i

Curriculumchangeandteachers’responses:

aNSWcasestudy

LindaMerewynLorenza

Athesissubmittedforfulfillmentrequirements

forthedegreeofDoctorofPhilosophy

TheSydneySchoolofEducationandSocialWorkFacultyofArtsandSocialSciences

TheUniversityofSydney

2018

ii

Statementoforiginality Thisistocertifythattothebestofmyknowledge,thecontentofthisthesisismy

ownwork.Thisthesishasnotbeensubmittedforanydegreeorotherpurposes.

Icertifythattheintellectualcontentofthisthesisistheproductofmyownworkand

thatalltheassistancereceivedinpreparingthisthesisandsourceshavebeen

acknowledged.

LindaMerewynLorenza

iii

Abstract ThisthesisreportsonthefindingsofastudyintoNSWArtsteachers’perceptionsof

curriculumchangeintheArtsintheAustraliancontext.From2015Australian

schoolsbegantoengagewithanationalcurriculumintheArts.Thereare

considerableimplicationsforbothpracticeandpolicy.Teachers’willingnessto

adoptanewcurriculumandadapttochangeisamitigatingfactor.Thisresearch

focussedonNSWdrama,musicandvisualartsteachers’perceptionsofcurriculum

changefromthestatecurriculumtheycurrentlyteach,totheincomingAustralian

artscurriculum.

Researchwasqualitativeandemployedacasestudyapproach(G.Thomas,2010)

includingtheuseofin-depthinterviewanddocumentanalysis.Theopinionsofthe

casestudyparticipantsinthisparticularstudyreflectsomeandopposeotherviews

expressedinconsultationreports,whichreflectthewideconsultationconductedby

theAustralianCurriculumAssessmentReportingAuthority(ACARA)duringthe

developmentoftheAustralianartscurriculum.

Thethesisinvestigatestheteachers’understandingofcurriculumchangeintheir

particularArtsdisciplineareathroughthelensofsixinfluencesonArtseducation

raisedbyElliotEisnerinhisseminalpaper,“Artseducationpolicy?”(2000).

Itarguesthatoutsideforceswithintheschool,pre-specifiedoutcomesandtesting

impacttheteacher’scapacitytoteachtheArts.Teachers’backgroundsandpersonal

interestintheartform,accompaniedbyongoingskillsandknowledgedevelopment,

contributetoteachercompetencetoteachtheArts.

iv

Thethesisconcludesthattheteacherswerepositiveandexcitedaboutthenew

curriculum,identifyingsimilaritiestotheircurrentstatesyllabusandpotentialto

changepracticethroughtheAustralianartscurriculum.Thesefindingsprovidea

benchmarkofNSWteachers’responsestotheincomingAustralianCurriculumin

theArts.

v

Acknowledgements

Iacknowledgethegenerosity,enthusiasmandcuriosityofmyresearchparticipants

Gina,Mel,Paula,Mary,Sarah,Craig,DeanandErrol.

Forassistancewithproofreadingandediting,Igratefullyacknowledgethepatience

andpersistenceofDrRobertHoward.IalsohumblythankDrMichaelPatton,Dr

JosephToltzandMrsJanSullivanforgenerouslygivingtheirtimeandintellectto

reviewingandchallengingmyevolvingdrafts.

IthankmyfamilyandmycolleaguesforenduringmyincreasingabsenceasI

undertookthisacademicjourney,whichIbeganwiththeenthusiasticsupportofmy

father,PaulMerewynGreenwood,himselfapassionateeducator,andinwhose

memoryIwasdeterminedtocompleteitandthuscontinuemycareerintheArts.

IthankProfessorMichaelAndersonforhisbroadconceptualviewandAssociate

ProfessorRobynGibsonforherastuteeyefordetail,andbothfortheircollegial

conversationsandwillingnesstoexploreideas.IalsothankProfessorLina

MarkauskaiteforhertutorialsontheuseofNVIVOandexpertadviceregarding

qualitativedataanalysis.

Finally,IthankDrJohnHughesforseeingthepotentialinmetotakeonpost-

graduateresearchinthefieldofartseducation.

vi

Contents

Abstract........................................................................................................................iii

Acknowledgements....................................................................................................v

Contents........................................................................................................................vi

Prologue.........................................................................................................................1

Theresearcher:mystory..............................................................................................................1

Chapter1Introduction..............................................................................................7

Definitionsoftermsspecifictothisstudy................................................................13

Chapter2Reviewofliterature............................................................................16

Introduction.......................................................................................................................16

Curriculumbackground.................................................................................................17

Twentiethcenturycurriculum–clarityofscienceorcreativityoftheArts........17

Twenty-firstcenturycurriculum–sidingwiththeArts..............................................19

Orientationsofcurriculum........................................................................................................19

Accountability,buttwenty-firstcenturyskills.................................................................20

EnterElliotEisner:Sixinfluencesofwhichtestingisone...........................................24

TheAmericandeterminersofcurriculum..........................................................................25

TheBritishdeterminersofcurriculum................................................................................26

TheAustraliandeterminersofcurriculum........................................................................26

Desperatelyseekingthe‘enjoyableactoflearning’.............................................27

CurriculumdevelopmentintheArts:rigorousorfunctional...........................29

CurriculumdevelopmentinAustralia.......................................................................30

TheArtsinAustraliancurricula..................................................................................32

Theaccountabilityfocus................................................................................................36

Teachers,theinterpretersofcurriculum................................................................38

vii

Chapter3Thecontextoftheresearch:Curriculumdevelopmentin

AustraliaandNSW...................................................................................................43

Introduction.......................................................................................................................43

Asteptowardsanationalapproach...........................................................................43

ThepoliticsofeducationinNSW:TheNSWeducationact1990......................45

Decisionmaking:theeducationauthorityortheMinister.........................................45

Syllabus..............................................................................................................................................46

KeylearningareasincludingtheArts..................................................................................46

Timeallocation...............................................................................................................................47

NSWprimaryartssyllabus.......................................................................................................48

NSWsecondaryartssyllabuses...............................................................................................49

Developmentofprofessionalassociations:givingartsteachersavoice......50

DevelopingtheAustraliancurriculum:2008to2014.........................................51

Curriculumshaping.........................................................................................................52

Step1:InitialadvicepaperfortheArts...............................................................................52

NSWresponsetotheinitialadvicepaper...........................................................................52

Step2:DraftShapePaper:TheblueprintfortheAustralianartscurriculum....53

NSWresponsetotheDraftShapePaper.............................................................................53

Timeallocations.............................................................................................................................54

Experientiallearning...................................................................................................................55

Language:Strandorganisers....................................................................................................56

Continuumoflearning................................................................................................................56

Step3:DraftAustraliancurriculum:TheArts..................................................................57

NSWresponsetotheDraftcurriculum................................................................................59

Timeallocation...............................................................................................................................60

Experientiallearning...................................................................................................................60

Language:Strandorganisers....................................................................................................62

viii

Continuumoflearning................................................................................................................63

Step4:ResolvingtheAustraliancurriculum:Theartsforfoundationtoyear10

...............................................................................................................................................................65

FindingsofthereviewoftheAustraliancurriculum...........................................67

Australianartscurriculum-endorsed.................................................................................68

ArtscurriculumdevelopmentinNSW.................................................................................69

Chapter4Methodology..........................................................................................70

Introduction.......................................................................................................................70

Whythisresearch?...........................................................................................................70

Choosingqualitativeresearch.....................................................................................71

Thefocusofthequalitativeresearcher...............................................................................73

Theoriesunderpinningqualitativeresearchdesign......................................................74

Theoryofconstructivism...........................................................................................................75

Theresearcher................................................................................................................................76

Choosingamethodologywithinqualitativeresearch:Casestudyapproach77

Theresearchquestion....................................................................................................79

Subjectivity.......................................................................................................................................79

ValidityandReliability...................................................................................................81

MethodofInquiry.............................................................................................................83

Theresearcher................................................................................................................................84

Participationselectionrationale................................................................................84

Datacollection...................................................................................................................86

Overview...........................................................................................................................................86

Developmentoftheinterviewschedule..............................................................................86

Interviews.........................................................................................................................................86

Procedures..........................................................................................................................89

Ethicalconsiderations.................................................................................................................89

ix

Recording..........................................................................................................................................90

Transcriptionprocess.................................................................................................................91

Researchlog.....................................................................................................................................91

Dataanalysis......................................................................................................................91

NVivo10softwarepackage.......................................................................................................92

Codingofthedata.........................................................................................................................92

Thematicanalysis..........................................................................................................................93

Narrativeanalysisandreconstruction.................................................................................94

Potentiallimitations.....................................................................................................................95

Limitedperspective......................................................................................................................95

Reliantonteacherresponses...................................................................................................96

Achangeinplans...........................................................................................................................96

Generalisablity................................................................................................................................96

Limitationsofthepresentresearch......................................................................................97

Summary.............................................................................................................................97

Chapter5Findings...................................................................................................99

Overview..............................................................................................................................99

Introductiontotheparticipantteachers.............................................................................99

Participantteacherprofiles....................................................................................................100

Section5.1:Readingandrespondingtocurricula..............................................104

Introduction...................................................................................................................................104

Overview.........................................................................................................................................104

Settingthescene..........................................................................................................................105

Notanother“airyfairy”document......................................................................................105

Theneedfororientation..........................................................................................................110

Facingandfearingchange.......................................................................................................112

Thenewcurriculum...................................................................................................................119

x

Conclusion......................................................................................................................................123

Section5.2:OutsideforceswithintheschoolaffectingtheArts....................125

Introduction...................................................................................................................................125

Overview.........................................................................................................................................126

Attitudeoftheschool.................................................................................................................126

Artsatthecentreoflearning..................................................................................................127

Schoolattitudesaffectedbyeconomicpressures.........................................................129

Creatingcommunity...................................................................................................................133

Lackofspecialistteachers.......................................................................................................135

Isolatedartslearningintheclassroom..............................................................................140

Conclusion......................................................................................................................................142

Section5.3:Impactofnationalandstatestandards...........................................145

Introduction...................................................................................................................................145

Overview.........................................................................................................................................146

Settingthescene..........................................................................................................................149

Accountability...............................................................................................................................156

Conclusion......................................................................................................................................169

Section5.4:ImpactoftestingandtheArtsfortertiaryentrance...................172

Introduction...................................................................................................................................172

Overview.........................................................................................................................................175

Teachingtothetest....................................................................................................................175

NAPLAN:Adiagnostictoolorrevisingtheintendedcurriculum?.........................178

TeachinginresponsetoNAPLANresults.........................................................................181

TheArtshavebecomeatoolforthe“tested”learningareas...................................185

Highstakestestscreateanxiety:TheHSCandATAR..................................................186

Conclusion......................................................................................................................................191

Section5.5:Teachercompetence..............................................................................193

xi

Introduction...................................................................................................................................193

Overview.........................................................................................................................................194

Issuesofcurriculum...................................................................................................................195

Teachers..........................................................................................................................................197

Teacherprofessionallearning–theimportanceofongoingdevelopment.......213

Conclusion......................................................................................................................................215

Chapter6Discussionandconclusions...........................................................217

Introduction.....................................................................................................................217

Thecategoriesforthisstudy..................................................................................................218

Conclusions.......................................................................................................................223

Finding1:Artsteachershaveapreferenceforcurriculathatenablesopen-

endedlearning..............................................................................................................................223

Finding2:Artsteachersbelievethatoutsideforceswithintheschoolhavea

largerimpactonArtsteachingthancurriculumpolicy..............................................228

Finding3:Artsteachersbelievethatstandardsandtestingcauseanxietyamong

teachersandfearoffailureinstudents...............................................................................231

Finding4:Artsteachersbelievethatadjustingtohigh-stakestestingnarrows

thecurriculum...............................................................................................................................237

Finding5:Artsteachershavesufficientpassionandmotivationtocomfortably

adjusttochange...........................................................................................................................241

Finalconclusions............................................................................................................244

Implicationsforfutureresearchconsideringcurriculumpolicyandteacher

practiceintheArts.........................................................................................................246

Epilogue....................................................................................................................255

References...............................................................................................................256

APPENDIX1Interview1Schedule..................................................................282

xii

APPENDIX2Interview2Schedule..................................................................283

APPENDIX3EthicApproval...............................................................................284

APPENDIX4Letterstoteacherassociations................................................285

APPENDIX5Coverlettertoindividualteacher..........................................290

APPENDIX6Participantinformationandconsent....................................291

APPENDIX7Outlineofquestions:Interview1...........................................293

APPENDIX8Outlineofquestions:Interview2...........................................294

APPENDIX9Exampleofinterviewtranscript.............................................295

APPENDIX10Exampleofthemesthatarosefromthedatainthecoding

process......................................................................................................................303

xiii

ListofTablesandFigures

Table4.1Attributesofparticipantteachers...............................................................................85

Table5.1Participantteachers'backgrounds............................................................................103

Figure5.2DigitalfunctionalityoftheAustraliancurriculum:Columnview..............106

Figure5.3DigitalfunctionalityoftheAustraliancurriculum:pop-upwindow

containingglossarydefinitionoftheartformspecificterminthecontent

description.....................................................................................................................................107

Figure5.4DigitalfunctionalityoftheAustraliancurriculum:pop-upwindow

containingexamplesoflearningandteachingforthecontentdescription......108

Figure5.5DigitalfunctionalityoftheAustralianartscurriculum:iconsforgeneral

capabilities.....................................................................................................................................109

Table5.6ComparisonofAustraliancurriculumandNSWsyllabuscomponents....150

Table5.7ComparisonoftheAustraliancurriculumandNSWcreativeartssyllabus

forvisualartsforYears3and4............................................................................................155

1

Prologue

Theresearcher:mystory

AsachildIlovedsingingandtellingstories.IthoughtIwouldbeinABBA.Asan

adultthisloveoftheArtsevolvedintoacombinedcareerofperformance,teaching

andultimatelyfacilitatingtheartisticjourneysofothers.

Growinguptherewasapianointhehouse.Infact,itwasapianola,anornately

carvedWingandSonsplayerpianobuiltin1912andimportedbymymother’s

grandfather.Ilookedupatthisgrandinstrumentdesperatetoplaythekeyswithmy

littlefingers,whenonceaweekIcouldsitonmyfather’slapashepedaledarollof

mygrandmother’sfavouritefoxtrotonaSundayafterfamilylunch.FinallyIbeganto

learnpianoattheageofsevenfromMrsBettyGreenwoodinhersmallapartment

filledwithlampsconnectedtomultipletriangulardoubleadaptors,whichwerethen

pluggedintoeachother.AftertwoyearsoftiresomebeginnerlessonfromtheJohn

Thompson’sTeachingLittleFingerstoPlay,mymothertookmetomyolder

brother’sclarinetteacher,whoalsotaughtpianoandwithMrsCrawfordI

discoveredthetruejoyofthepiano,Beethoven,SchubertevenBelaBartok!I

continuedthisinstrumentalstudythroughoutmyschoolingintwostates,although

musicatschoolwasnotsoinspiring.

InYear1,IwassentbacktoclassfromchoirweeklybyMrsBeerman,whenallIhad

wantedtodowassing.InYear3,MrsSmithletmeplaythebassdrum,butthings

changedwhenIvomitedonhercorduroyskirtinassemblyoneday.ForYears5and

6,Ichangedprimaryschoolstoattend‘Opportunityclass’whichcaters“forhighly

achievingYear5andYear6academicallygiftedstudentswhomayotherwisebe

withoutclassmatesattheirownacademicandsociallevel”(NSWDepartmentof

Education,2017a,p.3),andwastaughtrecorderbyourverynon-musicalclass-

2

teacher,MrsGore,whosemantrawas“usewhatyouknowtofindoutwhatyou

don’tknow”.In1980,IcompletedYear6,thefinalyearofprimaryschoolinNSW

andmyfathertookajobinTownsville,NorthQueensland.Atthistimein

Queensland,primaryschoolconcludedatYear7and“acertainstigmawasattached

totheopportunityschoolchild”(Logan&Clarke,1984,p.18).‘Opportunity’wasa

termusedforstudentswithlearningdifficulties,considereddisadvantagedand

frompoorerfamilies.ItwassuggestedtomyparentsIshouldenterYear5in

Queensland,butmyparentsarguedmycaseandsecuredmeaplaceinYear7ina

Queenslandstateprimaryschool.Iwasawarded‘dux’oftheschoolin1981with

verylittleeffort,althoughforthefirsttermno-onecouldreadmyhandwriting(we

hadlearnedtowriteinitalicsat‘opportunityclass’inNSW)andtheotherstudents

saidthatIspoketoofast.ThenextyearIbeganYear8,thefirstyearofsecondary

schoolinQueensland,atanindependentco-educationalschool,whichIloved.We

swamintheschool’s50metrepooleveryweek,studiedmusic,art,industrialarts

andevenwatchedJawsforanEnglishfilmstudy(whichputmeoffswimmingonthe

BarrierReef).Icaptainedthedebatingteamandwouldhavebeenveryhappyto

completemyschoolingatthatschool.Butin1983,myfamilyreturnedtoNSW

whereIenteredYear9,thethirdyearofsecondaryschoolinNSW.Courtesyofmy

NSWprimaryyearsat‘opportunityclass’Ihadrightofreturntoaplaceina

selectivegovernmentstatehighschool,establishedto“helpgiftedandtalented

studentstolearnbygroupingthemwithothergiftedandtalentedstudents,teaching

theminspecialisedwaysandprovidingeducationalmaterialsattheappropriate

level.”(NSWDepartmentofEducation,2017b).

ChangingschoolsinYear9wastorture,especiallymovingtoasinglesexgirls’

school.Igrewupwithfourbrothers,andafterschooleverydaytherewouldbe

nearlytenchildrenforbackyardcricketorgamesintheswimmingpool.Now,

havingbeenateacher,IrecognisethatYear9girlsaresomeofthecruelestbeingsin

3

ourcommunity.Theywerehardtointegratewithin1983,andevenhardertoteach

somefifteenyearslater.Istudiedcoresubjects,English,mathematics,science,

history,geography,FrenchandmusicuntiltheendofYear10.Formyfinaltwo

yearsofschool,myfatherinsistedagoodHSC(HigherSchoolCertificate)consisted

ofthreeunit(oradvanced)mathematics,physicsandchemistry.Sadlyforme,

physicsandmusicweretimetabledatthesametime.Ienduredandresentedtwo

yearsofphysics,rankedsecondbottominmyyearandwassurprisedbythescaling-

upofmyHSCexaminationgradeto60%againstmyin-schoolassessmentgradeof

49%whenIcompletedsecondaryschool.Themusicteacheralwayslookedsad

whenIpassedherinthecorridor.ShewouldhavebeenproudtoknowIauditioned

foramusicdegreeatuniversitybeforeIhadevenfinishedYear12.Iplayeda

BrahmsIntermezzotoapaneloffourandoneacademicaskedmeifIwasinterested

injazztowhichIreplied,“Ofcourse”,althoughIwasnotsurewhathewastalking

about.

Ifinishedhighschoolinthefirstyearthatschool-basedassessmentwasintroduced

intotheNSWHigherSchoolCertificate(HSC).MyolderbrotherundertookYear12

oneyearbeforeIdidwhentheHSCwasascoredevisedsolelyfromthestudent’s

effortsinanexternalexamination.Thefirstyearoftheassessmentandexamination

combinationinNSWwaschallengingforteachersandforstudentsalike.Irecallmy

teacherscommentingthattheydidnotreallyknowwhatthebalancewas.Bythe

timeIwasteachingHSCdramaandEnglishadecadelater,theNSWsyllabus

specifiedweightingsforassessmenttasks.Teacherswererequiredtoprovide

studentswiththeoutlineandscheduleoftheseassessmenttasksatthe

commencementofthecourse.Asateacher,Irecallnegotiatingwiththedeputy

principalinchargeoftimetablesfordatesandschooltermweeksinwhichto

scheduleassessmenttaskstoensureabalanceacrosssubjectsforthestudents.That

wasnomeanfeat!

4

Sadly,myfatherrevisedmyuniversityselectionchoices.Althoughofferedaplacein

themusiccourseforwhichIhadauditioned,Ispentonetorturousyearlearning

InformationScience,whichwasasawkwardashighschoolphysics,atKuring-gai

CollegeofAdvancedEducation(whichin1990becameacampusoftheUniversityof

TechnologySydneybeforeitsconversiontotheLindfieldLearningVillagepublic

schoolin2017).ItransferredtoaBachelorofArtsdegreeatMacquarieUniversity

completingadegreemajoringinLinguistics,whichearnedmeapositioninSpeech

TechnologyresearchintheFacultyofElectricalEngineeringattheUniversityof

Sydney.Anironicpostingasthiswaswheremyolderbrotherwascompletinghis

finalyearofelectricalengineering.Suddenlyhisyoungersisterpullsfocuswithajob

wonthroughher‘arts’degree!Mymusicallytrainedearandskillinthespectral

analysisofspeechacquiredinmyuniversitydegree,enabledthedevelopmentofthe

firstAustralianspeechrecognitionsystem.This,whiledistressingtomyolder

brother,reaffirmedrenownedartistandeducator,ElliotEisner’s(2003a)pointthat

allaspectsofwhatwedoareinformedbyourartisticallycraftedwork.Iwillreturn

toEisnerlaterinthisthesis.

