout the following directors to create a family-like atmosphere byeating two meals a day with the ATPers in theschool year.dorm. A substantial amount of time also wasspent in social and professional group activities.Methodology

Three research studies were conducted with Focus groupsemphases on the processes and results of edu-cating motivated ATP teachers to become Several themes emerged from content analyses

of data collected in focus groups The first themeempowered and take leadership roles in theirschools and communities. One study involved was the necessity for developing knowledge of

subject matter and pedagogy that was current,focus groups of eighteen 1994 ATP participants;the second was a survey sent to all 54 teachers timely, practical, and directly related to art class-

room practice. The wide range of resources,who participated in ATP from 1991 to 1995; thethird was an analysis of data from the 1990– learning to use data bases, keeping current

about professional practice, problem solving,1994 survey, focus group discussions, andcourse evaluations with emphasis on the ATP thinking sequentially, and developing thematic

art units were mentioned as valuable contri-teachers’ emerging feelings of empowermentthrough their private, collaborative, and public butions to the APTers’ professional develop-

ment.voices [Thurber & Zimmerman, in press; Zimm-erman, 1997]. Content analysis was used to cat- Building self esteem was a second theme that

emerged from the data. Most ATPers indicatedegorise and analyse the data of the transcrip-tions of the 1994 focus group discussions, they learned a lot about themselves and other

teachers in the programme; self-reflection,results of the survey administered in 1995, andcourse evaluations [Gordon, 1978; Holsti, 1969; empowerment, personal growth, and emerging

leadership roles were topics elaborated uponMostyn, 1985].by the teachers. A third theme of collaborationand elements of human connection was viewedProgramme objectivesas salient to success of the programme. AllATPers mentioned that the most valuable andThe ATP was designed specifically to educate

inservice teachers to become proficient in serv- rewarding aspects of ATP were the family-likeenvironment, emphasis on caring and net-ing populations of artistically talented students.

Programme objectives related to leadership working, and sharing information among theparticipants.building included assisting ATPers to become a

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283ENID ZIMMERMAN Building Leadership Roles for Teachers in Art Education

In respect to the fourth theme, empowerment leadership positions at local and state levels,received numerous scholarships, awards andand leadership, all returning ATPers described

leadership roles they had taken at local and grants, created new programmes for their artstudents, published articles, reports, and otherstate levels in respect to building bridges

between school art programmes and local com- writings, and reported other personal and pro-fessional accomplishments. ATPers had positivemunities and educating students, parents, and

school administrators about art. First year ATP effects on art programmes in their local com-munities, as well as facilitating building com-teachers expressed feelings of empowerment

and confidence they predicted would lead to munities of teachers across the state, the impactof which was experienced by students, col-making changes in programmes for their stu-

dents and in their relationship to the communi- leagues, parents, administrators, and local com-munity members. The majority of these art tea-ties in which they taught.chers gained knowledge about art content andteaching artistically talented students, achievedSurvey resultsfeelings of self-esteem, collaborated withothers, and became caring and empowered lea-Instruction in ATP focused on content, teaching

strategies, and future empowerment for inser- ders who made positive changes in theirclassrooms, communities, school corporations,vice art teachers who had interest and motiv-

ation to become leaders in the area of educating at the state level and beyond.artistically talented students. A frameworkemerged, based on content analysis of data in A conceptual framework of voicethe focus group study and survey results, that through leadershipalso may have applicability to other inserviceeducation programmes for teachers of talented As a result of our varied experiences with edu-

cation of inservice teachers, Thurber and I [inart students [Zimmerman, 1997]. It appears thatknowledge of subject matter content and peda- press] constructed a conceptual framework for

aspects of building leadership that has rel-gogy, building self-esteem, and allowingchoices may lead teachers of artistically talented evance for other inservice programmes for art

teachers. In this model, teachers build personalstudents with a desire to take leadership roles tocollaborate with others and eventually become voice and become reflective and empowered

practitioners who feel validated when they areempowered in respect to making changes intheir private and professional lives. These valued for their personal and professional

experiences as teachers. Self-knowledge andactions eventually may result in communities ofcaring teachers who are able to assume new autonomy are key outcomes of this initial pro-

cess in professional leadership development forleadership roles in their schools, communities,and state organisations. Many ATPers became teachers. The process of collaboration with

peers and inservice programme leaders pro-what Sprague [1992] described as activists inlocal and state communities for artistically tal- vides opportunities for each inservice teacher to

speak and exchange ideas with others andented students and are regarded as valuableprofessionals who are contributing to leader- move beyond personal empowerment and

autonomy, to increased knowledge of contentship in their schools, school districts, andbeyond. and pedagogy, to a context where many indi-

viduals’ possibilities for shared communicationMost objectives set by the ATP were met byan overwhelming majority of participants as evi- and collaborative professional vision are poss-

ible.denced by the focus group interviews, surveyresponses, and course evaluations. As reported Individually or collectively, through sustained

critical inquiry, teacher-leaders should activelyby most participants, participating in the ATP,aided most of them in finding their own voices, seek to empower others through their public,

ethical, moral, and social actions. Manifestationsspeaking loudly, and being heard. Many held

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284 ENID ZIMMERMAN Building Leadership Roles for Teachers in Art Education

of these efforts might include products, such as voice for leader-teachers, who are able to moveinto public arenas and begin to reform edu-assuming leadership of regional or national

organisations, publishing innovative research cation, becomes possible when teachersbecome agents for change rather than targets ofon one’s area of academic expertise, or organis-

ing community efforts for worthwhile edu- change in a shifting paradigm of educationalreform.cational projects reaching under-served mem-

bers in their communities [Thurber &Zimmerman, in press]. Development of public Enid Zimmerman

References

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Thurber, F., & Zimmerman, E. (in press). Voice tocation Associationvoice: Developing in-service teachers’ personal,Gordon, W. I. (1978). Communication: Personal andcollaborative, and public voices, Educationalpublic. New York: AlfredHorizons, Fall 1997

Holsti, O. R. (1969). Content analysis for the socialZimmerman, E. (1994). Current research and practice

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