Isanginarockbandthroughmyhighschoolyears,myvocalcharactersomewhere

betweenChrissyAmphlettandDeborahHarry.Mypianoteacherreferredmetoa

voiceteacherwhounlockedmyloveofsinginganddiscoveredtheoperaticqualityI

couldproduce.Icontinuedtolearnsingingwhileworkingintheresearchroleand

eventuallymademywaytotheSydneyConservatoriumofMusictostudyopera.

DissatisfiedwiththeConservatoriumprogram,Isuccessfullyauditionedforthe

JulliardSchoolandjoinedtheprograminItalyfromwhereIbeganafreelancecareer

singingprofessionallyinbothAustraliaandinEurope.Abrokenrelationshipand

resultingfinancialinsecurityledmetofull-timeteaching.Byluckorgoodfortune,I

hadenrolledinaGraduateDiplomaofEducationbydistanceeducationwhenI

commencedattheConservatorium,asa‘fallbackposition’.Aqualification

5

completedliterallyby‘distance’onflightsbetweenSydneyandEurope.Iposted

assignmentsfromEuropebacktoNSWandattendedtheannualresidential

programsjetlagged,butenthusiastic.

Ispentmorethantenyearsintheclassroom,leavingtoheaduptheeducationarm

ofBellShakespeare,Australia’snationaltouringShakespearecompany.Fromthis

positionconnectingtheatrepracticewithdramaandEnglishcurriculaacrosseight

statesandterritories,Iwaswell-awareofthediversityofapproachesinexisting

curriculaandtheneedsofschoolsandteachersineachofAustralia’seightstateand

territories.CompelledtobeinvolvedinthedevelopmentofAustralianarts

curriculum,Itentativelymovedintotheworldofbureaucracybeingappointedto

thepositionofSeniorProjectOfficer,theArtsfortheAustralianCurriculum

AssessmentReportingAuthority(ACARA)ataremarkableperiodintimewhenthe

federalandallstateterritorygovernmentswereallpoliticallyaligned.Facilitating

theprocessofcurriculumreformintheArtswasamomentoustask,andonewhichI

believedwouldbenefitchildrenwho,likeme,hadmovedbetweenstatesandbeen

caughtupinthediscrepanciesofindividualstate’seducationnomenclatureand

misalignmentofyearsofschoolingasIhadbeen.Myownbackgroundcombined

withthisnationalaspirationinspiredmetothisPhDresearch.

Thebreadthofmybackgroundasresearcherforthisstudyencompasses“the

distinctiveformsofthinkingneededtocreateartisticallycraftedwork”which

resonatednotonlytowhatIexperiencedandlearnedasastudent,butwere

relevanttovirtuallyallaspectsofwhatIhavedone“fromthedesignofcurricula,to

thepracticeofteaching,tothefeaturesoftheenvironmentinwhichstudentsand

teacherslive”(Eisner,2004,p.4).

6

Itismyownlivedexperiencesasastudent,aperformingartistandteacherthat

connectwiththebackgroundsandindividualmotivationsoftheArtsteacherswho

participatedinthisstudy.Myexperiencesprovidemewithapersonal

understandingoftheirresponsestocurriculumchange.Yet,noneoftheparticipants

hascrossedasmanylayersofartsandeducationemploymentasIhave.Frommy

beginningsasastudentwhomovedbetweenstatesandlivedthroughcurriculum

reforminthe1980s,tobecomingaprofessionalsinger,thenateacherinboththe

governmentandindependentschoolsectors,workingacrosstheArtsandschools

throughmyroleinnationaltheatrecompany,andthenenteringtheworldofthe

bureaucracy,tofacilitatethedevelopmentofthenationalartscurriculum.Ihave

usedmydiverseandwell-roundedlifeexperiencestodelveintothemotivationsand

interestsofNSWteachersoftheArts,andtoconsiderhowthesemayconnectwith

andinformrecentAustraliancurriculumreform.

7

Chapter1Introduction

In2008,theAustralianfederalgovernmentcommencedthedevelopmentofa

nationalcurriculum.Therewasandcontinuestobeconsiderableimplicationsfor

bothpracticeandpolicy.Thedialogueaboutwhatshouldbetaughtinschoolsisthe

subjectofcontinueddebate.WheretheArtsfitswithincurriculuminatimeof

continualmeasurementinanageofaccountability,isastruggleformanyteachers.

TherecentcurriculumdevelopmentinAustraliahasseentheendorsementofthe

firstnationalcurriculumfortheArtsinfiveartforms:dance,drama,mediaarts,

musicandvisualarts.In2013Australianschoolsinsomestatesbegantoengage

withthenewnationalcurriculumintheArts.Followinganationalreviewofthe

nationalcurriculum,instigatedwiththechangeoffederalgovernment,the

AustralianartscurriculumwasendorsedforusenationallyinSeptember2015.

AtthetimeofthisstudythestateofNewSouthWales(NSW)hadnotyetbegunto

engagewiththenationalartscurriculum.TheNSWeducationauthority(NESA

formerlyBOSTES,andpriortothat,theBoardofStudies)hasbeenvehemently

opposedtoacurriculumthatisapparentlynotas‘rigorous’asthestate’scurrent

syllabi(ACARA,2011a,2012c).Teachers’willingnesstoadoptanewcurriculumand

adapttochangeisafurthermitigatingfactor.TheAustraliancurriculumpolicy

reformseparatescurriculumandpedagogy(O'Toole,2015),andhaspotentialto

constrainteachers’professionalauthority(Gerrard&Farrell,2013).Thisresearch

exploresNSWprimaryandsecondarydrama,musicandvisualartsteachers’

perceptionsofcurriculumchangefromthestatecurriculumtheycurrentlyteach,to

theincomingAustralianartscurriculum.

Inthetwenty-firstcentury,schooleducationremainscaughtbetweenthebindsof

accountabilityandtheaspirationofcultivatingtheindividualstudent(Eisner,

8

2000).Theconflictingviewsofeducationinthetwentiethcenturysawopposing

positionsofscienceandtheArts(Gibboney,2006;Glassman,2001).Thorndikeand

scientificpositivistsupheldthatwearebornwithapredeterminedamountof

intelligence,andonevarietyofcognitivetaskcannotimpactonanothertypeof

cognitiveactivity(Thorndike,1910).Whereas,Dewey(1934,1938)arguedthat

traditionaleducationshouldnotignoreorevendirectthespontaneityof

imaginationwhichiscapturedthroughtheArts,enablingopportunitiestoproblem

solve,createandreflect(Efland,2002).Inthetwenty-firstcentury,Americanartist

andeducator,ElliotEisnerarguedagainsttheindustrialisednatureofAmerican

schoolsandcontendedthattheArtswereessentialtostudents’learningin

providingopportunitiesforreasoningandproblem-solving(Eisner&Vallance,

1974).Eisnerpromotedthatstudentsshouldbecomethe“architectsoftheirown

educationsotheycaninventthemselvesduringthecourseoftheirlives”(Eisner&

Ecker,1966,p.5).Hechallengedthediscipline-basedstructureofcurriculum,and

theinfluenceoftestingonwhatistaught.Eisner(2000)alsoidentifiedthelackofan

artscurriculum,andprimaryschoolteacherswithnoartstraining,strugglingwith

thedemandsofanovercrowdedcurriculum.

Australiancurriculumdevelopmenthasbeenenmeshedwithinternational

curriculumchange(Alexander,2011),caughtinthepushandpullofaccountability,

high-stakestestingandthequesttoembracetwenty-firstcenturyskills(Trilling&

Fadel,2009).Asgovernmentsproposecurriculumrevisionthatembraces

innovativeskills,theycontinuetodemandaccountability(Berliner,2011)inthe

formofmeasurabletestablecurriculum,harpingbacktoThorndike’spositivistview.

Thuspolicy-makerscontinuetojuggletheaspirationalviewsoftwenty-firstcentury

curriculumwithpoliticaldemandsforaccountability(Berliner,2011).

Internationally,asgovernmentsreplicateeachothers’curriculumpolicy

modification,theysimultaneouslydemandgreateraccountabilityfromeducators

9

throughstandardisedtestingincoresubjectareas,resultinginastringofpolicy

initiativesdefined,developedandthereafterrenegotiatedinimplementation.

ThedriveforanationalcurriculuminAustraliawaspreviouslyattemptedinthe

1990s(Ewing,2012;Piper,1997).However,aseducationsitsnotwithinthe

nationalcommonwealtharrangementsbutratherwithinthejurisdictionoftheeight

statesandterritories,agreementonaunifiedapproachwas,andcontinuestobea

challenge(Ewing,2012).In2008,thedevelopmentofanationalcurriculumbeganin

earnestwiththeArtsincludedinthesecondphaseoflearningareastobe

developed1.Theartscurriculumwasdevelopedbetween2009and2014.Itwas

finallyendorsedforusenationallyin2015.Onestate,NSW,hasnotyetadoptedthe

newartscurriculum.Whilethereiscommentaryonteachers’thoughtsaboutthe

nationalcurriculumintheconsultationreportspublishedduringthecurriculum’s

development,veryfewNSWteachershavepracticallyengagedwithit.Thedelayin

implementationinNSWcouldnotbeforeseenatthetimeofcommencingthisstudy.

However,theartsteacherswhonominatedtoparticipateinthisresearchhave

sharedvaluableandjustifiedopinionsonthecurrentstatecurriculumandtheir

perceptionsoftheincomingnationalcurriculum.

Thisresearchaskedthequestion:

WhatareNSWartsteachers’perceptionsofchangeintheartscurriculumin

theAustraliancontext?

Itaskedtwoadditionalfocusquestions:

Whatevidencefromthedatawillidentifytheseperceptions?

Whatfactorsmayaccountfortheseperceptions?

1Thefirstphaseofcurriculumdevelopmentbeganin2009withEnglish,mathematics,scienceandhistory.

10

EightNSWartsteachers’backgrounds,experiencesandviewswereexplored

throughsixinfluencesonartseducationidentifiedbyElliotEisnerinhisseminal

paper,ArtsEducationPolicy?(2000).

ThedatawasanalysedusingcategoriesderivedfromEisner’s(2000)sixinfluences

onartseducationpolicy.Itexploredteachers’currentpracticeusingtheNSW

creativeartssyllabi2,theirperceptionsoftheincomingAustraliannationalarts

curriculum,andhowtheymightcontinuetoworkorchangetheirpracticewithit.

FollowingthisIntroduction,Chapter2:Reviewoftheliterature,exploresthe

developmentofcurriculumfromthetwentiethtotwenty-firstcenturiesandthe

placeoftheArts.

Chapter3:Thecontextoftheresearch:CurriculumdevelopmentinAustraliaand

NSW,considersthecontextofthisstudy.Itexploresthedevelopmentofcurriculum

inAustraliaandNSW,andthepositionoftheArtswithinit.Itdescribesthe

influenceoftheentrenchedstateperspectiveonthedevelopmentofanational

curriculumandtheresultingstatebasedsyllabusimplementationforecast.

Chapter4:Methodologydiscussesthemethodologicalapproachadoptedtoexplore

theNSWteachers’perceptionsofcurriculumchangeintheArts.Thechapter

discussestheappropriatenessofqualitativeresearchandidentifiestheselectionof

casestudyasthemethodforthisstudy.

Chapter5:Findingspresentsthekeyfindingsofthestudy.TheIntroduction

summarisesthe“who,whatandwhere”oftheprojectbypresentingtheparticipant

detailsandcontextasrelevanttotheaimsofthestudy.Itclarifiesthepresentation

2TheNSWCreativeartssyllabiincludesfourartforms:dance,drama,musicandvisualarts

11

ofthefindingsthroughinfluencesoriginallyidentifiedbyEisnerandbroadenedfor

thepurposesofexploringtheparticipatingteachers’experiencesandviews.The

findingsaredividedinto5subsections:

5.1Influence1:Readingandrespondingtocurricula,thatisconsideringhow

teachersinterpretcurriculumpolicyandiftheyhavetrouble‘disentangling’policy

fromtheirpracticeascontendedbyEisner(2000).

5.2Influence2:OutsideforcesaffectingtheArtsinschoolsfocusesontheimpactof

outsideforceswithintheschoolthatimpactthecapacityoftheteachertoteachthe

Arts.

5.3Influence3:Theimpactofnationalandstatestandardsexplorestheuseof

standardsintheAustraliancurriculumandoutcomesinNSWsyllabi.Itconsiders

howteacherscurrentlyworkwiththeNSWsyllabusandanticipateworkingwiththe

Australiancurriculum.

5.4Influence4:TheimpactoftestingandInfluence5:Tertiaryentrancehighlights

theteachers’perceptionsofhigh-stakestestingintheformofthenationalliteracy

andnumeracytest,NAPLAN,andtheNSWendofschoolcertification,theHigher

SchoolCertificate(HSC),andtheassociatedtertiaryentranceranking,Australian

TertiaryAdmissionRank(ATAR).

5.6Influence6:Teachercompetenceexploresteachers’backgroundsand

experiencesinordertoidentifytheacquisitionofknowledgeandskills,the

developmentofconfidenceandhowEisnerrecognisesteachercompetenceasit

movesfromcertificationtorealityintheartsclassroom.

12

Chapter6:Discussionandconclusionsrevisitstheoverarchingquestionofthestudy

andsuggeststhattheteachers’interpretationandapplicationofthecurriculumis

thekeytoitssuccessorfailure.Theresearchidentifiesthatartsteachershave

sufficientpassiontoadjusttochangebuttheyprefertheauthenticopen-ended

learningenvisionedthroughtheirreadingoftheAustralianartscurriculum.Factors

referredtoas‘outsideforceswithinschool’hadagreaterimpactonartsteaching

thandidcurriculumpolicy.Anxietyamongstudentsandteacherswascausedby

demandsofaccountability.

Followingtheexplorationoftheimplicationsofthisresearch,thefinalchapter

offersrecommendationsforfutureresearchtoconsiderthebenefitsand

possibilitiesenabledbytheAustralianartscurriculum,andhowNSWteachersmay

strengthentheirpracticethroughitsapplication.

13

Definitionsoftermsspecifictothisstudy

Thefollowingtermsaredefinedforthepurposesofconsistencyacrossthis

research.SometermsthatareusedspecificallywithintheAustraliancurriculum

havebeenadoptedforthisconsistency.

theArts

Throughthisresearch,theArtswillbecapitalisedwhenusedasthe

collectivenounfortheartformswithinit.Thishasbeenthedecisioninthe

Australiancurriculum,wherebythefiveartforms:dance,drama,mediaarts,

musicandvisualartssitunderthecurriculumlearningarea,theArts.When

theterm‘arts’or‘art’iscombinedwithothertermssuchartseducation,

artformorartworkitwillcommencewithalowercase‘a’.

Thetermartformisexpressedasonewordinthisstudy.

ItshouldbenotedthatinNSWthislearningareaisreferredtoas“creative

arts”.

competence

Ateacherattainsauniversityqualificationwhichcertifies‘competence’to

entertheteachingprofession.Professionalcompetenceisdevelopedover

thedurationofacareer,throughongoingprofessionaldevelopment,

mentoringandacquisitionofknowledgeandskills(Eisner,1995a).Teacher

competencecombinesthecomponentsofconfidencewithsolidpedagogical

contentknowledgeandtheabilitytoorganisesystematicandmeaningful

learning(Delport&Browne,2015).

confidence

Generallyspeakingconfidenceisapersonalitytraitofself-assuredness.In

thecontextofthisstudy,confidenceisexploredinrelationtoteacher

14

‘competence’toteachtheArts.Ateacher’sconfidenceiscomprisedofstrong

subjectknowledge;self-assurednesstoteachandbeliefinthecapacityof

theirstudents(Hayes,2011).

curriculumandpedagogy

Forthepurposesofthisstudy,theexplanationofcurriculumwillfollowthat

oftheMelbournedeclarationoneducationalgoalsforyoungAustralians

(MinisterialCouncilonEducation,2008).Thecurriculumisimportantin

settingoutwhatwillbetaught,whatstudentsneedtolearnandthe

expectedqualityofthatlearning,thatis,curriculumbeing‘thewhat’and

pedagogy‘theprocess’(Reid,2005;Yates,2009)

learningareasandsubjects

FollowingthelanguageoftheMelbournedeclarationoneducationalgoalsfor

youngAustralians(MinisterialCouncilonEducation,2008)thisstudywill

referto‘learningareas’and‘subjects’toreferasthedisciplineswithinthe

curriculum.

Foundation,thefirstyearofschooling

‘Foundation’isthefirstyearofschoolintheAustraliancurriculum.

‘Foundation’wasselectedasthecommontermforthefirstyearofschool

acrossstatesandterritories,whichincludes:Kindergarten(NSW),

Preparatory(Victoria),Reception(SouthAustralia)andTransition

(NorthernTerritory).Priortothedevelopmentofthenationalcurriculum,

thefirstyearofschoolinginWesternAustraliaandQueenslandwasYear1.

15

generalistandspecialist

InAustralia,mostprimaryclassroomteachersteachacrossalllearningareas

inthecurriculumandarereferredtoas‘generalist’teachers.Ateacherwho

hasspecialisedinone,oroccasionallymore,particulardisciplinesor

subjects,isoftenreferredtoasa‘specialist’teacher.Someprimaryteachers

andallsecondaryteachersare‘specialists’.

Primary

Forthepurposesofthisstudy,‘primary’isanAustraliantermforthefirst

periodofschoolingforchildrenagedfrom5to12yearsofage.Thiswillbe

usedforthisperiodofschoolingthatmayalsobereferredtoas‘elementary’.

Shapepaper

InthephasesofdevelopmentoftheAustraliancurriculum,theShapepaper

isascopingdocumentor‘blueprint’developedtomaptheshapeofthe

curriculumlearningareatobedeveloped.

Consultationreport

IneachphaseofdevelopmentoftheAustraliancurriculum,therewaspublic

consultation,conductedviaonlinesurveyandwrittensubmissions.The

analysisofthesurveyresponsesandwrittensubmissionswascombined

intoapublishedconsultationreportusedtoguidethenextphaseof

curriculumdevelopment.

16

Chapter2Reviewofliterature

Introduction

Thischapterreviewsrelevantliteratureoncurriculumtheoryfromthelate

twentiethcenturytothecurrentstateoftwenty-firstcenturycurriculumwith

particularreferencetotheplaceoftheArtsincurriculum.Curriculumchangein

Australiahasbeennecessitatedbydecisionsoverthelastdecadetomovetoa

nationalcurriculum.However,anystudyofAustraliancurriculummustconsider

internationalcurriculumdevelopment.Australia’sresponsetoitsplacein

internationalrankings,mostnotablytheProgramforInternationalStudent

Assessment(PISA)hasinfluencededucationreform.Policymakershavesoughtto

replicatethedevelopmentsincurriculumandtestingappliedbycountriesattaining

higherrankingsinPISA.

Inthetwenty-firstcentury,thedemandforaccountabilitythroughmeasurable

curriculumoutcomes(Alexander,2011)continuestoconflictwithstimulationof

artisticimaginationinstudentsandthedevelopmentoftheindividual(Berliner,

2011;Ewing,2010;O'Toole,2015).Amidsttheexpectationthatteacherswillteach

prescribedcurriculum,therecontinuestobeaconstantstrugglebypoliticiansand

policy-makerstorationalisetheircountry’sstatusthroughhigh-stakestestingand

inPISAinternationalbenchmarking(Donnelly,2014).Areviewoflatetwentieth

centurycurriculumdevelopmentandtheArtswithinitmustbeconsideredinorder

tounderstandthecurrentconflictbetweenartseducationinschoolsanddemands

ofaccountabilityoftwenty-firstcenturycurriculum.

Anewviewonartscurriculainternationallyaccompaniestherationalebehinda

nationalcurriculuminAustralia.Inpartthiscontextualisestheplatformforthe

currentresearchinthatitexploreshowartsteachersinterpretcurriculumthrough

17

pedagogy.Itis,infact,astudyofhowteachersrespondtochangeincurriculum

sincecurriculumchangenecessitatespedagogicalchange.Theemergingfindings

fromthedatademonstratethatsomeoftheinfluencesraisedbyEisner(2000)inhis

provocativeandinfluentialpaper,Artseducationpolicy?impactthepracticeof

currentteachersoftheArts.

Curriculumbackground

Twentiethcenturycurriculum–clarityofscienceorcreativityof

theArts

TheopposingpositionsofscienceandtheArtsdrovethedevelopmentofeducation

andcurriculumtheoryinthetwentiethcentury.Thescientificpositivistcamp

arguedthatindividualswerebornwithaspecificamountofintelligenceandthat

learninginonetypeofcognitivetaskrarelyhadimpactonanothercognitivetask

(Thorndike,1910).Theopposingviewhighlightedtheunquantifiablevalueofthe

Artsineducationbecausetheydevelopedcreativity,self-expressionandan

appreciationoftheexpressionofothers(Dewey,1919,1934,1938).This

Thorndike-Deweyriftsawthetensionbetweentheclarityofpositivism,andthelack

ofruleorrationalintentofartisticimagination.PsychologistsincludingFreudand

Jungexploredthesubconscious.Theywerelessinclinedtotheconstraintof

Thorndike’spositivism.Rather,theyleanedtowardsDewey’spromotionof

imaginationcontainingtheblendingofinterests,connectingthemindwiththe

world,andtheoldwiththenewtocreatenewexperiences(Efland,2003;Eisner,

2004).Dewey’sstancewasthattraditionaleducationshouldnotignoreoreven

directthespontaneityofimaginationwhichiscapturedthroughtheArts,enabling

opportunitiestoproblemsolve,createandreflect(Efland,2002).Deweythus

criticisedthewidespreadconfusionconcerningappropriatemeaningofprogressive

educationandback-to-basicseducationthatsupportedthe“limitedconceptionthat

intelligenceonlyincludesverbalandmathematicalreasoningandthattheArtsare

18

basedonemotionsandembodiedinthosewhoaretalented”(Eisner&Vallance,

1974,p.12).Dewey’spositionwasthat“childrenlearnbydoing,holistically;where

knowledgedoesnotcomejustfromtheoutsidein,butthechild’sexperienceforms

partofthatscaffoldforlearning”(O'Toole,Stinson,&Moore,2009,p.2).Dewey

aspiredtoanintegratedcurriculumthatmadeeducationrelevanttoallchildren.

Yet,intheearlytwentiethcentury,theruleandrationale-drivenapproaches,suchas

Thorndike’s,defeatedDewey’svisionoftheArtsineducation.ElliotEisner,an

ardentsupporterofDewey’sposition,challengedthepositivistpositionarguing,“It

iswidelybelievedthatnofieldseekingprofessionalrespectabilitycandependon

suchanundependablesource”(2004,p.1).

Althoughitseemedthescientificpositivistpositionhadwontherighttorule

curriculum,inthelatterhalfofthetwentiethcentury,theexperientialandholistical

learningphilosophyofDeweywasextendedbyRussianeducationalist,Vygotsky.He

carriedconsiderableinfluence.WhilstDeweyandVygotskysharedsimilarideas

abouttheroleofeverydaysocialexperienceintheeducationalprocess,Glassman

(2001)founddistinctionsonthreespecificconceptualissues:socialhistory,

experienceorculture,andhumaninquiry.Glassman(2001)affirmedthatboth

DeweyandVygotskyagreedtheroleoftheeducationalprocesswastoprepare

childrenformorecomplexactivityinthelargersocialcommunity.Heconcluded

thateducatorsshouldconsiderhowandwhytheyuseactivityintheclassroomsince

educationshouldbeanactiveandcontext-specificprocess.Inthetwentiethcentury

andcontinuingtoday,thepolicypositioninmanycountriesistoprovideofficial

curriculumwhichis“testableandmeasurable”(Gibboney,2006,p.170).Not

surprisingly,Deweyconsideredtheassumptionthatstudentslearnonlywhatthey

arebeingtaughtatthetimetobethegreatestfallacyineducation.

19

Twenty-firstcenturycurriculum–sidingwiththeArts

SidingwithDeweyontheimportanceofimaginationandactivelearningin

children’seducation,ElliotEisnerarguedthattheArtswerepoorlypositionedin

Americanschools,claiming“Whatwearenowdoingiscreatinganindustrialculture

inourschools”(2004,p.3).Moreoverhemaintainedthatstudentsknowmorethan

theyareabletoarticulatethroughtheformalplatformsofwritingandreading.

Eisnerclarifiedthisassumptionclaimingthat“meaningisnotlimitedtowhatis

assertable”(2004,p.7),andtoenhancethelearningofstudents,opportunitiesfor

reasoningandproblem-solvingsuchasthosepresentedbytheArtsareessential.

However,mostteachershavebeensocialisedintohistoricaltraditions,valuesand

assumptionsthatareattherootofthenatureofourschools(Eisner&Vallance,

1974).LikeDewey,Eisnerclaimedthatamajoraimofschoolingisforstudentsto

developthecapacitytodesignandmanagetheirownlearninginschooland

throughouttheirlives(Eisner&Ecker,1966).Curriculumisunderstoodtobewhat

canbetaughttowhom,whenandhow(Eisner,2004,2008;Yates,2009),yetEisner

(2008)challengedcurriculumstructure,arguingthatthe“centralityofdisciplines

interfereswithmorecreativeviewsonhowcurriculacanbeselectedandorganised

forstudentstoenablelearning”(p.15).ReflectiveofEisner’sview,educators

challengedthe“organisationofthesecondaryschoolcurriculumasagroupof

insulatedcontentareas”(Snyder,Klos,&Grey-Hawkins,2014,p.3),as“teachers

realisethepotentialcurriculahavetoinspireandchallenge”.Howevercurriculum

decisionshave“becomepolitically,sociallyandeconomicallycontested”(Duffy,

2016,p.37).Thesecontestationsinfluencetheorientationofcurriculum,thatis,

towardsthestudentortowardsthesociety.

Orientationsofcurriculum

Differingsocial,economicandpoliticalbeliefsaboutwhatschoolsshoulddoand

howstudentsshouldlearnderivetheorientationofacurriculum(Eisner,2008;

20

Meighan,1981;Print,1987;Seddon,1983).Morethanfortyyearsago,Eisnerand

Vallance(1974)arguedthatthedistinctionbetweenthe‘child-centred’andthe

‘society-centred’curriculumisneglectedincategorisingcurriculumorientations.

Yet,theyprovidedfiveorientationsforcurriculum:cognitiveprocesses;curriculum

astechnology;self-actualisationorcurriculumasconsummatoryexperience;social

reconstructionorrelevance;andacademicrationalism.Twentyyearslater,McNeil

(1996)reducedthistofourcurriculumorientations:humanistic,social

reconstructionist,technological,andacademicsubject.However,thecurriculum

orientationdebatestillswingsbetweentwoextremes.Ontheonehand,curriculum

enablesthestudent’sindividualandintellectualautonomy(Eisner&Vallance,

1974),wherebytheeducationalfocusistherelationshipbetweenthelearnerand

thematerial.Whileontheotherhand,curriculumisaconsummatoryexperience

wherethefocusison“acquisitionandrecallofcontent”(Cheung,2000,p.149),that

is,‘what’istaught.Demandsofaccountabilityroutinelyforceeducationsystemsto

focusonthelatter,thatis,measurableofficialcurriculum.

Accountability,buttwenty-firstcenturyskills

Educationalsystemsdrivenbyaccountabilitygenerateandreproducesocial

inequalities(vonBelow,Powell,&Robert,2013).TheGermanmodelofeducation

hasheldworldwideinfluencewithitsattractivefeaturesoffreeeducationanda

dualsystemofschooling,whichsteersstudentstoeitheraworkplace-based

vocationaltrainingoratrajectorytowardstertiarystudy.TheGermanmodel

emphasisesrigorouscontentupheldbytheconsummatoryandacademicrationalist

orientationofcurriculumchallengedbyDewey(1938)inthelastcentury.

Furthermore,thismodelalsocontinuestoproducehighlevelsofreproductionand

socialinequality.Eisner(2000)refutedthereproductionmodelandarguedthat

ideallyaschoolshouldfosterthestudenttomake,toconsumeandtorespondto

intellectualandartisticproducts.Thisholisticapproachtolearningandteaching

21

stemsfromDewey,andissupportedbymanytwenty-firstcenturyeducation

researchers(Eisner,2003b;Glatthorn,1999;O'Toole,Fleming,&Bresler,2014)3.

Theholisticapproachtolearningandteachingmustencompassboththeofficialand

thehiddencurriculum.Whilethe‘officialcurriculum’istheplannedlearningthat

studentsaredeliberatelyexposedto;the‘hiddencurriculum’isthestudents’

unplannedbutacquiredlearning(Print,1987)whichencompassesthemany

attributesofbeinghumanandrelatedwaysofthinking(Seddon,1983).Eisner

(2004)maintainedthatthestudentmanagestheirownlearningoftheofficial

curriculumalongsidetheiracquisitionofthehiddencurriculum.Schoolsshould

sharethecommongoalofrecognisingthearrayoftalentsthatstudentspossessand,

todevelopandfostercompetenceinawiderrangeofabilities(Eisner,2008).Inthe

twenty-firstcentury,this‘hiddencurriculum’oftalentsandabilitieshasnowbeen

incorporatedintotwenty-firstcentury‘official’curriculumasskills,competenciesor

capabilities.Afurtherdevelopmenthasbeenthecategorisationofcompetentices

intoinnovationskills,whichWinner,Goldstein,&Vincent-Lankrin(2013)have

definedas“threesetsofoverlappingskills:technicalskills(contentandprocedural

knowledge);skillsinthinkingandcreativity(questioningideas,findingproblems,

understandingthelimitsofknowledge,makingconnections,imagining);and

behaviouralandsocialskills(persistence,selfconfidence,collaboration,

communication)”(p.251).Nowmorethanever,educationandtrainingsystemsare

expectedtoequippeoplewith‘innovationskills’asgovernmentsinmany

industrialisednationsrecognisea“connectionbetweentheseskills,well-beingand

growth”(Ewing,2012,p.104).Futhermore,aseducationpoliciesstrivetomake

educationmoreinnovative,theypromote“initiativesbasedonartseducation”

3Forfurtherdetailsee:Cheung(2000);EisnerandVallance(1974);O'Toole(2009a);O'Toole,O'Mara,andBresler(2007);O'Tooleetal.(2009)

22

(Winneretal.,2013,p.25).“Theroleofcurriculumischangingasthepracticesof

governmentshiftandnewtechnologiesofregulationdevelop”(Seddon,2001,p.

308).Astwenty-firstcenturycurriculumpolicyoftenincorporates‘hidden

curriculum’byidentifyingthesedesiredcapabilities,skillsorcompetencies“more

andmoregovernmentsaresigningup,oftencopyingeachother’spoliciesinthe

hopeofoutperformingthem”(Alexander,2011,p.265).The‘hiddencurriculum’is

nowpartoftwenty-firstcenturyskillsevidentinrecentcurriculumdevelopmentsin

Australia,theUnitedKingdomandtheUnitedStates.

IntheAustraliancurriculum,thesedesiredtwenty-firstcenturyskillsaretermed

‘generalcapabilities’4referringtoknowledge,skills,behavioursanddispositions

whichcombinedwithofficialcurriculumassiststudentstofunctioneffectively

(ACARA,2015a).Asanexample,theScottishcurriculumconnectsexperiencesand

outcomestodescribetheprogressoflearningacrosstheeightcurriculumareasby

incorporatingfour‘capacities’:successfullearners,confidentindividuals,

responsiblecitizensandeffectivecontributors(Baumfield,Livingston,&Menter,

2009).WithintheAsiancontext,Singapore(Lim,2015)andKorea(Jun-SeokRoh,

2014;NationalCurriculumInformationCenter,2009),eachhasanational

curriculumthatproposesdesiredoutcomesandidentifiescompetenciesforthe

holisticdevelopmentoftheindividual.Althoughthesecompetenciesappearacross

learningareas,Eisner(2004)andEwing(2010)arguetheyoccurfrequentlyand

naturallywithintheArts.Thesecompetencieswererecognizedbythe2010OECD

(OrganisationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment)MinisterialCouncil

4ThegeneralcapabilitiesintheAustralianCurriculumareidentifiedthroughasystemoftagging.Eachcontentdescriptionineachlearningareahasbeentaggedforappearanceofanyofthegeneralcapabilities:Literacy;Numeracy;InformationandCommunicationTechnology(ICT)Capability;CriticalandCreativeThinking;PersonalandSocialCapability;EthicalUnderstanding;InterculturalUnderstanding.

23

Meeting,alongwiththeneedforanappropriatebalancebetweengenericskillssuch

ascreativity,entrepeneurshipandcommunication,andprofessionalskills(Schmied,

2010;Winneretal.,2013),bringingaboutcollaborationbetweengovernmentsand

industryseeminglyintheschoolcurriulumspace.Similarly,theArtswereincluded

asacoresubjectinthefourframeworkcomponentspromotedbytheUnitedStates

partnershipfor21stcenturyskills(P21),aconsortiumofgovernmentand

informationtechnologycompanies,whichadvocatedskillsthrough:coresubjects;

learningandinnovationskills(creativityandinnovation,criticalthinkingand

problemsolving,communicationandcollaboration);information,mediaand

technologyskills;lifeandcareersskills(adaptabilityandflexibility,initiativeand

self-direction,socialandcross-culturalskills,productivityandaccountability,

leadershipandresponsibility)(Winneretal.,2013).Numerousinternationaland

nationalcollaborativeprojectshavefollowed,identifying‘21stcenturyskills’such

astheAssessmentandteachingof21stcenturyskills,sponsoredbythegovernments

ofAustralia,Finland,CostaRica,theNetherlands,Russia,SingaporeandtheUnited

StatesinconjunctionwiththeinformationtechnologycompaniesCisco,Inteland

Microsoft.TrillingandFadel(2009)reportthatdifferentcountrieshave

incorporatedthesetwenty-firstskillsintotheircurriculumpolicy.

Whilegovernmentsproposecurriculumdevelopmentthatembracesinnovative

skills,theystillrequireaccountabilityintheformofmeasurabletestablecurriculum,

harkingbacktothepositivistviewofThorndike.Thuspolicy-makerscontinueto

strugglewiththecurriculumaccountabilityexpectationsoftheirgovernments.As

governmentsreplicateeachothers’curriculumpolicydevelopment,they

simultaneouslydemandgreateraccountabilityfromeducatorsthroughstandardised

testingincoresubjectareasresultinginastringofpolicyinitiativesdefined,

developedandthereafterrenegotiatedinimplementation(Alexander,2011;Gerrard

&Farrell,2013;Polikoff,McEachin,Wrabel,&Duque,2014;Winneretal.,2013).

24

Ewing(2012)arguesthatstandardisedtestsareineffectafurther‘hidden

curriculum’whichomits“attributeslikecreativity,criticalthinking,resilience,

motivation,persistence,curiosity,empathy,selfawarenessandself-discipline”(p.

104).However,Alexander(2011)argues“theproblemisnotsomuchthetestsas

whatpeopledowiththem”(p.279).Adecadeprior,Eisnerchallengedtheeffectof

testing.

EnterElliotEisner:Sixinfluencesofwhichtestingisone

Almosttwodecadesago,Eisner(2000)arguedthatwhatistestediswhatistaught,

referringtotheofficialcurriculumandthepositivistcampofThorndike.Inhis

seminalpaperArtseducationpolicy?,Eisner(2000)identifiedthekeyinfluencesthat

limitartseducationinourschools:

• Policyistoodifficulttodisentanglefromaimsofeducationor

conceptionsofappropriatepractice;

• Forcesinfluencingartseducationaremostoftenfromoutsideit

ratherthanwithinit;

• Nationalandstatestandardsenforceorleadtouniformity;

• Testscoresdrivecurriculumbecausewhatistestediswhatis

taught;

• Artsareconsideredas‘elective’bytertiaryinstitutions;and

• Absenceofteachercompetencytoteachthearts.

Eisner(2000)contendsthatpolicyisanarrayofideasdesignedtoguidepractice,

yetmanypoliciesaffectingartseducationwerenotformulatedby“artseducation

supporters”(p.4).Eisnerfurtherarguesthatthefunctionofschoolsis“surelynot

primarilytoenablestudentstodowellonatest”(2008,p.13).Recentnational

curriculumdevelopmentintheUS,theUKandAustraliahaveallbeeninfluencedby

25

‘forcesoutside’thefieldofartseducation,intheirformationandinconjunctionwith

nationalstandardsandtesting.

TheAmericandeterminersofcurriculum

IntheUS,theBushPresidencymodellededucationonthesysteminthethen-

President’shomestateofTexas(Heilig,Cole,&Aguilar,2010).Thenochildleft

behind(NCLB)legislationintheUSexpectedthatbytheyear2000,allstudents

woulddemonstratecompetencyoverchallengingsubjectmatterincludingEnglish,

mathematics,science,foreignlanguages,civicsandgovernment,economics,arts,

history,andgeography.Inreality,theNCLBAct(2002)encompassedaccountability,

assessment,teacherquality,choiceandcharterschoolsasexamplesofcurriculum

definedbyinclusivityandmeasurableoutcomes.Tenyearsofhighstakestesting

ultimatelyresultedinacontinualreductionintimeallocatedforartseducation

(Heiligetal.,2010).In2006,theArtsEducationPartnership(AEP)arguedthat,the

Artscontributeto“improvedstudents’learningoutcomes”andshare“equalbilling

withreading,math,scienceandotherdisciplines”as‘coreacademicsubjects’(Heilig

etal.,2010,p.136).Yet,theaccountabilityfocusdrivenbycurrentcurriculainthe

UShasbeenlabeled“apartheideducation”(Berliner,2011,p.296)whereby“classes

ofstudentsaresystematicallydeniedexposuretosubjectsnotcoveredbythetests”

(Heiligetal.,2010,p.136).Eisner(2000)wasrightlyconcernedabouttesting

impactingwhatisactuallytaught.

PresidentObama’s2011pledgeintendedto“helpstatesmoveforwardwith

educationreforms”(Appleby,2014,p.187)throughprovisionof‘relief’fromthe

NCLBAct.However,accountabilityremainedthefocusofthese‘furtherprovisions’,

whichincludedrewardsforprogressattachedtoaccountabilitysystems

accompaniedbyevaluationandsupportforincreasingstudentachievement.

Polikoffetal.(2014)arguedthatthetestingwasflawedbynottakingaccountofthe

26

diversesocio-demographicsacrossschools,andexpectingthe“sameperformance

fromallschoolsregardlessoftheirstudentinputs”thus“penalizingschoolsfor

factorstheycannotcontrol”(p.52).Acompromiseforsomeschoolstooktheformof

awaiverapplicationontheNCLBAct,recommendedtoensurethecomparisonof

‘like’groupsofschoolswhereconditionsofstudentsocio-demographicscouldbe

consideredwiththeschoolperformancemeasures.

TheBritishdeterminersofcurriculum

Schoolperformancemeasuresandtestingforaccountabilitywasalsodriving

curriculumintheUKatthistime.TheBlairgovernmentintroducedanational

curriculumin1998.Testingof7to11yearoldswasintroducedaspartofthepost-

1997standardsdrive(Alexander,2011).Mediacriticismfocussedontestingand

schoolstartingage,challengingwhoshouldstart,controlandendprimary

schooling.TheCambridgePrimaryReviewResearchSurveys(2012)resolvedthat

studentsshouldbetestedbutraisedconfusionoverwhatshouldbetestedby

questioningthecontinuingvalidityof‘basics’and‘corecurriculum’andtherefore,

whatconstitutes21st-centurybasicsandcoresfortheprimaryphaseofschooling.

Additionally,theReviewquestionedthebalanceof“assessmentforlearning”and

“assessmentforaccountability”(p.341).Alexander(2011),echoedEisner(2000),

arguingthat“theclearimplicationwasthatinputandoutcomearewhatmatters

most:manipulateone,measuretheother,andthat’seducation”(p.267).

AccountabilitythroughtestingandmeasurableoutcomesdroveboththeUS(Heilig

etal.,2010)andUK(Alexander,2011)curriculumdevelopmentsupportingEisner’s

(2000)contentionthat“whatistestediswhatistaught”(p.4).

TheAustraliandeterminersofcurriculum

RegardlessofconcernsabouttestingintheUSandtheUK,thedevelopmentofthe

forwardthinkingvisionoftherecentAustraliannationalcurriculumwasalso

27

accompaniedby“nationalassessments”andcollection,managementandanalysisof

“studentassessmentdataandotherdatarelatingtoschoolandcomparativeschool

performance”(“ACARAAct”,2008,p.6).Ewing(2012)considersthatassessment

strategiesarenecessarilybuiltintoanycurriculum,butalsoarguesthatthe

AustralianNationalAssessmentProgram–LiteracyandNumeracyorNAP-testing

(NAPLAN)precededtheintroductionofthenationalcurriculuminAustraliaandhas

generateda“growingtendencytoregardschoolperformancedataastheyardstick

ofeducationalexcellence”(p.103)attheexpenseofstudents’enjoymentoflearning.

Ewing(2012)supportsthepositionsofEisner(2000,2002)andDewey(1934,

1938)thatstudents’engagementintheenjoyableactoflearningisimperativein

anyeducationalcontext.

Desperatelyseekingthe‘enjoyableactoflearning’

Atoddswiththepressureoftestingandaccountability,the‘enjoyableactof

learning’hasnotbeenstatedasanaimoftwenty-firstcenturyeducationpolicies.

Heiligetal.(2010)argue“thiscurrenteraofaccountabilityhaschallengedDewey’s

student-centeredprinciplesbyentrenchingaccountability’sargumentsof

incentives,efficiency,andnarrowlydefinedcompetency…”(p.144).Australian

educationpolicygoessofarastosupportthedevelopmentof“successfullearners,

confidentandcreativeindividuals,andactiveandinformedcitizens”(Ministerial

CouncilonEducation,2008,p.8)butdoesnotusetheword‘enjoy’.Yet,Australian

researchers,Martin,Mansour,Anderson,Gibson,LiemandSudmalis(2013)found

thatartseducationisameansofencouragingstudentsto‘enjoy’schooland

motivatethemforlearninginotheracademicsubjects.Thishasbeensupportedby

numerousmixedmethodstudiesthatalsoreportstudentsenrolledinartseducation

coursesdisplayamoreambitiousattitudetoacademicworkaswellashigherlevels

ofcommitmentandmotivation(Alexander,2010,2011;BakerJr.,2012;Winneret

al.,2013).However,Gaztambide-Fernández,Nicholls,andArráiz-Matute(2016)

28

arguethat“weliveinasocietythatdoesnotvaluethearts”rather“theartsare

takenforgrantedasanimportantaspectoftheeducationoftheelites”(p.30).An

about-faceonschoolreformintheUSresultedintheUnitedStatesPresident’s

CommitteeontheArtsandtheHumanities(2011)reinvestinginartseducation

throughapolicypositionrequiring“governmentstomovebeyondmerely‘allowing’

theartsasanexpenditureofacomprehensiveeducation”and“toreinforcetheplace

ofartsinK-12education”(p.viii).Yet,Reinvestinginartseducation:Winning

America’sfuturethroughcreativeschools(2011)enforcestheconceptof

accountabilityby“employingtheartstoincreasetherigorofcurriculum,strengthen

teacherquality,andimprovelow-performingschools”while“buildingcapacityto

createandinnovateinourstudentsiscentraltoguaranteeingthenation’s

competitiveness”(p.viii).

PolicyrecognitionoftheArtsineducationhasgrown,butthishasnotnecessarily

translatedintopractice(Ewing,2012).IntheUS,conservativeschoolcriticsFinn

andRavitch(2007),supportersofschoolreformincludinghighstakestesting,

reversedtheirpreviouslynegativepositionontheArts,claimingthattheArts“make

uswise,thoughtfulandappropriatelyhumble…helpourhumanpotentialto

bloom…arethefoundationforademocraticcivicpolity,whereeachofusbears

equalrightsandresponsibilities”(Berliner,2011,p.292).BycontrasttotheUS

movetoincludetheArtsincurriculum,theUKhasreducedtheArtsintheNational

Curriculuminprimaryschooltotwosubjects:artanddesign,andmusic.Dramais

frequentlytiedtoEnglish.TheBritishjustificationisthatcurriculumisconsidered

just“oneelementoftheeducationofeverychild,providingacoreframework

aroundwhichteacherscandesignstimulatinglessons”(Departmentforchildren

schoolsandfamilies,2009,p.2).Winneretal(2013)maintainthat“thevalueofarts

forhumanexperienceisasufficientreasontojustifyitspresenceinschool

curricula”(p.249).

29

Curriculum development in the Arts: rigorous orfunctional

Whileartseducationisevidentinmanycountries’schoolcurricula,‘enjoymentand

asenseofwell-being’weregoalsofinstructionevidentinonlyeightofthethirteen

countries’artscurriculareviewedbyTheCollegeBoard(2013)inNewYork,USA.

However,artseducationineducationalpolicyinmostcountrieswaspredominantly

“notviewedasbeinganimportantpartofgeneraleducation”(Bamford,2006,p.66).

TheCollegeBoard(2013)reviewedthirteencurriculafindingthatallincludedmusic

andvisualarts;onlysevenincludedtheatre(ordrama);merelyfiveincludeddance;

andjustone,Australia,includedmediaartsinitsownright.Thereportalsofound

thatinmostcurriculatheArtswerefunctional,beingusedastoolsforcultural

understandings;developingskillsincriticalandcreativethinkingandproblem-

solving,andasaformofcommunication.IJdens(2015)claimsthatpolicyresearch

inartseducationisnotaboutartseducationperse,butactuallyabout“why,how

andtowhicheffecttheartseducationpoliciesaredeveloped,designedand

deployed”(p.440).Itfollowsthatinadditiontoartscurriculamotivationsalready

mentioned,somecountriespromoteexposuretotheArtsofotherculturesandthe

importanceofculturalcontextinadditiontotheprevalentthemeofarts

participationforwellbeingintheirartscurricula(Bamford,2015).SouthKorea,for

example,hastakenabroadernationalapproachtowell-beingthroughthe

applicationoftheArtsacrossthecommunity.Jun-SeokRoh(2014)reportedthatin

responsetorisingsuicideanddomesticviolencestatistics‘teachingartists’were

placedinschools,hospitalsandthemilitarytodevelopnationalwell-being(National

CurriculumInformationCenter,2009).Bycontrast,anotherrecenttrendisthe

integrationofartseducationwithscience,technology,engineeringandmathematics

(STEAM)education,wherebyinclusionoftheArtsisfunctionalasitleverages

students’self-confidenceandcreativity(Winneretal.,2013).Furthermore,in

“effortstorevitalizevocationalhighschools”,theSouthKoreangovernmenthas

30

sought“tosupportstudentstofindoutanddeveloptheiraptitudesandspecialties

sothattheycanrealizetheirdreamswithoutcollegediplomas”enhancingstudents’

creativityandinnovationthroughincorporationoftheArts(Jon&Chung,2013,pp.

23-24).SimilarlyadvocacyintheUS,proposedthe“integrationofartsanddesign

intothenationaleducationagenda”toencourage“innovationandeconomic

growth”,withprofileUSschoolsimplementingthisapproach“includingtheDrew

CharterSchoolinAtlanta,theBlueSchoolinNewYorkCityandAndoverPublic

SchoolsoutsideofBoston”(Winneretal.,2013,p.27).However,Winneretal.

(2013)andothersmaintainthatinternationallyallschoolsplacemorefocusonthe

“academic”subjects,suchmathematics,history,andscienceandfarlessfocusonthe

Arts.

CurriculumdevelopmentinAustralia

Thecomplexityofpolicyinvolvingthe“aimsofeducation”,“themissionofthefield”

and“ideasaboutappropriatepractice”(Eisner,2000,p.4)isevidentinthepolitical

processofnationaleducationpolicydevelopmentinAustralia:

Nationalcurriculumcollaborationislargelyapoliticalprocess,involvingtheengineeringofconsentbytheStates/TerritoriesthroughthecarrotandstickofCommonwealthfunding,orthroughtheidentificationofareasofcurriculumcommonality.(Reid,2005,p.10)

Thedevelopmentoftheconstitutionandconsequentlyeducationalpolicyin

AustraliahasledtothecurrentarrangementofeightStatesandTerritorieseach

withtheirowncurriculumandeducationalaims,althougheachisfundedbythe

Commonwealth.In1968,theMinisterforEducationandScience,MalcolmFraser,

tentativelyproposedahigherlevelofco-operationanduniformitybetweenstates

“inreducingtheunnecessarydifferencesinwhatistaughtinthevariousStatesand

hencetheveryrealdifficultiesfacedbychildrenwhomovefromoneStateto

another”(Reid,2005,p.16).Itwasnotuntilsometwentyyearslater,in1989that

theState,TerritoryandCommonwealthMinistersofEducationbeganthis

31

commitmenttoaframeworkfornationalcollaborationproducingTheHobart

declarationonschooling(1989).In1990,theCurriculumCorporationwas

establishedtofacilitateactivitiesincurriculumdevelopment,publishmaterialsand

providecurriculuminformation.ThatyeartheMinisterialCouncilofVocational

Education,EmploymentandTraining(MOVEET)wasestablishedandthefirst

NationalreportonAustralianschoolingwaspublishedbytheAustralianEducation

Council.In1991,workbeganonthenationalstatementsandprofilesfortheeight

KeyLearningAreas(English,mathematics,science,studiesofsocietyandthe

environment,LOTE,theArts,technologyandhealth).Finalisedandreadyfor

implementationin1993,theircompulsoryadoptionwasrejectedbyallStatesand

Territoriesthefollowingyear(Ewing,2013a;Yates,2008).However,duringthe

1990stheStatesandTerritoriestookthesenationalstatementsandprofilesastheir

definitionalframeworkdocumentsforthecompulsoryyearsofschoolingwithsome

minoradaptationstoexistingcurricula(Piper,1997;Yates,2008).

AnothersixyearspassedbybeforetheMinisterialCouncilforEducation,Early

ChildhoodDevelopmentandYouthAffairs(MCEETYA)producedTheAdelaide

declarationonnationalgoalsforschoolinginthe21stcentury,whichsupersededThe

Hobartdeclaration.In2003,MCEETYAacceptedtheproposaltodevelopstatements

oflearningforthefourcurriculumdomains−mathematics,science,civicsand

English,builtonaprevious‘curriculummappingexercise’whichhadidentified

areasofoverlapanddifferenceintheofficialcurriculaoftheStates.MCEETYA

subsequentlypublishedthereport,CurriculumprovisionintheAustralianstatesand

territories(CurriculumCorporation,2003).Nothingfurtherdevelopedonthe

nationalfrontuntilBritishPrimeMinister,TonyBlairpronouncededucationaskey

tohisagendaatwhichpoint,AustralianPrimeMinister,JohnHoward,tookupthe

issueofcurriculumandconvenedanationalhistorysummitin2006(Yates,2009).

In2008,ayearafterthefederalelectionsawKevinRuddreplaceJohnHowardas

32

PrimeMinister,TheMelbournedeclarationoneducationalgoalsforyoung

AustralianssupersededTheAdelaidedeclaration,proclaimingthedesigningofa

worldclasscurriculumto“developsuccessfullearners,confidentandcreative

individualsandactiveandinformedcitizens”(MinisterialCouncilonEducation,

2008,p.2).

ThedevelopmentofanAustraliannationalcurriculumwastobegin.Curriculumis

essentialinsettingoutwhatwillbetaught,whatstudentsneedtolearnandthe

expectedqualityofthatlearning,thatis,curriculumbeing‘thewhat’andpedagogy

‘theprocess’(Reid,2005;Savage,O'Connor,&Brass,2014;Yates,2009).InAustralia,

therearecleardifferencesinhowdifferentjurisdictionsapproachcurriculum,

drawingonhistorical,geographicordemographiccontexts.WhilstSouthAustralia

focusesonasocialjusticeconcernofinclusivityincurriculumborrowedbythe

NorthernTerritory(NT),Queenslandhasmaintainedaconsiderationoftheneedfor

diverseapproachestoincluderuralandremotestudents.NewSouthWalesonthe

otherhand,hascontinuedafocusonstandardsandmaintainingtraditionsand

benchmarks.BoththeAustralianCapitalTerritory(ACT)andVictoriause

curriculumframeworkswhichgiveabroadoverviewofwhatistobetaughtand

learnedwhereasWesternAustraliaandNewSouthWalesprovideteacherswitha

muchmorecomprehensivesyllabusprescribingspecificcontentandoutcomes.A

nationalcurriculumwouldneedtoresolvethesecurrentdifferences.

TheArtsinAustraliancurricula

ForthepurposesofestablishingtheAustraliancontextforthisstudy,theliterature

consideredintheremainingsectionofthischapterfocusesonthenational

curriculumdevelopmentsofthelasttwenty-fiveyears.Thereviewofdevelopments

ofartscurriculainNSWiscontextualforthecasesstudiesfoundwithinthisstudy

andarediscussedinsomedepthinChapter3:Thecontext-ArtseducationinNSW.

33

TheeducationaldeclarationsdevelopedbythecoalitionofAustralianGovernments

throughMCEETYAincludedsomementionoftheArts.TheHobartdeclarationon

schooling(1989)includedspecificreference:“Todevelopinstudentsan

appreciationandunderstandingof,andconfidencetoparticipatein,thecreativearts”

(MinisterialCouncilforEducationEarlyChildhoodDevelopmentandYouthAffairs,

1989,aim6.h.).Yetthe‘nationalcollaborationoncurriculumdevelopment’andthe

‘mappingwork’identifiedinthedeclarationdidnotincludethe‘creativearts’.The

Curriculumcorporation’sstatementoftheartsforAustralianschools(Curriculum

Corporation&AustralianEducationCouncil,1994,p.166)distinguishedfivestrands

oftheArts:dance,drama,media,musicandvisualarts.NewSouthWaleswasthe

onlystatethatdidnotincludemediaasaseparatestrandorsubjectinthestate’s

syllabi,whichcurrentlyincludesdance,drama,musicandvisualarts.

TheAdelaidedeclarationincludedtheArtsasoneoftheeightkeylearningareas:

2.1Intermsofcurriculum,studentsshouldhaveattainedhighstandardsofknowledge,skillsandunderstandingthroughacomprehensiveandbalancedcurriculuminthecompulsoryyearsofschoolingencompassingtheagreedeightkeylearningareas:thearts;English;healthandphysicaleducation;languagesotherthanEnglish;mathematics,science;studiesofsocietyandenvironment;technology…(MinisterialCouncilforEducationEarlyChildhoodDevelopmentandYouthAffairs,1999)

However,ahaltinmovementtowardsthedevelopmentofanationalcurriculum

ensueduntiltheHowardgovernment,approachingthe2007federalelection

activelysoughttorevitalisetheplaceofhistoryinthecurriculum.Ker(2007)

reportedthatinthe2009CommonwealthschoolfundingagreementwiththeStates

andterritories,historywouldbecompulsory.ThistriggeredlobbyingbyArts

educationgroupsledbytheNationalAdvocatesforArtsEducation(NAAE),which

resultedintheinclusionoftheArtsinthesecondphaseoflearningareaswhenthe

AustralianGovernmentembarkedonthedevelopmentofaNationalCurriculumin

2008(Gattenhof,2009;NAAE,2009).TheArtswasincludedinthelistofeight

34

learningareasintheresultingdocument,theMelbournedeclarationoneducational

goalsforyoungAustralians,adoptedbytheMinisterialCouncilinDecember2008.

Curriculumpolicy-makersoftenfocusonthe‘bigpicture’withoutconsidering

specificallythepedagogicalaspectofhowthecurriculumistaughtandresourcedin

schools(Yates,Collins,&O'Connor,2008).Teachers,ontheotherhand,routinely

considerthecurriculumfromapedagogicalperspective.TheAustralianCurriculum

AssessmentReportingAuthority(ACARA)developedadraftshapingpaperforthe

Artscurriculumandthisdocumentwasputupforpublicconsultationin2010.

ResponsestotheproposeddirectionsfortheAustralianartscurriculumwere

soughtthroughtheconsultationontheDraftshapeoftheAustraliancurriculum:The

arts(ACARA,2011a).Feedbacksuggestedthat“teachersmustdevelopthecapacity

tounderstand,study,andinfluencecurriculumpolicy”(Jones,2007,p.30),reflective

ofEisner’s(2000)pointthatpolicyisdifficulttodisentanglefromthemissionofthe

field.Furthermore,ashighlightedbyEisner(2000)andconfirmedbyRussell-Bowie

(2012)primarygeneralistteachersareexpectedtoteachallcurriculaincludingthe

Arts.Feedbackindicatedareticenceonthepartofteachersfacinganewviewofarts

curriculum.“Generalistprimaryschoolteachersneedthestrongsupportof

assessmenttools,rubrics,checklistsandworksamples.Theneedforsupport

documentstoaccompanythecurriculumwasalsoemphasisedinseveralsurvey

comments”(ACARA,2011a,p.34).AsimilarsituationwasencounteredinScotland,

withtheintroductionofthenewcurriculumwherebyteachersinitiallyreported

“theDraftExperiencesandOutcomes,ingeneral,were‘vague’,‘woolly’or‘unclear’

ontheirfirstattemptsatinterpretation”(Baumfieldetal.,2009,p.5).Therewere

notablyfewerconcernsfromScottishteacherswhoparticipatedinformaltrialingof

thecurriculumindicatingthebenefitofsupportandtrainingtoteachers

interpretingandapplyingnewcurriculum.SimilarlyinAustralia,teachers

participatedintriallingthedraftAustralianartscurriculumaspartofthe

curriculumdevelopmentprocess.

35

During2012,aspartoftheconsultationprocessonthedraftnationalarts

curriculum,32schools(ACARA,2012c)participatedina“moreintensive

engagementprogram”(ACARA,2012b,p.18)withthedraftartscurriculum.

Teacherstestedpartsofthecurriculumassuitabletotheparticipatingyeargroups

andArtssubjects.Followingthetrialandconsultationanalysis,recommendations

werecollatedinresponsetofindings,whichincludedthattherewas“toomuch

contentintheprimarybands.ThecollectivecontentacrossthefiveArtssubjectsin

thethreebandsofprimaryschoolisgreaterthanageneralistteachercan

reasonablymanage”(ACARA,2012c,p.ii).ApointreflectiveofEisner’s(2000)

concernthattheUSprimaryschoolcurriculuminthe1960scontainedthe

equivalentof200objectivesperschoolyearequatingto1,200objectivesoversix

schoolyears.Inresponsetothefeedback,onemajorchangeintheAustralianarts

curriculumwasthereductionofcontentdescriptionsinbothprimaryandearly

secondaryyearsacrossartssubjects.Inprimary,allartformsinitiallycontained

eightcontentdescriptionsperband,exceptvisualartsthatcontainednine.Allfive

artssubjectswerereducedtofourcontentdescriptionsfortheprimaryyears.A

furtherfindingwasthat“languageneedstobeconsistentacrosstheArtsand

terminologyspecificwithineachArtssubject“(ACARA,2012c,p.ii).Acommon

organizingthreadwasinsertedacrosseachofthefourcontentdescriptionstoassist

primaryteacherswithintegrationor‘connectivity’(O'Toole,2015,p.191).InYears

7to10,thereweretencontentdescriptionsineachartssubject,thesewerereduced

tosevenforeachartssubjectintheAustralianartscurriculum.Athirdcomponent

ofthedraftAustralianartscurriculumforresolutionwastheclarityofthe

achievementstandards.“Theexpectationsintheachievementstandardsare

realisticbutaretoobroadandshouldbemorespecific”(ACARA,2012c,p.20).

Followingfurtherrevisionwithnationalconsultation,theAustralianartscurriculum

36

wasfinalisedand,afteraperiodofhiatusbroughtaboutbypoliticalchange,was

consequentlyendorsedbyallstatesandterritoriesinSeptember2015.

Theaccountabilityfocus

Additionaltothenationalcurriculumdevelopment,wasthedevelopmentofthe

AustralianNationalAssessmentProgram-LiteracyandNumeracy,knownas

NAPLAN.Thecurriculumandtestingregimewerepolicyobjectivesestablished

duringthe2008educationreformagendaofthenewlyelectedRudd-GillardLabor

government,intendedtoimproveaccountabilityandraiseteacherquality,to

improveexcellenceandequityinAustralianschools(Rudd&Gillard,2008).Yet,a

highstakestestingregimewasproblematicand“atoddswithagoalofimproved

educationforallAustralianchildren”(Ewing,2012,p.98).Furthermore,inthe

twenty-firstcenturyasgovernmentsreplicateeachothers’curriculumpolicy

development(AustraliafollowedthepathoftheUKandUS)theysimultaneously

demandedgreateraccountabilityfromeducatorsthroughtestingincoresubject

areas(Alexander,2011;Berliner,2011).Eisner(2000)arguedthat“whatistestedis

whatistaught.Andsincetheartsarenottested,theycanbeneglectedwithgreater

immunity“(p.5).Afurtherchallengeforthenear-readyforuseAustralianarts

curriculumwasanotherfederalelectionandchangeofgovernmentattheendof

2013.

TheincomingEducationMinistercalledforareviewoftheAustralianCurriculum,

barelyimplementedinalleightstatesandterritoriessinceitsdevelopmentbeganin

2008.Thecurriculumreviewandmediacoverageatthetime(Donnelly,2014;

Donnelly&Wiltshire,2014a)indicatestherationalist‘back-to-basics’positionof

reviewers,andMinisterforEducation,ChristopherPyne,wherebythecurriculum

focusedontheprovisionofclassicdisciplines(Cheung,2000;Eisner&Vallance,

1974).Opposedtothisview,Power(2014)retortedthattheMinisterwas

37

determinedto“convinceAustralianstoblamethecurriculum,badteachersanda

lackofparentalengagementforourdropinperformance,hewillhavesucceededin

divertingusfromtherealproblem:theinequalityofopportunitycausedbyyearsof

inadequatefunding”(2014para.26).TheMinister’sviewcoupledwiththe

maintenanceoftheNAPtestingregime,perpetuatesEwing’s(2012)claimofa

“growingtendencytoregardschoolperformancedataastheyardstickof

educationalexcellence”(p.103).However,oneoftheMinister’sappointed

curriculumreviewersrecognisedtheimpracticalityofcomparingAustralianschool

educationwiththatofanothercountry,suchasFinland(Donnelly,2014),albeitthat

Donnellysupportedthepositionofacademicrationalism,viathecurriculumreview

(Donnelly&Wiltshire,2014a).

Curriculumdisciplines,theirapparentimportanceandtheirdeliveryinfluence

students’engagementintheactoflearninginthefindingsofthemostrecent

curriculumreview.Howevertheimportanceoftheiractualengagementinschool

educationisnotalwaysrecognised.Winneretal(2013)reportthattheUS

President’sCommitteeontheArtsandtheHumanitiesacknowledgedthatnarrowed

curriculaisresultinginstudentslackofcreativeandcriticalthinkingskillswhen

theycompleteschool.Simultaneouslythecommitteeidentifiedthatteachingthe

Artshadsignificantpositiveeffectonoverallschooling.Recentstudies,includingthe

ArtsEducationMotivation,EngagementandAchievement(AEMEA2013)projectin

Australia,haverecognisedthelinksbetweenqualityartseducationandbroader

educationoutcomes,includingstudents’engagement,andacademicmotivationand

achievement.TheAEMEAstudyreported,“Artsengagementpositivelypredicts

adaptivemotivation,academicbuoyancy,academicintentions,schoolenjoyment,

classparticipation,selfesteem,meaningandpurpose,andlifesatisfaction”(Martin

etal.,2013,p.719).ThisstudyoccurredbeforetheAustralianartscurriculumhad

beenimplemented,yetthecurriculumreviewers,DonnellyandWiltshire(2014a),

38

contended“ThewaytheAustralianCurriculumhasbeendevelopedalsofailsto

adequatelyreflecttheMelbourneDeclaration’sbeliefthatawell-rounded,balanced

educationshoulddealwiththemoral,spiritualandaestheticeducationofstudents”

(p.27).But,theAEMEAresearchersproposedthat“perhapsitisthedeeper

(cognitive,affective,behavioral)immersionintheArtsthathasthecapacityto

impactdeepervaluesandbeliefsaboutoneselfandone’splaceintheworld”(Martin

etal.,2013,p.721).TheDonnellyandWiltshire(2014a)reviewhoweverclaimed

theArts“shouldbeformallyintroducedatYear3”andprovidea“richsourceof

resourcematerial”(p.219)fortheyearsprior.Anironicproposalconsideringthat

priortocommencingschool,childrenexpresstheirvastimaginationsthrough

singing,dancingandtellingstories,beforetheystartschoolandtolearntoread,

writeandnumerate.O'Tooleetal.(2009)arguethat“earlyyearsofchildhoodare

fullofdramaticplay…thenotionofcurriculumisoftenmuchmorefluidinearly

years’contexts” (p.11).Furthermore,theAEMEAlongitudinalstudyofprimaryand

secondarystudents(Years5to11)reportedthatartsengagementsignificantly

predictedtheacademicoutcomesofadaptivemotivation,academicbuoyancy,and

classparticipation(Martinetal.,2013).Artsengagementalsopredictedasenseof

meaningandpurposewithregardtonon-academicoutcomes.Theresearchfurther

indicatedthatin-schoolarts’learningwasmorestronglyconnectedwithpositive

academicoutcomesthanartstuitiontakenoutsideofschool,reflectingfindingsof

previousresearchbyMarshandKleitman(2002).

Teachers,theinterpretersofcurriculum

Artseducatorsclaimthatbylearningin,throughandacrosstheArts,studentscan

learnhowtodiscovernotonlythepossibilitiestheworldoffersbutalsotheirown

possibilities(Brouillette,2010;Costantino,2011;Deasy,2002;Garvis&Pendergast,

2011;Jones,2007;Oreck,2006).However,Eisner(1995a)proclaimedthat“central

totheeducationofchildrenisthecompetenceofteachers”(p.99). InAustralia,

39

Russell-Bowie(2012)reportsgeneralistpre-serviceandin-serviceteacherslack

confidenceandcompetenceinrelationtoartseducationintheclassroom.Brown

andBeswick(2014)addthatthereisaneedforresearchintotheprofessional

learningneedsofteachersfollowingrecentmajorcurriculumreforminthiscountry.

TheAustralianPrimaryPrincipalsAssociation(APPA)statedthey“wouldhave

welcomedaspectrumandarepertoireofpedagogicskills”(Donnelly&Wiltshire,

2014a,p.104).Yet,thebrieffortheAustraliancurriculumwriterswastodevelop

“whatcontentneededtobetaught,andwhattheachievementofthiscontentwould

entail”withexplicitinstructionnotto“considerwhatwouldbeassessednorhow”

andthey“wereforbiddentoconsiderpedagogy”(O'Toole,2015,p.190).So,the

Australianartscurriculumwouldnotincludetherichresourceshopedforbythe

APPAorassumedbyDonnellyandWiltshire(2014a).So,manyperspectivesofwhat

onecurriculumcanprovide,yetinreality,itistheteachersinterpretingand

applyingacurriculumintheclassroomwhoarethekeytoitssuccessorfailure.

RecentexperiencewiththenewercurriculaintheUSandtheUKindicatesthat

althougheachnewcurriculumpromotedthedevelopmentofhigherorderthinking

skillsandcreativity,thedemandsofaccountabilitythroughnewstandardsoften

inhibitteachers’useofcreative,open-endedexplorationsandin-depthprojects

(Costantino,2011;Oreck,2006).Re-investinginartseducation:WinningAmerica’s

futurethroughcreativeschools(President’sCommitteeontheArtsandthe

Humanities,2011)recommended“increasedartsintegratedcurriculuminschool

andagreaterroleforteaching–artists”(Costantino,2011,p.2).IntheUK,Thomson

andSefton-Green(2011)promoted“approachesthatallowyoungpeopletoapply

theircreativitythroughmakingchoicesaboutwhatandhowtheywilllearn”(p.2).

ThispointwassupportedbyOreck(2006)whofoundthatteachers’strongest

motivationtousetheArts“wastheirawarenessofthediversityoflearningstyles

andneedsamongtheirstudents”(p.1).Infact,Australianprimaryteachers

reportedthattheylackedtheautonomyandeventhetimetousetheArtsintheir

40

teaching,withoneteacherstating,“The preparation [in the Creative Arts] takes

time and, as you know, there is not much time in the school day for these sorts of

things”(Alter,Hays,&O'Hara,2009,p.10).

AttheschoollevelthereispressuretojustifytheArts’contributionto“more

importantsubjects”andthat“thefutureofartsteachingandlearninginschoolsmay

dependontheextenttowhichartseducatorsandtheirorganizationsaresuccessful

incastingachievementintermsofbroadergoals”(BakerJr.,2012,p.24).Salvador

andAllegood(2014)raisedthefurthercomplicationforartseducationinschools

wherefrequentlyteachers“whowerenot‘highlyqualified’toteachmusictaughtin

charterschoolsbecausetheseschoolsareservinganincreasingnumberofurban

students”(p.90).MoreoverLemonandGarvis(2013)consideredteacherself-

efficacyintheArtsandidentifiedthat“teacherswithstrongself-efficacyforarts

educationaremorelikelytoincludeintegratedartsintheclassroom”(p.2).

InAustralia,primaryteachersareexpectedtoteachacrossallcurriculumlearning

areasincludingtheArts(Russell-Bowie,2012).Insomeschoolsnotablyinthe

independentsector,theremaybeaspecialistteacherforoneormoreoftheArts.

Thisisunlikelyinoutermetropolitanandregionalpublicschools.InruralAustralian

schools,Jenkins,ReitanoandTaylor(2011)foundthatteachersrecognisedthey

lackedthefunctionandresourcesoflargecityschoolsandthatstudents’

expectationsare“verytraditional/conservative”(p.90).Feedbackfromoneprimary

schoolteacherinresponsetothedraftAustralianArtsCurriculumindicatedthatshe

feltthatthecontentwasreasonableandmanageableallowinghertodraw“well

uponintegrationinotherkeylearningareas”(ACARA,2012c,p.56).However,a

yearearliertheresponsetothedraftShapingpaper’ssuggestionof‘connectivity’or

‘integration’wasverydifferent:

Respondentsindicatedthatindividualartformsshouldbeacknowledgedasuniqueanddistinct.Commentaryinresponsetoeachparticularartform

41

focussedontheindividualpracticesofeachartform,andrespondentsquestionedtheArtsbeingtaughtasonelearningareawithaunifiedsingleapproachstructure.Theproposed‘integration’or‘connectivity’approachinprimarywasquestionedagainwithconcernformaintainingtheindividualidentityofeachartform.(ACARA,2011a,p.9)

Inthepast,itwasclaimedthatteachers’ownbeliefsaboutartsandartspractices

comefromtheirownacquiredknowledge(Bamford,2006,2015;Garvis&

Pendergast,2011;Garvis&Prederghast,2010;Hayes,2011;Oreck,2006;Zoss&

Smith,2011).Individualteachers’owndevelopmentasartistscannotablyimprove

theireffectivenessasteachersandconsequentlyimprovetheirstudents’learning

(Page,Adams,&Hyde,2011).Furthermore,thepractitionermusthave“the

confidencetoshiftbotheducationalandartisticgoals”(O'Neill,2006,p.121).The

potentialofthelearningcanberealised“onlywhenteachers/facilitatorsareableto

holdboththeartistryoftheformandtheintendedlearninginonehand”(Dunn&

Stinson,2011,p.618).Ultimately“thepersonalandprofessionalrelationshiptoarts

educationimpactstheplace,valueandengagementwithartsasawhole”(Lemon&

Garvis,2013,p.6).Yet,responsestotheAustralianArtsCurriculumduring

consultationargued,“Itdoesnotassistanyteacherswithprovidingcurriculum

specificityandguidanceforimplementation”(ACARA,2012c,p.129).Prompting

onerespondingteachertostate,“LookingatthedraftIdidnotknowwheretostart

teaching,whatknowledgewasImeanttoteach?Thereisnoknowledgelisted.Sure,

inmusicwesing,play,listen,respond,reflect,composebutwhatconceptsarewe

meanttobeteaching?Whereistheintellectualrigour?”(ACARA,2012c,p.129).

Eisner(2000)haslongarguedthattheabsenceofteachercompetencetoteachthe

Artsisakeyimpactlimitingartseducationinschools.ThenewAustralian

Curriculumstates,“Thecurriculumisbasedontheassumptionthatallstudentswill

42

studythefiveArtssubjectsfromFoundation5totheendofprimaryschool.Schools

willbebestplacedtodeterminehowthiswilloccur”(ACARA,2011b,p.4;2015d).

Thecurrentstudyaddstotheburgeoningfieldthroughexplorationofteachers’

responsestothenewAustralianCurriculuminthecasestudyofeightartsteachers.

ThenextchaptercontextualisestheeducationalenvironmentinthestateofNew

SouthWaleswherethisstudyoccurred.

5FoundationisthefirstyearofschoolintheAustraliancurriculum.‘Foundation’wasselectedastermsforthefirstyearofschoolacrossStatesandTerritoriesinclude:Kindergarten(NSW),Preparatory(Victoria),Reception(SouthAustralia)andTransition(NT).Priortothedevelopmentofthenationalcurriculum,thefirstyearofschoolinginWesternAustraliaandQueenslandwasYear1.

43

Chapter3Thecontextoftheresearch:Curriculum

developmentinAustraliaandNSW

Introduction

ThischapterreviewstheexistingartscurriculuminthestateofNewSouthWales

(NSW)anddescribestheNSWinputintothedevelopmentofthenational

curriculuminAustralia.Assuch,itprovidesthecontextforthestate-based

perspectivesinthenarrativesofthecasestudyteachersinvolvedinthisstudy.

Asteptowardsanationalapproach

DevelopmentofanationalcurriculuminAustraliahaslongbeenanaspiration.

However,whenAustraliabecameaCommonwealth,schooleducationwasomitted

fromtheconstitutionand“state governments have fiercely guarded their right to

determine syllabus requirements and assess student learning outcomes” ever since

(Ewing,2013b,p.4).Astheoutlineofthenationalagreementsfromthe1980stothe

2008MelbournedeclarationwasdiscussedinChapter2,thefollowingsection

advancesthisdiscussionintotheNSWperspectiveofanationalartscurriculum.

FirstsuggestedbyFederalEducationMinisterMalcolmFraserin1968,itwasnot

untilthe1980sthatallAustralianStatesandTerritoriesbeganworkingtowardsa

nationalcurriculum.In1986,theFederalLaborgovernment,establishedthe

AustralianEducationCouncil(AEC,nowMCEETYA)tobringtogetherallstate

MinistersofEducationwiththeFederalEducationMinisteratthattime(Ewing,

2013b).In1989,followingEducationMinisterJohnDawkins’federalpolicy

statement,StrengtheningAustralia’sschools(1988),thedevelopmentofacommon

frameworkforallyearsofschoolingthatestablishedthekeyknowledgeandskills

forstudentswasacatalysttofutureactionandsharedcommitmenttoanational

44

approachtoeducation(Piper,1997).Thefollowingyear,nationalagreementwas

recordedintheHobartdeclarationonschoolingwithastatementofkeylearning

areasagreedtobyStateandFederalEducationMinisters(Ewing,2013b).By1991

thestatesandterritorieshadsettledonstatementscoveringthebreadthoftheeight

agreedlearningareas:English,mathematics,science,languageotherthanEnglish

(LOTE),theArts,technology,studiesofsocietyandenvironment,andhealth.

Althoughtherewasagreementontheeightlearningareas,tensionbetween

differingStates’approachestocurriculumledtodebatebetween“achild-focused

developmentalismandaninstrumentaleconomism“(Yates&Collins,2008,p.9).So,

thedeterminationwasforaconsistentframework,andanAustralia-wide

assessmentprogram.Theprofilewritingteams,workedfromexistingstateand

territorycurriculatodefinetheseriesofeightdevelopmentallevelsineachstrand

intheeightlearningareas,identifyingwhat“achildwhohadreachedthatlevelin

thatstrandinthatlearningareawouldbeabletodo”(Yates&Collins,2008,p.10).

By1992additionalresourcingandsomeurgencytomoveforwardsawthe

completionofthenationalstatementsandprofiles(Piper,1997).Yet,in1993the

StateMinistersofEducation,lobbiedbypeakgroupssuchastheAustralian

CurriculumStudiesAssociation,rejectedendorsementofthenationalstatements

andprofiles,reasoningthattocompromisewouldproducea‘dumbeddown’

curriculumor‘mediocre’setofstandards(Ewing,2013b).However,allthestates

andterritoriesadoptedideasfromthesestatementsandprofilesalongwiththe

eightlearningareasfortheirowncurriculumrevisionsinfollowingyears.NSW,

VictoriaandWesternAustraliathenadaptedthestatementsandprofilesand

adjustedthelevelstoalignwiththeiryearsofschooling(Yates&Collins,2008).

45

ThepoliticsofeducationinNSW:TheNSWeducationact1990

AnActofParliamentisnotascintillatingread.IamsuremostNSWteachershave

neverreadtheNSWEducationAct1990.However,astheACARAAct2008stands

behindtheAustraliancurriculum,theNSWEducationAct1990standsbehindthe

curriculumandeducationsysteminthestateofNSW.Duringtheconsultationonthe

developingnationalcurriculumand,inthecasestudiesthatfollow,NSWteachers

referredtoparticularcomponentsoftheNSWcurriculum:time,mandatorysubjects

andsyllabus.ItisworthexploringtheoriginsoftheseintheNSWEducationAct

1990tounderstandthecontextofschooleducationinwhichNSWteachersoperate.

TheNSWEducationAct1990waslegislatedatthetimeofthedevelopmentofthe

nationalstatementsandprofiles.Itidentifiestheauthorityforthestate’sschool

education,developmentofsyllabiandtheirendorsement,andthekeylearningareas

forstudy.Italsoidentifiestheallocationoftime,aprominentattributeinNSW

education.

Decisionmaking:theeducationauthorityortheMinister

Sections13and14ofthe1990EducationActdetailthedelineationofauthorityin

decision-makingbythestateeducationauthority,formerlytheBoardofStudies

(nowknownasNESA6)andbytheMinisterforEducationforthestateofNewSouth

Wales.Section13alsoexplainsthatcoursesofstudyforstudentsinKindergartento

Year10“maybechoseninakeylearningareainordertocomply”and“thekey

learningareatowhichanysuchcourseisallocatedaretobedeterminedbythe

MinisterontherecommendationoftheBoard”(“NSWEducationAct1990”,p.13).

6NSWEducationandStandardsAuthority

46

Syllabus

Section14oftheActidentifiesthattheBoardmay,“developsyllabusesforcourses

ofstudyorendorsesyllabusesdevelopedbyschoolsorothereducationalbodies”

(“NSWEducationAct1990”,p.9).Ratherthanre-writeanexistingcurriculumintoa

NSWsyllabusframework,theBoardispermittedbythisActtoendorseasyllabus

developedbysomeoneelse,sayACARA,thatincludes:

theaims,objectivesanddesiredoutcomesintermsofknowledgeandskillsthatshouldbeacquiredbychildrenatvariouslevelsofachievementbytheendofspecifiedstagesinthecourse,andanypracticalexperiencethatchildrenshouldacquirebytheendofanysuchstage...(p.9)

TheAustraliancurriculumincludes:aims,rationales,contentdescriptionsand

achievementstandards(ACARA,2013).TheseareparalleledtotheNSWsyllabus.

(SeeTable5.1(p.154)foranexampleofYears3and4(Stage2)visualarts

discussedinChapter5.3Theimpactofnationalandstatestandards).

KeylearningareasincludingtheArts

Therearesixkeylearningareasforprimaryeducationidentifiedinthe1990

EducationAct:English,mathematics,scienceandtechnology,humansocietyandits

environment,creativeandpracticalartsandpersonaldevelopment,healthand

physicaleducation.AccordingtotheAct“theminimumrequirementfortheArtsin

theprimarycurriculumisthestudyofbothartandmusic”(“NSWEducationAct

1990”,p.6),althoughdanceanddramaarealsoincludedinthekeylearningareaof

CreativeandPracticalArts.TheActidentifieseightkeylearningareas,ofwhichsix

mustbeincludedforsecondaryeducation(Years7to10)andtaughtaccordingto“a

syllabusdevelopedorendorsedbytheBoardandapprovedbytheMinister”(“NSW

EducationAct1990”,p.6).TheseareEnglish,mathematics,science,humansociety

anditsenvironment,languagesotherthanEnglish,technologicalandapplied

studies,creativearts,personaldevelopment,healthandphysicaleducation.

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Timeallocation

TheoriginalearlytwentiethcenturyprimarysyllabusinNSWprescribed“what

wouldbetaughtineachfifteenminutetimeslotoneachday”(Ewing,2013b,p.6)

withsimilarstatesyllabusdocumentsacrossthecountry.The1990EducationAct

statesthat“aparticularcourseofstudymayindicategenerallytheperiodoftime

thatshouldbeallocatedtotheteachingofthecourse,butisnottomakeaspecific

periodoftimemandatory”(“NSWEducationAct1990”,p.9).Thespecificationof

‘mandatory’timesforsubjectsintheNSWcreativeartssyllabiforYears7to10is

identifiedintheBoardofStudiespoliciesthroughtheAssessmentCertification

Examination(ACE).TheACEprovides“enhancedsupporttoschoolsintheir

implementationofrequirementsundertheEducationAct1990(NSW)”(NESA,

2016b).‘Mandatory’timeallocationfortheArtsinYears7to10isspecifiedas

follows:

200hourstobecompletedconsistingoftheBoard’s100-hourmandatorycoursesineachofVisualArtsandMusic.ItistheBoard’sexpectationthatthe100-hourmandatorycoursesinthesesubjectswillbetaughtascoherentunitsofstudyandnotsplitoveranumberofyears.(NESA,2016b)

Thereisnomandatorytimeallocationfordanceordrama.Itshouldbenoted,

howeverthattheNESAwebsitestatesthefollowing:

Alltimeallocationsforthemandatorycurriculumrequirementsareindicative.Indicativetimeisthetimeexpectedforatypicalstudenttoachievetheobjectivesandoutcomesofthecourse.Theindicativetimeforacourseisthereforedirectlyrelatedtothatcourse’sobjectivesandoutcomes.(NESA,2016a)

Bycomparison,theincomingAustralianartscurriculumprovides‘indicative’times

forcurriculumwritersofeachlearningareasateachtwo-yearbandofschoolingin

Thecurriculumdesignpaper(ACARA,2013).

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NSWprimaryartssyllabus

TheNSWcreativeartsK-6syllabuswasfirstpublishedin2000andrepublishedwith

FoundationStatementsin2006.Thesyllabusincludesthefollowingstatement

indicatingtheminimumrequirementsspecifiedbythestatelegislation:

TheEducationAct1990(NSW)setsoutminimumcurriculumrequirementsforprimaryschools.Itrequiresthatcoursesofstudymustbeprovidedineachofthesixkeylearningareasforprimaryeducationforeachchildduringeachyear.Inparticular,theActstatesthat‘coursesofstudyinbothartandmusicaretobeincludedinthekeylearningareaofCreativeandPracticalArts’.Thissyllabusenablesschoolstomeetthisrequirementandtobroadenstudents’learningexperiencesinCreativeArtsthroughDramaandDance.(BoardofStudiesNSW,2006,p.5)

Thisstatementidentifiesthepriorityofvisualartandmusicoverdanceanddrama.

Thesyllabusdescribeswhatstudentsshouldlearnandteachersshouldteachforthe

stagesoflearningintheprimaryyears.Thesestagesaredefinedas:Earlystage1

(Kindergarten),Stage1(Years1and2),Stage2(Years3and4)andStage3(Years5

and6).ThesyllabuslistssubjectsintheCreativeArtsasvisualarts,music,dance

anddrama.Itprovidesasummarystatementofeachsubjectfollowedbyfoundation

statementsandoutcomes.ThesyllabusisaccompaniedbyCreativeartsK–6unitsof

work,whichteachersmayusetoguidelessonpreparation,oruseaslessons.

TheCreativeArtssyllabusforprimaryschoolsfurtherprioritisesartssubjects

throughthefollowingstatements:

ThissyllabusacknowledgesthatDanceisastrandofthePDHPEsyllabus.OutcomesinDanceincludereferencestotheDanceoutcomesinPDHPE.ItalsoacknowledgesthatanumberofschoolsincludeDramawithintheirEnglishprogramsaswellasamethodacrossthecurriculum.ThefocusinthissyllabusisonDanceandDramaasartforms.(BoardofStudiesNSW,p.5)

49

FollowingthearrivaloftheNSWcreativeartsK-6syllabusin2000,anumberof

publicationsemergedtoassistteachersineachoftheartforms,developedby

specificartsacademicsandartsexperts.PublicationsincludedDramaJourneys

(Mooney&Nicholls,2004),Teachingchildrendance(Cone&Cone,2005)andthe

ABCSing!seriesinitiatedin1975wasextendedandrevitalized.Severalvisualarts

publicationsalreadyexistedandmorewerepublished.Theseresourcesusedthe

languageofthenewcreativeartssyllabusincludingtermssuchas‘making’and

‘appreciating’,althoughnotdefiningtimeallocationorprescribinglessons.

NSWsecondaryartssyllabuses

Inthesecondaryschool,thereisanindividualsyllabusforeachartssubject:visual

arts,music,danceanddramainStage4(Years7and8).Additionallytheauthority

specifiesschoolsmustprogramforstudentstoundertakea“mandatory100hours”

ofmusicandvisualartsduringthetwoyearsinthisstageofschooling(Boardof

StudiesNSW,2004/2014,pp.28,36).Danceanddramaareoptional.InStage5

(years9and10)allartssubjectsareelectiveandmanyschoolslimittheirofferings

atthisstage.InStage6(Years11and12)syllabiforDance,Drama,Music1,Music2

andMusicextensionandVisualArtsareprovided(BoardofStudiesNSW,2003).At

thisfinaltwoyearstageofschooling,studentscanselectsubjectsfromthoseoffered

bytheirschool;onlyEnglishis‘mandatory’inStage6.Thesesubjectscomprisethe

units,whicharecountedinthestudents’leavingcertification,theNSWHigher

SchoolCertificate(HSC).TheNSWHSCwasinitiallyanexternalexaminationonly.In

1986theassessmentwaschangedtocombineinternalschoolassessmentwiththe

finalexternalexamination.

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Developmentofprofessionalassociations:givingartsteachersavoice

WiththeformalizingoftheArtssubjectsintocurricula,sobegantheformationof

artformprofessionalassociations.Musicandvisualartshadbeenrecognisedin

schooleducationpriortotheexistenceofformalcurriculumdocuments.Afterthe

successfulUNESCOConferenceonMusicEducationheldinSydneyinJuly1965,the

AustralianSocietyforMusicEducationwasestablishedin1967following

discussionsbetweenrepresentativesacrossAustralia.”ThepurposeofASMEisto

encourageandadvancemusiceducationatalllevelsasanintegralpartofgeneral

educationandcommunitylife,andasaprofessionwithinthebroadfieldofmusic”

(ASME,2017).Similarlyforvisualarts,in1976thenot-for-profitAustralian

InstituteofArtEducationwasestablished.ItbecameknownasArtEducation

Australiaandasthepeaknationalprofessionalassociationofvisualartseducators

“supportsandpromotesarteducationatalllevelsasanintegralpartofgeneral

educationandarteducationresearchwithinAustralia”(AEA,2016).TheNSW

EducationalDramaAssociation(NSWEDA),wasAustralia’sfirstassociationof

dramateachersestablishedin1976(DramaAustralia,2015)andisnowknownas

DramaAustralia.Fordance,anassociationwasalsoestablished.TheAustralian

AssociationforDanceEducation(AADE)beganin1977inMelbourne,later

becomingAusdancewiththemission“toprovideaunitedvoiceforAustralia’s

burgeoningdancecommunity”(Ausdance,2012).Themostrecentprofessional

associationistheAustralianTeachersofMediafoundedin1982(ATOM,2004).The

NationalAdvocatesforArtsEducation(NAAE)wasformedin1989asanaffiliation

ofpeakartsbodieswithaspecialemphasisoneducation(Dyson&Meiners,2010).

However,thereisnoprofessionalassociationforprimaryartsteachersorfor

primaryteachersingeneral.AlthoughDramaAustraliawouldargueitseeksto

supportprimarydramateachers.Atthetimeofthisstudyitshouldbenotedthat

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NSWdidnotrecognisemediaartsasthefifthartssubject.Whiletheprofessional

associationsfortheArtswereconsultedduringthedevelopmentoftheAustralian

artscurriculum,consultationwiththeprimarysectoroccurredthroughthe

AustralianPrimaryPrincipalsAssociation(APPA),notthroughateacher-

representativeassociation.

DevelopingtheAustraliancurriculum:2008to2014

FollowingtheelectionvictoryoftheLaborParty’s‘Kevin07’campaign,in2008the

newlyelectedDeputyPrimeMinisterandMinisterforEducation,JuliaGillard

broughtthestatesandterritoriestogetheragainonaquestforanational

curriculum.ReflectiveoftheCurriculumCorporation,theindependentauthority

formedinthe1990attemptatanationalcurriculum,theNationalCurriculumBoard

(NCB)becameACARAundertheACARAAct2008.ProfessorBarryMcGawAO7was

appointedchair,andleadwriterswereannouncedfortheinitialadvicepapersfor

Phase1LearningAreas:English,mathematics,scienceandhistory.Following

lobbyingbypeakartsbodies,ledbyNAAE,theArtswereincludedinthesecond

phaseofthenationalcurriculumdevelopment.ThedevelopmentoftheAustralian

artscurriculumfollowedthefourphasesofcurriculumdevelopment:curriculum

shaping;curriculumwriting;preparationforimplementationandcurriculum

monitoring,evaluationandreview,asdescribedintheCurriculumDevelopment

Process(ACARA,2012b).

7FollowingtheDawkins’federalpolicystatementof1988,StrengtheningAustralia’sschools,DrBarryMcGawwasdirectorofAustraliaCouncilforEducationalResearch(ACER)andnominatedastheproposedcombineddirectorofACERandtheCurriculumCorporationforAustralia,althoughthisdidnoteventuate.

52

Curriculumshaping

Step1:InitialadvicepaperfortheArts8

Afterinitialworkin2009byanartsreferencegroup,leadwriter,JohnO’Toole,then

ProfessorandFoundationChairofArtsEducation,FacultyofArtsatUniversityof

Melbourne,wasappointedtodrafttheinitialadvicepaperwithcontributorsfor

eachofthefiveartforms9:dance,drama,mediaarts,musicandvisualarts.Itwas

notedbysomeNSWlobbyiststhattherewasnorepresentativeofNSWontheinitial

referencegrouporintheselectionofcontributors(K.Thomas,2015).On3May

2010,theInitialAdvicePaperwasexaminedatanationalforum,whichincluded

over180experts,teachersandstakeholdersacrosstheeducationandArts

communities(ACARA,2012c).

NSWresponsetotheinitialadvicepaper

TheInitialAdvicePaperwasnotofficiallypublishedbutratherwaspresentedasa

draftfortheattendeesoftheMay2010Forum.SomeparticipantsfromNSWwrote

abouttheadvicepaperfortheirrespectiveprofessionalassociationpublications.10

Somemediacoverage11reportedtheviewsofvisualartsrepresentativeswhohad

identifiedconcernsaboutpractice,rigour,timeallocation,resourcingandrejection

thatmediaartsshouldbeconsideredaseparatesubjectratherthanbeing

encapsulatedwithinvisualartsandEnglish.However,therewassomesupportfor

8TheArts,asperthedecisionbyACARAoutlinedintheDefinitions,seep.139JeffreyMeiners,Dance;MichaelDezuanni,MediaArts;MargaretBarrett,Music;ElizabethGrierson,VisualArts.http://acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/ACARA_Curriculum_Advisory_Panel_Members_-_Arts.pdf10ArtEducationAustraliaisthejournalfortheprofessionalassociationofthesamename.MembersofaffiliatedStateandTerritoryOrganisationsreceiveallinformationandpublicationsfromAEA.11Seehttp://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/a-new-national-arts-curriculum/3024558http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/we-need-to-look-at-the-bigger-picture-20100606-xn8i.html

53

adoptingmediaartsasthefifthartssubjectinNSWtocreate“momentumforthe

artstobeproperlyresourcedinschools”(Clausen,2010).But,noauthority

responsetotheInitialAdvicepaperwaspublishedbyBOSTES12.

Step2:DraftShapePaper:TheblueprintfortheAustralianarts

curriculum

In2010,thefeedbackfromthenationalforumwasanalysedandtheInitialAdvice

PaperredevelopedintotheDraftshapeoftheAustraliancurriculum:Thearts.This

draftpaperwasreleasedfornationalconsultationbetweenOctober2010and

January2011.Therewere1603responsestotheonlinequestionnaireprovidedto

ACARAwithafurther166writtensubmissions(ACARA,2011a).Theanalysisof

consultationfeedbackinformedtherevisionofthedraftintothefinalShapeofthe

Australiacurriculum:Thearts,whichwaslaunchedbythethenMinisterfor

Education,PeterGarrettandpublishedonlineinAugust2011.

NSWresponsetotheDraftShapePaper

FormalsubmissionstotheconsultationforthedraftShapepaperwerereceived

until31January2011.TheBoardofStudies,NSWsubmittedtheirresponseinApril

2011(ACARA,2011a).Theconsultationreportstatesthatthe“BoardofStudies

NSWfinalsubmissionwasnotreceivedattimeofcollatingthisreport.Aninterim

reportoftheOffice’searlyfindingswasprovidedon16March2011”.(ACARA,

2011a,p.46)Theconsultationreportidentifies55%or883ofthe1603survey

respondentsself-identifiedasrepresentingNSW(ACARA,2011a).OftheNSW

respondents,557self-identifiedassecondaryspecialistteachersandtwentyas

12TheBoardofStudiesNSWwasrenamedBoardofStudies,TeachingandEducationalStandards(BOSTES)undertheBoardofStudies,TeachingandEducationalStandardsAct2013.

54

primaryteachers.TheNSWeducationauthoritywastheonlyoneoftheeightState

andTerritoryeducationauthoritiesnottoacknowledgeMediaArtsasasubjectin

theArtslearningarea.ThekeyconcernsraisedbyNSWrespondentsweretime

allocations;experientiallearning;languageoftheproposedstrandorganisersand

thecontinuumoflearning.

Timeallocations

AlthoughtheShapepaperwasabroadmappingdocumentor‘blueprint’toguidethe

curriculumdevelopment,allocationoftimeinfluencedperceptionsofsubject

priorityinNSW.“NSWvisualartsrespondentsandtheBoardofStudies,NSW,

expressedconcernthatthedecreaseinhoursforimplementationandtheincrease

inbreadthofcurriculumexpectationsintheArtswillfurtherdiminishthequalityof

artseducationexperiences”(ACARA,2011a,p.9).VisualartsteachersfromNSWand

otherjurisdictionsfeltthatthedraftShapepaperfailed“tomatchorenhancethe

qualityoftheexistingartscurriculum”(ACARA,2011a,p.10).Howeverthereport

alsosuggestedthatrespondentsmaynothaveunderstoodthepurposeofashaping

paperasa“blueprintforwritingcurriculum”(ACARA,2011a,p.10)ratherseeingit

asbeingtheactualcurriculum.

TheallocationoftimefortheArtswasaddressedasfollows:

AllocationoftimeforteachingtheArtslearningareawillbeaschool-baseddecision.NotionalhoursforeachbandofschoolingwillguidethewritersoftheAustralianArtsCurriculumasfollows:120hoursacrossF–2;100hoursacrossYears3–4;100hoursacrossYears5–6;160hoursacrossYears7–8and160hoursacrossYears9–10.(ACARA;2011b,p.4)

Thiswasfollowedbythestatement, “Schoolsarebestplacedtodeterminehow

learningintheArtswillbedelivered”(ACARA,2011b,p.4)andthesewere

“recommendations,notmandatedrequirementsasdictatedbygovernment”(de

Vries&Albon,2012,p.4).

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Experientiallearning

TheArtsareexperientialandexperientiallearningoccursinallartforms(Clausen,

2010;Ewing,2010).However,theConsultationfeedbackreportonthedraftshapeof

theAustraliancurriculum:theartsprovidesevidenceofdifferingviewsheldwithin

NewSouthWalesregardinghowstudentsshouldlearnintheArts.Anindependent

co-educationalschoolinSydneyfeltthatthedraftShapepaperdidnotclearly

identifythe“personalexperience”(ACARA,2011a,p.16),yetbycontrast,thestate

teacherprofessionalassociation,VisualArtsandDesignEducatorsAssociation

(VADEA),stated:that“…experientiallearningissuperficialandincorrectlyassumes

thatstudentsareinnatelycreative…”(ACARA,2011a,p.16).Therewasalso

evidenceofcollusionthroughaproformaresponsesubmittedduringthe

consultation.OnepageoftheConsultationfeedbackreportonthedraftshapeofthe

Australiancurriculum:thearts,quotesboththeCatholicEducationOfficeofWestern

Australia(WA)andasurveyresponsefromNSWwhichincludedidenticaltextabout

VisualArts:

…shouldbedefinedasasubjectinwhichstudentsdevelopknowledge,understandingsandskillswithinpracticeandartworldconcepts.Thisstatementshouldalsoacknowledgetherangeofbeliefsandattitudesstudentswillneedtounderstandindevelopingtheirintentionsandrepresentingideasasmakersofart,ascriticsandasarthistorians(ACARA,2011a,p.18)

Intermsofanationalapproachtocurriculumdevelopment,thecomingtogetherof

nationalteacherprofessionalassociationsinvisualartswasanattempttohalta

possiblechangeofstatusforvisualartswhichwasperceivedas“historically

privileged,especiallyinNSW”andfurthermore,“…thestandingofVisualArtsand

Musicwasunderattack”(K.Thomas,2015,p.300).

TheconcernsregardingexperientiallearningwereaddressedinthefinalShape

paperpublishedin2011.Sections17to20explainthebreadthanddepthofarts

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learningproposedforthecurriculum.TheShapepaperidentifiesthatthroughthe

curriculumstudentswill“learntouseartformspecificconceptsandskillsand

processes.”Theywill“makeartworksbyusingtheelementsofanartform…

Throughdisciplinedpractice,studentswilllearntouseandmanagethematerials,

instrumentsandskillsoftheartform.”(ACARA,2011b,p.5)

Language:Strandorganisers

Thestructureoftheyet-to-be-developednationalartscurriculumwasdescribed:

MakingandrespondingwillprovideoverarchingorganisersfortheArtscurriculumandwillprovideaconsistentstructurefortheprimaryyearsandforgeneralistteachers.Withinthesebroadorganisers,eachsubjectintheArtswillhavespecificterminology,conceptsandprocessesthatserveassubjectorganisers.Inthiscurriculum,makingwillbedescribedinartform-specificwayswithineachArtssubject.Respondingwillbedescribedinmoregeneralterms,whichwillbeappliedacrossthefiveArtssubjects.Thecurriculumwillrecogniseequallythedistinctivenessofdance,drama,mediaarts,musicandvisualarts.Italsorecognisesconnectionsbetweenartforms.(ACARA,2011b,p.5)

NSWrespondentsfordance,dramaandmusicfeltthestrandorganisers:generating,

realizingandresponding,proposedinthedraftShapepaperweresuitablefortheir

subjects.VisualArtsrespondentsinNSWindicateddifferently,onestating,“For

visualartsitresultsinthemostunhelpfullistofgeneralisedstuffwhichtheteacher

willneedtoinventapproachesto.”(ACARA,2011a,p.24)

Continuumoflearning

Thesequentialnatureofthelearning,impliedinthedraftShapepaper,was

questionedbysomerespondents,withregardtomusicandvisualarts.Interestingly

thesameproformatext(fromabove)appearedinthissubmissionfromafurther

visualartslobbygroupsetupinNSWduringthenationalcurriculumdevelopment,

theVisualArtsconsortium(VAC):

57

IncomparisonwithexistingVisualArtssyllabusdocumentsinNSWandotherstates,thisrepresentsanintellectuallyimpoverishedandinadequatebasisforthedevelopmentofanationalcurriculumwhichshouldequipandempowerstudentswithknowledge,skillsandunderstandinginthepracticesofartmaking,arthistoryandartcriticism,andwithknowledgeandunderstandingabouttheartworldandartsindustries.(VAC)(ACARA,2011a,p.37)

ThefinalShapepaperaddressedtheseconcernsinparagraph23thatstates“…Itis

importanttorecognisethatsomerepetitionacrossthebandsisnecessarybecause

oftheprogressivenatureofskillsdevelopmentintheArts.Skillsspecifiedinearly

bandswillbedevelopedandrefinedasstudentsmovethroughthebands”(ACARA,

2011b,p.7).ThefinalShapepaperwasreleasedon26August2011attheNational

InstituteofDramaticArt(NIDA),withapublicannouncementbythethenEducation

Minster,PeterGarrett.ThusthedevelopmentthedraftcurriculumfortheArts

beganinearnest.

Step3:DraftAustraliancurriculum:TheArts

ThewritingoftheAustraliancurriculumfortheArtsadheredtothebroaddirection

forthecurriculumsetbytheShapeoftheAustraliancurriculum:Thearts.From

October2011–June2012,theDraftAustraliancurriculum:Theartsfoundationto

year10wasdevelopedfollowingthestepsidentifiedintheCurriculumdevelopment

process(ACARA,2012b)whichinvolvedsignificantinputfromteachers,academics,

professionalteachers’associations,educationauthoritiesandtheArtsindustryand

community.

TheAustraliancurriculum:Theartsfoundationtoyear10draftforconsultation

(ACARA,2012a)includedarationaleandaimsfortheArtslearningarea,andfor

eachofthefiveartssubjects.Theorganisationofthelearningareadetailedthe

contentstructureincludingthestrandorganisers:makingandresponding,theArts

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acrossFoundationtoYear10,achievementstandardsandglossary.Itprovided

informationpertainingtodiversityoflearnersandimplicationsforimplementation,

andalsooutlinedtwodimensionsspecifictothenewAustralianCurriculum:general

capabilitiesandcross-curriculumpriorities.Bothdimensionswereconsidered

twenty-firstcenturyconceptsandconnectedtolearningareacontent,although

generalcapabilitiesreflectthe‘hiddencurriculum’contendedbyPrint(1987);

Seddon(1983)and(Eisner,2004).SeeChapter2ReviewofLiterature,p22.

Eachsubjectinthedraftartscurriculumcontainedsubjectspecificrationaleand

aims;adescriptionoflearningintheparticularartformusingtheorganising

strands,makingandrespondinginthecontextoftheartform;andadescriptionof

theelementsoftheartform.Thecurriculumcoveredfivebandsofyearsof

schooling:FoundationtoYear2,Years3and4,Years5and6,Years7and8,Year9

and10.Contentdescriptions(whatstudentsshouldlearnanddo)with

accompanyingelaborations(examplesorillustrationsofcontentdescriptions),and

theachievementstandard(whatastudentshouldknowandunderstandbytheend

ofthetwoyearband)foreachbandofyears,weredevelopedforeachofthefive

Artssubjects.

Nationwideconsultationonthedraftcurriculumoccurredbetween9Julyand25

September,2012.Followingthesameprocedureasthenationalconsultationonthe

draftShapepaper,feedbackwasprovidedthroughanonlinesurveyonthe

consultationportaloftheAustralianCurriculumwebsite,andthroughwritten

submissionssentdirectlytoACARA.“Feedbackwasdirectlysoughtonrationales

andaims,structuralcoherence,coverageandclarityofcontent,clarityand

coherenceofachievementstandards,andrepresentationofgeneralcapabilitiesand

cross-curriculumpriorities”(ACARA,2012c,p.2).Therewere608responsestothe

onlinesurvey,somewhatfewerthantheresponsestotheonlineconsultationonthe

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draftShapepaper,and111writtensubmissions.205oftheonlinesurveyresponses

werefromNSW,barelyonequarteroftheNSWresponsestotheonlineconsultation

onthedraftShapepaper.Duringtheconsultationperiodasmallselectionofschools

participatedinthe‘intensiveengagement’,whichinvolvedthetrialingofsectionsof

thedraftcurriculum.TheDraftAustraliancurriculum:Theartsfoundationtoyear10

consultationreport(ACARA,2012c)providedasummaryoffindingsfortheArtsasa

learningareaandforeachofthefiveartssubjectsfromresponsestosurvey

questionscovering:rationaleandaims;learninginthesubject;foundationtoyear6

content;foundationtoYear6Achievementstandards;Year7to10content;Year7

to10achievementstandardsandPerspectivesbyStateandTerritory.

NSWresponsetotheDraftcurriculum

TheDraftAustraliancurriculum:Theartsfoundationtoyear10consultationreport

concluded:

GenerallyitwasfoundtheDance,MediaArtsandMusicdraftcurriculumswerewellreceivedwhereasrespondentswerelesssatisfiedwithdraftcurriculumsforMusicandVisualArts.Ineachsubjectrespondentsprovidedsuggestionsforimprovement.(ACARA,2012c,p.94)

Yet,theresponsetothedraftcurriculumfromrepresentativesofNSWwasmixed.

Earlyintheconsultationreport,aninitialstrengthwasnotedintherationaleforthe

Artsasalearningarea.“Ingeneralthisisaverywell-reasonedexpressionofthe

significantplaceoftheartsinbothindividualandcommunitydevelopmentwithin

theschoolcontext.(Secondaryteacher,NSW)”(ACARA,2012c,p.9).However,the

concernsraisedinresponsetothedraftshapepaperreappeared:timeallocation;

experientiallearning;languagesuchasthestrandorganisersandthecontinuumof

learning.TheseweresummarisedinthePerspectivesbyStateandTerritorysection,

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whichcollatedtheviewsofthestateeducationauthorities.ForNSW,theviewswere

summarisedfromboththeBoardofStudiesandteacherprofessionalassociations.

Timeallocation

Inadditiontocommentsabouttheallocationofhourstothelearningarea,NSW

responsesindicatedconcernatthecombinationofartformsbeconnectedinasingle

learningarea.“TherewassomeconcernabouttheArtsbeing‘clumpedtogether’,

whichforsomerespondentsprovidedevidenceofthissupposeddiminutionof

prominence.”(ACARA,2012c,p.9)TheNSWBoardofStudiesstatedthatMediaArts

shouldnotbeincludedinthelearningareabutincorporated“appropriatelyinall

learningareas”andthat“itsinclusionasaseparatesubjectraisesconcernsastoits

impactontimeallocation”(ACARA,2012c,p.60).

Experientiallearning

TheDraftAustraliancurriculum:Theartsfoundationtoyear10consultationreport

reflectsthemixtureofrespondents’interpretationsofthedraftcurriculumwith

regardtotheperceptionofexperientiallearningdescribedbycontentandskillsin

eachofthefivesubjects.Indrama,aNSWSecondaryteachersuggestedthatthe

curriculum“mustmentionandhighlightthatstudentslearnbyexperience–

experientially)”(ACARA,2012c,p.41).InMediaArts,therewasrecognitionof

innovationinincludingMediaArtsintheArtslearningareaandreservationthatthe

draftcurriculumfocusedon“technicalandindustrialskillsratherthancreativity

andcriticalthinking”(ACARA,2012c,p.51).HowevertheNSWBoardofStudies

submissionindicatedalackofsupportforthesubjectaspreviouslydescribed.

InMusic,respondents,whowerepredominantlysecondarymusicspecialist

teachers,feltthatthereshouldbe“moredifferentiationofmusicfromotherarts

subjects,recognisingtheuniquehistory,traditions,skills,languageanddisciplines

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associatedwithMusic”(ACARA,2012c,p.78).Invisualarts,itwassuggestedthere

was“toomuchfocusontheexperientialfeaturesofvisualartsattheexpenseofthe

criticalandintellectualaspects”(ACARA,2012c,p.93).Theconsultationreport

foundthat“astronglyheldviewbymanyoftherespondentswasthatthedraft

visualartscurriculumemphasisedtheself-experientialelementsofthesubject,at

theexpenseofitscriticalandintellectualelements”(ACARA,2012c,p.84).

CommentaryfromNSWrespondentsontheaimsforVisualArtsindicated

dissatisfactioninthatthesedidnotclarifyhowstudents‘know’.ANSWsecondary

visualartsteacherrespondedthattheaimsindicated“a‘oneway’viewoftheartist

reflectingbacktotheworldthroughtheirartwork”(ACARA,2012c,p.85).Thesame

teachersuggestedthatthis“minimisestheinterconnectivityoftheworld,culture,

theaudience,artist’sbackground[which]haveinfluencedtheartistthemselves”

(ACARA,2012c,p.85).Afurthercommentidentifiedthedistinctionperceived

betweenthedraftAustraliancurriculumandthecurrentNSWsyllabusinvisualarts.

“Makingisprivilegedandthepracticesofthecriticandhistorianarereducedto

merelytheaestheticresponseofanawareaudience(NSWSecondaryVisualArts

teacher)”(ACARA,2012c,p.85)whereastheNSWsyllabusidentifiestheobjective,

“tocriticallyandhistoricallyinterpretartinformedbytheirunderstandingof

practice,theconceptualframeworkandtheframes.”(BoardofStudiesNSW,2003,p.

11).

Respondentsforvisualartsrepeatedlyindicatedthatthedraftcurriculumwas

“overlysimplified”andlackeddepthinthe“practicalandconceptual”knowledge

understandingandskills(ACARA,2012c,p.85).

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Language:Strandorganisers

TheNSWperspectivefoundthatindance,thelanguageusedwasclearandengaging,

showingprogressionfromtheshapingpaperandthedraftdancecurriculumthat

“improvesonaspectsofexistingstatecurriculum”simultaneouslysuggesting

language“couldbefurtherrefinedandmorespecifictodance”(ACARA,2012c,p.

34).Withregardtodrama,thesummationwasthatlanguage“shouldbemore

specifictodrama”(ACARA,2012c,p.47)withsomeconcernovertheadequacyof

thetwostrands,makingandresponding,suggestingthat‘creating’couldbeadded.

Furthermore,therewasalsosupportformovingtothetwostrandsratherthanthe

currentthreestrands(making,performing,appreciating)intheexistingNSWdrama

syllabus.Accordingtooneteacher“Idon’tmindthatperformingissubsumedinto

makingandresponding.Thecriticalcomponentofaudienceisbetterconceptualised

inthewholeprocessofthecreatingofdramaticmeaning”(ACARA,2012c,p.42).

ThelanguageofmediaartswasalsoquestionedbytheNSWrepresentatives,asit

“risksitbeingseenonlyasanextensionofothersubjectslikeCulturalStudiesor

English”(ACARA,2012c,p.61).WithregardtoMusic,NSWrepresentatives

identifiedsignificantconcernregardinglanguage:

Makingofmusicdoesnotclearlydifferentiatebetweenperformingandcomposing.Howarethesetwoareasgoingtobedividedup?Whatisthevalueofeachareaforassessment?Thereisnoclearlinkorestablishmentwithassessmentandweightings.(NSWSecondaryteacher)(ACARA,2012c,p.70).

Respondentsalsocalledfor“useofspecificlanguage”associatedwithmusicandfor

theinclusionofspecificmusiccontentandterminologyidentifiedinexisting

curriculainNSW,QueenslandandWesternAustralia.Theperceptionwasthatitwas

“failingtoincludetherecognisedandacceptedbodyofknowledgeoranypedagogy”

(ACARA,2012c,p.75),thusundervaluingmusicasanacademicstudy.InVisualArts,

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theNSWeducationauthorityandthestateprofessionalassociationclaimedthatthe

“twostrandsofmakingandrespondingsimplifyvisualartsandarenotadequateto

describetheintellectuallearningandcriticalreasoningthatthestudyofvisualarts

cancultivate”(ACARA,2012c,p.93).Thereportidentifiedageneralviewthatthe

strandswereinsufficientfororganisinglearninginvisualarts:“thestrandswere

simplisticandreductive;thattherelationshipandbalancebetweenthetwowasnot

clearlyarticulated;thatthetwostrandsdidnotadequatelyreflectthecriticaland

historicalpracticethatisintrinsictovisualarts;andthatthecurrentstructuredid

notprovideadequateguidanceforgeneralistteachers”(ACARA,2012c,p.87).

Furthermore,therewasaconcernaboutusingthestrandorganisersinvisualarts.

AsoneNSWvisualartssecondaryteachercommented“thelanguageofthecontent

descriptorsisnotofastandardthatallowsmeasateachertochallengemy

students”(ACARA,2012c,p.91).

Continuumoflearning

Thecommentaryabouteachartssubjectreferredtothecontinuumorsequential

learninginthesubjectsacrosstheyearsinthedraftcurriculumandalsotothe

perceived‘rigour’.ThesummaryoftheNSWperspectivefoundthatindramathe

curriculumcouldbemorerigorouswitha“clearersequencingofskills”(ACARA,

2012c,p.47).TheBoardofStudiesstatedthat“Mediaartsshouldnotbeincludedas

aseparatedisciplineinthearts,itshouldbeincorporatedappropriatelyinall

learningareas”(ACARA,2012c,p.60),andclaimedthat“thecontentdescriptionsdo

notreflectunderstandingoftheaestheticpracticeoffilmmaking”(ACARA,2012c,p.

59).Therecentlyformedstateprofessionalassociationformediaarts,NSW

AustralianTeachersofMedia(N-ATOM),arguedthattheelaborationsweretoo

generalandcouldbereadinanysubjectbecausethey“donotgiveexamplesof

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learningactivitiesthatweconsidertobedeeplearning.Whereistheinvestigation,

questioning,meaningmakingintheseelaborations?”(ACARA,2012c,p.59).

Theresponsetomusicnotablycalledforanincreasedlevelofdetailand“greater

emphasisonassessmentandthepathwaysbetweenbandsisneeded”(ACARA,

2012c,p.76).Aprimaryteacheridentifiedconcerninthethree-yearbandatthe

beginningofschoolingstating,“The2–3yearsofdurationforthesebandsmakesit

difficulttospecifyexpectedprogressandoutcomes”(ACARA,2012c,p.72).

Commentaryfrommusicspecialistteachersmaintainedthedraftcurriculumlacked

“academicrigour”,“sequentialdevelopmentofknowledgeandskills”andthatthe

“draftachievementstandardsdidnotadequatelydescribewhatstudentsshould

havelearned”(ACARA,2012c,p.68).

Pertainingtovisualarts,thereportstatedthat“pointsofdifferencethatwerecited

byrespondentsincludedthethreeareasofcontentintheNSWsyllabus–frames,

conceptualframeworkandpractice–aswellasitsgroundingincriticaltheoryand

arthistory,anditsmorerigorousassessmentmethods”(ACARA,2012c,p.92).The

NSWresponsetovisualartsarguedthatincomparisontothecurrentNSWvisual

artssyllabus,thedraftwas“lackingdepth”(ACARA,2012c,p.91)anddidnot

demonstrateacontinuumoflearningthatwouldunderpinincreasinglycomplex

tasksandactivitiesforstudents.Suggestionsincludedtheneedforaclear

conceptualframework,whichwasbelievedtobeessentialtosupportteachersto

structuretasksandactivitiesforstudentsand,withwhichtoassesstheirlearning

andachievement.Thatsaid,theaspirationsoftherationaleandaimswere

recognisedasastrengthinthedocument.“Theyarecomprehensive,butthereneeds

tobeaconsciousefforttomakesuretheytransferintothecurriculum(Independent

NSWSecondarySchool)”(ACARA,2012c,p.84).

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Oneprimaryteachersaidinthisreviewthattherewas:

Norealsenseoflearningcontinuumandfailstoaddressscope,depthandsequenceofvisualarts.Thecontentdescriptionsfailtoaddresswhattheareasofcontentmeanatdifferentbandlevels.Sometimestheyemphasisesubjectmatter,sometimestechnique.Contentdescriptorsdon’tdescribetheknowledge,skillsandprocessesteachersareexpectedtoteachandstudentstolearn.(ACARA,2012c,pp.88-89)

AlthoughNSWfeedbackwasskepticalofthecontinuumoflearningineachArts

subject,examplesofhowcontentdescriptionsmightbeusedintheclassroomdrew

supportfrommanyrespondentsintheprimaryyears.Responsestotheelaborations

acrossthedraftFoundationtoYear2curriculumincluded:“Welldone!IfIwerea

lowerprimaryteacheritwouldbeverycleartomewhatcontexttoteachandwhat

sortofactivitiesmighthelpmetoteachthatcontext.(Officer,NSWArtseducation

provider,Theatrevenue)”(ACARA,2012c,p.56).Otherresponsesrecognisedthat

theelaborationsdrew“welluponintegrationinotherkeylearningareas(NSW

Primaryteacher)”(ACARA,2012c,p.56).

Step4:ResolvingtheAustraliancurriculum:Theartsfor

foundationtoyear10

Validationoftheachievementstandardsfortheartscurriculumoccurredduring

2013.Thepurposeofvalidationwas“tofocusontheextenttowhichthe

achievementstandardsarecoherent,wellsequencedandpitched

appropriately”(ACARA,2012b,p.24)

FollowingvalidationthefinalAustraliancurriculum:Theartscomprisedofcontent

andachievementstandardsforFoundationthroughtoYear10wasapprovedbythe

ACARABoardforsubmissiontotheState,TerritoryandFederalEducation

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Ministers.ThemembershipoftheACARABoardatthistimeincludedthePresident

oftheNSWEducationauthority,whoaspartoftheACARABoardapprovedthe

curriculumtogotoMinisters.

On30July2013,theMinistersformallyendorsedtheArtscurriculum“subjectto

furtherconsultationwithWesternAustralia”13(ACARA,2014).Sixdayslater,the

recentlyreinstatedLaborPartyleaderandPrimeMinister,KevinRuddcalledthe

2013federalelection.Withanelectioncalled,ACARAwasincaretakermodewhich

haltedreleaseofnewpublications,includingtheAustralianartscurriculum.

Followingtheelectionvictorybytheconservativeparty,theincomingMinisterfor

Education,ChristopherPyne,orderedareviewoftheAustralianCurriculum,

includingtheasyetunpublishedandthereforeunimplementedlearningareas

includingtheArts.IssuesraisedbythestateofWesternAustraliaatthetimeof

endorsingtheArtscurriculuminJuly,werediscussedbytheACARABoardin

September2013priortoreviewbysenioreducationofficialsfromallstatesand

territoriesinNovember.TheArtscurriculumwasresolvedandmadeavailableto

statesandterritoriesfortheiruseviatheAustralianCurriculumwebsiteon18

February2014withthedisclaimer“availableforuseawaitingfinalendorsement.”

ThisstatementremainedontheAustralianCurriculumwebsiteforthedurationof

thecurriculumreviewthatisfromJanuary2014untilthepublicationofthereview

on10October2014.

13WAindicatedadditionalrequirementsfortheArtstobeimplementedinthatstate,asstatedintheMinister’sLettertoPrincipalsdated9January2015.ThisincludedanewStaterequirementofyearbyyearcurriculum,ratherthancurriculumintwoyearbands,alreadyagreedtobyallStatesandTerritories.

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FindingsofthereviewoftheAustraliancurriculum

ThereviewoftheAustraliancurriculum(Donnelly&Wiltshire,2014a)was

undertakenduring2014.Aspreviouslymentioned,twosubjectmatterspecialists

wereselectedtoreviewtheartscurriculum.Although,astheformerfacilitatorfor

thedevelopmentoftheartscurriculum,Iwasawarethatmanycontributorstothe

developmentofthecurriculumwereapproachedanddeclinedtoconductthe

review.Onerevieweroftheartscurriculumwastheprincipalofaneliteboysschool

inNSW,andthesecondwasanartsteacherfromagovernmentschoolinSouth

Australia,astatewhichhadalreadycommencedworkingwiththeunendorsed

nationalartscurriculum.Interestinglytheiropposingviewsaredocumentedinthe

reviewofthenationalcurriculumsupplementarymaterial(Donnelly&Wiltshire,

2014b).Thereviewrecommendedthat“corecontent”ineachlearningareaand

subjectintheAustraliancurriculumbe“rebalanced”particularlyinrelationtothe

“deficiencies”ineachsubject(Donnelly&Wiltshire,2014a,pp.202-203).Further

recommendationsfortheArtswerethatthespecialistelementsbereviewedand

thatthe“mandatoryinclusionoffiveartforms”(Donnelly&Wiltshire,2014a,p.141)

beremoved.Interestingly,theAustralianCurriculumneverusedtheterm

“mandatory”,ratherinaneffortnottoupsetthedifferentstatesandterritoriesthe

phrasewas,“allyoungAustraliansareentitledtoengagewiththefiveartssubjects

andshouldbegivenanopportunitytoexperiencethespecialknowledgeandskills

baseofeach”(ACARA,2011b,p.4).Asidentifiedearlierinthischapter,‘mandatory’

isatermusedinNSWsyllabioriginatingintheNSWEducationAct1990.

SomeNSWleaningsexpressedinthecurriculumreviewwerethesuggestionthat

musicandvisualartsbe‘mandatory’,withtheotherartssubjectsconsidered

‘elective’,tobeaddedtothe‘core,’“thusaugmentingtherichartsprogramswhich

mostschoolarealreadyconducting”(Donnelly&Wiltshire,2014a,p.219).The

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reviewproposedthatmediaartscouldbeincorporatedintoEnglishorcouldbea

separatesubjectifsubstantiallyreduced.Thereviewsummarised,“Elementsofthe

currentartscurriculumshouldalsobeintegratedintootherlearningareassuchas

English,healthandphysicaleducation,historyandtechnologies”(Donnelly&

Wiltshire,2014a,p.219).Componentsthatwereneworunknownentitiesforthe

reviewers,suchascross-curriculumprioritiesandgeneralcapabilitieswere

questionedandfurtheranalysisproposedto“identifytheextenttowhichthecross-

curriculumprioritieshaveproducedrepetitionofcontent…haveskewedthe

contentofallthestrands,particularlyawayfromWesternandothercultures…”

(Donnelly&Wiltshire,2014a,p.219).

Australianartscurriculum-endorsed

On18September2015,theEducationCouncilendorsedtheAustralianCurriculum

ineightlearningareas,includingtheArts.OntheAustraliancurriculumwebsite,

ACARAreportedthatithad“listenedtofeedbackabouttheAustralianCurriculum

fromstateandterritorycurriculumandschoolauthoritiesandpractisingteachers.

Thecurriculumhasbeenamendedtoimproveitsmanageability,simplifyits

presentation,andstrengthenthefocusonliteracy”(ACARA,2015b).Thetrack-

changeddocumentoftheAustraliancurriculumwaspublishedonlinetoidentifythe

changesmadetothecurriculum14.Asidefromtheadditionofagenericachievement

standardfortheArtsasalearningareaineachoftheprimarybands,therewereno

changestotheartscurriculum.

14See:https://acaraweb.blob.core.windows.net/resources/Changes_to_the_F-10_Australian_Curriculum.pdf

69

Since2015,allStatesandTerritorieshaveadoptedtheAustralianartscurriculum

exceptforNSW.TheBoardofStudies,TeachingandEducationalStandardsNSW

(BOSTES)wasrenamedtheNSWEducationStandardsAuthority(NESA)on1

January201715.

ArtscurriculumdevelopmentinNSW

In2017,NESAbeganconsultationwithNSWteachersforthedevelopmentofthe

newsyllabusforCreativeArtsKto6.Threeoptionswereproposed.Thefirsta

variationofprimaryenquirymodeling;thesecondthevisualartsaudience,artist,

worldmodelandthethirdasimplificationoftheAustralianartscurriculum,

presentingonlythestrandorganisersofmakingandrespondingwithoutreference

tothefullcurriculumcontentandsupportmaterialincludingrationale,aims,

definitions,bandsoflearning,contentdescriptionsandachievementstandards.The

reportonthestate-wideconsultationwaspublishedbyNESAinMarch2018,

claimingthat:

Feedbackfromtheonlinesurveyindicatedasubstantialvariationtootherconsultationfeedback.AnincreaseinsupportofOption3[makingandresponding]occurredovertwodaysinthelastweekoftheonlinesurvey.(NESA,2018,p.5)

Thefollowingchapterdescribestheresearchmethodologyforthisstudy.

15See:http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/about/who-we-are/our-story

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Chapter4Methodology

Introduction

ThisstudyaimedtoreflectandanalyseNSWartsteachers’perceptionsof

curriculumandcurriculumchange.Theresearchprojectconsideredteachers’

perspectivesasnarrativebesidetheviewsidentifiedintheconsultationfeedback

reportspublishedbytheAustralianCurriculumAssessmentReportingAuthority

(2011a,2012c,2015c).Itwasenvisionedthatthroughthedistinctqualitiesofthese

teachers’storieswecaninterprethoweducationalpracticeintheArtsmaybe

enhancedthroughcurriculumchange.Curriculumpolicy-makersoftenfocusonthe

‘bigpicture’withoutconsideringspecificallythepedagogicalaspectofhowthe

curriculumistaughtandresourcedinschools(Yatesetal.,2008).Teachers,onthe

otherhand,oftenconsiderthecurriculumfromapedagogicalperspective.Teachers’

willingnesstoadapttochangeisamitigatingfactorforthesuccessful

implementationofnewcurriculum.Thepurposeofthischapteristodescribethe

methodologyselectedandtojustifytheproceduresthereinfordatapreparation,

collectionandanalysistoanswerthestudy’sresearchquestions.

Whythisresearch?

Australianstudents’engagementwiththeArtscomespredominantlythroughanin-

schoolandfrequentlyanin-classroomexperience(Jeanneret,2009;Martinetal.,

2013;Neelands,2015;O'Toole,2009a,2009b).Thecurrentstudyexploredteachers’

viewsofartscurriculaandhowtheytranslatetheArtscurriculumintopedagogyto

facilitatestudentlearning.

Thewhatinthisresearchwasteachers’understandingofcurriculumchange.The

waythisstudywasresearchedwasthroughmethodologythatwasbothexploratory

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andinterpretive(Stake,1995).ItspurposewastoprovideabenchmarkofNSW

teachers’responsestotheincomingAustralianCurriculumintheArts.Researchin

educationmust“provideprincipledbasesfor‘knowing’toguidepracticeandpolicy”

(Freebody,2003,p.20).Tothisend,thisresearchconnectsthebigpictureofpolicy-

makerswiththedetailedpedagogicalrealityoftheteachersimplementingthe

curriculum.

Thischapterpresentstheevolutionoftheresearchdesignthroughtheprojectto

addressitsguidingquestions.

Choosingqualitativeresearch

Qualitativeresearchexplores“theworldoflivedexperience”where“individual

beliefandactionintersectwithculture”(Denzin&Lincoln,2011a,p.2).Digestinga

curriculumisacomplexcollectionofconsciousprocessesinvolvingreading,

thinking,comparing,training,planningandselectionofpedagogiesthroughwhich

toteachit(Lovat&Smith,2003).Qualitativeresearchallowsforcomplex

interactionreflectiveofthecomplexityofthegapbetweencurriculumintentionand

curriculumimplementationexploredinthisstudy.Qualitativeresearchis“intended

toapproachtheworld‘outthere’,notinspecialisedsettingssuchalaboratories,and

tounderstand,describeandsometimesexplainsocialphenomenon‘fromthe

inside’“(Flicke,2007,p.xi).

Qualitativeresearchhastheabilityto“focusontheimpactsorconsequencesof

policy”(Altheide&Johnson,2011,p.583).Policyresearchintendstohaveanimpact

oncurrentprogramsandpracticesandineducationaimstodeterminewhatdoes

anddoesnotwork(Hammersley,2005).Inthisresearch,thepolicyisthe

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introductionofanationalartscurriculumforAustralianschools.Qualitative

researchfocusesonevidenceanditssocialcontexts(Crotty,1998;Denzin,Lincoln,

&Giardina,2006)thusthisstudyevolvedasameansbywhichteachers’

understandingsofcurriculumchangeintheArtscouldbeexplored.

Beattie(1995)andAnderson(2002)identifiedintheirrespectivestudiesthatthe

methodologyappliedtoanswertheresearchquestionscould“empowerall

involved”,thatistheparticipants,theresearcherandthereader,byexploringthe

participantteachers’storiesthroughnarrativecasestudy.Similarly,thisresearchis

qualitativeinnature.Whensomethingpaintedoutofapicturebecomesvisible

againitispentimento(Denzin&Lincoln,2011a).Inthisresearch,thepentimento

metaphorisapt,consideringthattheconsultationfeedbackreportspublishedby

ACARAarebuiltuponstatisticalmeasurementandcommentarysuppliedby

educationauthoritiesorprofessionalassociations,possiblyobscuringtheindividual

teacher’sperspective.Thisstudysoughttorevealtheperspectivesoftheindividual

teachers,whichmayhavebeenobscuredbytheofficialpublishedreportsonthe

developmentoftheAustralianCurriculum.

“Researcherscanonlyguessatreasonsforthesepatternswithoutanunderstanding

ofpeople’sownaccountsoftheirbehaviours”(Richards&Morse,2007,p.27).By

interviewingindividualteachers,Iwasabletoaccessthe‘inside’worldofthe

teacher,thatis,accessingtheirlivedexperience.Qualitativeresearchseeksto

understandtheworldfromthesubject’s,thatistheindividualperson’s,pointof

viewthroughtheirmeanings,definitions,anddescriptionofevents(Kvale&

Brinkmann,2009;Minichiello,Aroni,Timewell,&Alexander,1995;Schostak,2006).

Furthermore,“qualitativedesignisnotusuallypre-emptive”(Richards&Morse,

2007,p.73).Rather,qualitativedataisdescriptivedataconsistingoftext,written

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andspokenwordsconcernedwithmeaningasseenbytheparticipantsand

researchedthroughaninductiveprocess(Bogdan&Biklen,1998;Stake,1995).

Qualitativedesignincorporatesexplorationofevolvingsocialexperienceandcannot

relyonquantitativeprocessessuchascomparisonoffrequencyormeasurement

acrosssubjectsorcategories(Lincoln,Lynham,&Guba,2011;Maxwell&Loomis,

2003;Tashakkori&Teddlie,2003).Withthisinmind,thisresearchdrewuponthe

meaningsandprocessesthroughwhichteachersperceivedthedifferencesand

similaritiesbetweentheNSWcreativeartssyllabiandtheAustraliancurriculum:The

arts.Stake(1995)andYin(2003)highlighttheimportanceofqualitativeinquiryas

ameanstoexploreunderstandingsandthereforetoextrapolateassociated

interpretations.

Thefocusofthequalitativeresearcher

Qualitativeresearchersseektounpickhowpeopleconstructtheworldaround

them,whattheyaredoingorwhatishappeningtothemintermsthatare

meaningfulandthatofferrichinsight.Interactionanddocumentsareseenasways

ofconstitutingsocialprocessesandartefactscollaboratively,orconflictingly(Gibbs,

2007).

Thisstudysoughtto‘unpick’teachers’understandingsandextrapolatetheir

associatedinterpretationsofthenationalcurriculumintheArts.Thereforethe

qualitativeparadigmwasdeemedappropriatetothecurrentstudywithitsintentto

“focusonunderstandingagivensocialsetting,notnecessarilyonmaking

predictionsaboutthesetting”(Janesick,1994,p.12).Thestudyisdescriptiveand

interpretiveratherthanfocussedoninformationthatisquantifiableandpredictive

(Cassell&Symon,1994).Qualitativemethodswereselectedforthisreason,thatis

toexploredifferentteachers’pointsofviewaboutcurriculumchangeintheArts.

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Thequalitativeresearchinthisstudyischaracterisedbyconcernwith

understandinghumanbehaviourfromtheparticipant’sperspective.

Datawascollectedthroughsemi-structuredinterviews,analysedbythemesfrom

descriptionsbytheparticipantsandreportedinthevoiceoftheparticipant

(Minichielloetal.,1995;Wells,2011).

Theoriesunderpinningqualitativeresearchdesign

Thisresearchwasdirectedbyaconstructivistapproach.Constructivismis

contingentuponhumanpracticesinthesocialworld.Knowledgebeingconstructed

inandoutofinteractionbetweenhumanbeingssothereisneitherobjectrealitynor

objectivetruth(MAnderson,2002;Denzin&Lincoln,2011b;Kincheloe,2001;

Lincolnetal.,2011).Thisresearchtookaconstructionistviewofknowledge

whereby“meaningsareconstructedbyhumanbeingsastheyengagewiththeworld

theyareinterpreting”(Crotty,1998,p.43).Thestudytookthisviewtoobtaina

subjectiveunderstandingoftheparticipants’perspectives.Inordertoconstruct

intrinsicallyvaluableknowledge(Herron&Reason,1997)theroleoftheresearcher

was“tounderstandthemultiplesocialconstructionsofmeaningandknowledge”

(Robson,2002,p.27).Thereforetheresearchusedinterviewstoexplorethe

participatingteachers’personalperspectivesaboutcurriculumchange.

“Realitiesexistintheformofmultiplementalconstructions,sociallyand

experientiallybased,localandspecific,dependentfortheirformandcontentonthe

personwhoholdsthem”(Guba,1990,p.102;Lincolnetal.,2011).Thisresearch

bringstogetherthepractices,understandingsofandpreconceptionsabout

curriculumheldbyArtsteacherswiththeirdiscoveriesaboutthenewcurriculum

throughthediscursiveinteractionininterviewswiththeresearcher.Thismeans

thattherealitythattheseteachersexperiencewithregardtocurriculumchangeisa

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constructedonebasedontheirinterpretationsoftheirpersonalexperienceand

theirinteractionwiththeresearch(Sarantakos,2005).

Theoryofconstructivism

Withinsocialcontexts,meaningsareconstructedthroughsharedunderstandings

andpractices,thatis“weconstructknowledgethroughourinteractionswithother

membersofsociety”(Lincolnetal.,2011,p.103).Aconstructivistontology

identifiesthatindividualexperiencesofthesamerealitypresentmultiplesocially

constructedrealitiesandprovidecompetinginterpretationsofthesamereality

(Denzin&Lincoln,2011a;Freeman,2007;Kincheloe,2001).Meaningsemergefrom

people’sinteractionwiththeworld.Stake(1995)definesconstructionofrealityin

termsofthreerealities:thatwhichtheindividualexperiencesandinterprets,that

whichweinterpretinconsultationwithothersandthatwhichweinterpretand

verifythroughasocialuniverseofintegratedinterpretations.Additionallythe

“constructionofrealitiesmustdependonsomeformofconsensuallanguage”(Guba

&Lincoln,1985,p.71).Thismeansthattherealitytheseteachersexperiencedin

theirpracticeandperceptionofcurriculumchangewasaconstructedrealitybased

ontheirowninterpretations(Sarantakos,2005).“Particularphenomenacanbe

studiedintheirownrightortoprovideinformationonabroadrangeofsimilar

phenomena”(Evans&Gruba,2002,p.92).Therefore,casestudyapproachisa

meanstoconstructtheory.Thecasestudiesinthisresearchalignwith

constructivismsincetheseinterpretivecasestudiesillustrateastandpoint(Denzin

&Lincoln,2011a)thatbeingtheindividualteachers’viewsoftheArtswithin

curriculumandhowtheytakecurriculumintopedagogy.

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Theresearcher

Themanymethodologicalpracticesofqualitativeresearchmaybeseenasbricolage

andtheresearcherthemselfasthebricoleur,thatisaJack-of-all-trades(Kincheloe&

Berry,2004;Lincolnetal.,2011).Asbricoleur,thequalitativeresearchermust

weavewhatevertools,strategiesandmaterialsareavailabletopiecetogetherthe

complexityandunpredictabilityoftheculturaldomain(Kincheloe&Berry,2004;

LeviStrauss,1966;Lincolnetal.,2011).Bycontrasttothescientistorquantitative

researcher,thebricoleuracquiresandassemblestoolsandmaterials,patternsand

practiceswhich“elucidatethebricolagewhichhasbeenconstructedtofitthe

question”(MAnderson,2002,p.86).Eachisanoptionkeptuntilitcanbeused.

Thesetools,materials,patterns,practicesandthebricoleur’spurposeare

progressivelyshapedbyeachotherandtheirpropertiesareuncoveredthroughthe

process(Freeman,2007),whereinthetheoreticaldomainisconnectedtothelived

worldandembracesthemultiplicityofinputstoavoidthereductionismofasingle-

viewmethodology(Kincheloe&Berry,2004).Thisallowsfor“thickdescription”

(Kvale&Brinkmann,2009,p.67)tounlockwhattheexperienceoftheindividual

wouldconveyavoidingthereductionismofdescribingjustthefunctionalroleofthe

individual(Kincheloe&Berry,2004;LéviStrauss,1966;Stake,1995).

Freeman’s(2007)researchinpublicadministrationexplainsthatbricolageisthe

everydaypracticeofpolicy-makersandpractitioners.Thatis,thegatheringand

assemblingdifferentwaysofknowing,andthatinknowingthattheyaredoingthis

offerstheprospectofdoingsomoreappropriatelyandconstructively.Similarly

KincheloeandBerry(2004)maintainthatthebricoleur’sawarenessofthe

discursivepracticesinwhichselfortextisembeddedandoperatecreatethe

discourseandcontextwhicharethecentraldimensionoftheinterpretativeact.The

bricoleurunderstandsthesubjectivityofdifferentperspectivesandthereforecan

elicitfundamentallydifferentinterpretations.

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DiDomenico,HaughandTracey(2010)identifythekeyconstructsofbricolageas

makingdo,arefusaltobeconstrainedbylimitations,andimprovisation,accompanied

bythreefurtherconstructsassociatedwithsocialentrepreneurshipwhichthe

authorsdefineas,socialvaluecreation,stakeholderparticipation,andpersuasion.

Throughtheirmultiplecasequalitativestudy,DiDomenicoetal.(2010)proposean

extendedtheoreticalframeworkofsocialbricolage,whichtheyclaim“respondsto

theunmetneedsofcommunitiesbymakingdoandcreatingsomethingfrom

nothing”(p.699).Thecurrentstudyrequiredtheresearcherasbricoleurtogather

andassemblethedifferentperspectivesoftheteachersenablingdifferent

interpretationsofthecurriculumthussimultaneouslyrespondingtotheunheard

voicesofindividualteachers.

Choosingamethodologywithinqualitative research:Casestudyapproach

Theresearchquestionrequiredamethodologythatenabledteachervoicestobe

heardand“theirstoriestocreateexpressivelypatternedqualities”(Eisner,1978,p.

198).Thisqualitativeresearchmethodologyiscase-basedstudy.Itrequiresboth

descriptionandinterpretationofcomparablenarratives.Theintentionofacase

study,broadlyspeaking,isto“putinplaceaninquiryinwhichbothresearchersand

educatorscanreflectuponparticularinstancesofeducationalpractice”(Freebody,

2003,p.81).

Casestudy“contributestoourknowledgeofindividual,grouporganisational,social,

politicalandrelatedphenomena”(Yin,2009,p.3).Yin(1994)furtherdefinescase

studyas“anempiricalinquirythatinvestigatesacontemporaryphenomenonwithin

itsreallifecontextespeciallywhentheboundariesbetweenthephenomenaandthe

contextarenotclearlyevident”(p.13).Thedistinctivefeaturesofcasestudydesign

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weremostusefulforthisstudy(G.Thomas,2010).Casestudyhonourstheexpertise

oftheindividualparticipantsintheiruniquesituationswhichmaypresentsome

commonalityandprovideasample,whichmayberepresentativeofalarger

population(O'Toole,2006;Stake,1995;Yin,2003).O'Toole(2006)andBulduand

Shaban(2010)assertthatfollowingcasestudy,futureresearchshouldincludea

largersampletoimprovegeneralizability.Theopinionsofthecasestudy

participantsinthisparticularstudyreflectsome,andopposeotherviewsexpressed

intheconsultationreports,whichcollatethewideconsultationconductedbythe

AustralianCurriculumAssessmentReportingAuthority(2011a,2012c,2015c).

Themainstrengthofqualitativeinquiryintheformofcasestudyisdepthof

understandingwhereasthestrengthofquantitativeinquirythroughstatistical

methodsisthemeasurablebreadth(Flyvbjerg,2011;Stake,1995;Yin,2003).The

depthofcasestudyenablesunderstandingofcontextandprocess,andwhatcauses

aphenomenon.Highconceptualvaliditycomesfromexploringthelinksbetween

causeandoutcome,thatis“thecomplexinterrelationshipsamongallthatexists”

(Stake,1995,p.37),whereasstatisticalmethodsprovidebreadth,understandingof

howwidespreadaphenomenonisacrossapopulation,measuresofcorrelationfor

populationsofcasesandestablishesprobabilisticlevelsofconfidence(Flyvbjerg,

2011).Thenarrowperspectiveenabledthroughcasestudyfostersnewhypotheses

andnewresearchquestions(Flyvbjerg,2011;Stake,1995,2005).Theexplorationof

aphenomenon,thatbeingindividualteacher’sexperience,practiceandperception

ofcurriculumchange,throughaseriesofcasesenablesbetterunderstandingofeach

case,andsupportstheorisingaboutalargercollectionofcases(Stake,2005).

Flyvberg(2011)contendsthatcasestudyisnomorelikelytobiastowardsthe

researcher’spreconceptionsthananyothermethodofinquiry.

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IstructuredmystudyaccordingtoStake’s(2005)multiplecasestudiesboundbya

phenomenon,conditionorobjectinacontextorsetting.Inthisresearch,thecases

weretheindividualteacher’sresponsestotheobject,beingcurriculum,inthe

contextorsettingofthestateofNSW.Collectivelytheteachercasescomprisethe

casestudyofNSWartsteachers.

Theresearchquestion

InresponsetothedevelopmentofacurriculumintheArts,thefollowingresearch

questionwasconstructed.

WhatareNSWartsteachers’perceptionsofchangeintheartscurriculumin

theAustraliancontext?

Theassociatedsub-questionswere:

Whatevidencefromthedatawillidentifytheseperceptions?

Whatfactorsmayaccountfortheseperceptions?

Intheresearchquestion,thewordperceptions,promotestheanticipatoryposition

ofteacherswiththecurriculumunderdevelopmentandnotyet‘lived’bythe

teachers.Thisvaluesthebreadthofteacherknowledgefromthesubjectivityofthe

participantteachers’describedrealitiesandlivedreflection.

Subjectivity

Astheresearcher,IwasseekingtoshowhowNSWartsteachersperceive

curriculumchange.Policyconsultationreports(ACARA,2011a,2012c,2015c)

providestatisticalmeasurementofresponsestothesurveysonthedraftcurriculum.

Thisobjectiverealitymaysatisfyaconstructivistviewofageneralphenomenon,but

simultaneouslyobscuresthesubjectiverealitiesofindividualteachers.Whereas

such‘objective’reportsprovidequantitativedataofcategoriesofteachers,this

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researchinvestigatedthesubjectiverealitiesoftheseteachersasindividualswhere

throughtheirnarratives“thepatternsthatemergeprovidematerialforcontrast,

comparisonandanalysis”(MAnderson,2002,p.86).Explorationof‘subjective’

realitiesincases,enablesalternativeunderstandingsofthesameeventtobe

considered,ratherthanconfirmingasinglemeaning(Winston,2006).

Denzinetal.(2006)identifythattheresearcherasthemoralinquirerwho“buildsa

collaborative,reciprocal,trusting,mutuallyaccountablerelationshipwiththose

studied”(p.776).“Thecharacteristicsoftheinterviewer,suchastheiridentityor

backgroundinfluencehowtheintervieweerespondinqualitativeresearch”

(Hennink,Hutter,&Bailey,2001,p123).Collins(1998)offersfourcriteriawithin

thesubjectivityoftheresearcher:primacyofthelivedexperience;dialogue;an

ethicsofcare;andanethicsofresponsibilityforinterpretingclaimsofknowledge

andtruth.O'Toole(2006)arguesthat“nobodycomestoresearchneutral”(p.34).

Theresearcher’sownlivedexperience,empathy,personalbeliefsandvalues,

perspectives,ideologiesandassumptionswillultimatelyinfluenceinterpretation

(Edwards&Maunther,2002;Gardiner,2014;Jefferson,2011;O'Toole,2006).

Additionallythisstudywasbasedonindividualteachers’narrativesabouttheir

viewsandpracticesandassuchwassituatedinthesubjectiverealmoftheteachers’

livedexperience.ClandininandRosiek(2007)andMAnderson(2002)identifythe

importanceofresearcherslisteningtothesubjectiveexperienceinpeople’sstories

asmeanstoidentifynewpossibilitiesthatexperiencemayelucidate.LikeM

Anderson(2002),whowas“notseekingan‘objective’reality”(p.104),inthisstudy

Iwasseekingtoexploretheindividualteachers’subjectiveresponsestothe

incomingnationalcurriculumforcomparisonorcontrasttothecollatedsubjective

findingsreportedintheconsultationreportsprovidedbyACARA(2011a,2012c).

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ValidityandReliability

Testingandincreasingthevalidity,reliability,trustworthiness,qualityandrigour

aresignificanttotheresearchinanyparadigmifsuchmattersaremeantto

distinguish'good'from'bad'research(Golafshani,2003).

Qualitativeresearchdoesnotnaturallyconformtoscientificstandardsofreliability

andvalidity.However,likeallcredibleresearchitmustdemonstratetheexpected

rigorouscriticalstandards(Silverman,2006;Stake,1995).Hammersley(2008)

identifiedthatallqualitativeresearchers’claimsneedtobesufficientlysupported

byevidenceinordertobeassessedintermsofvalidity.Winneretal.(2013)explain

thatvalidityinqualitativeresearchislocatedintheintentionsandprocessesofthe

researchmethodologies.

Inusingnarrativeaccountsfromparticipants,theresearcheraimstounderstandthe

meaningsattachedbytheparticipantsratherthantodiscoveriftheaccountsare

“accuratereflectionsofactualevents”(Polkinghorne,2007,p.479).Theresearcher’s

interpretationmaynotbetheonlypossibilitybutitmustbegroundedinthe

assembleddata(Polkinghorne,2007;Riessman,2008;Stake,1995).Additionally,

“thedivergentandpossiblyconvergentperspectivesoftheobserverandofthe

observed,aswellastheroleofthereaderofthefindingsmustberesolvedduring

thecourseoftheresearchtoensuretransparencyandvalidity”(Altheide&Johnson,

2011,p.589).

Inthecontextofcasestudy,Stake(1995)assertsthatiftheclaimiscentralto

makingthecasetheresearchermustbecertainthatitisnotcontestable.Toensure

validityandreliabilityofqualitativeresearch,consistencyofmethodisrequired

throughdatacollection,datareductionanddataanalysis(Golafshani,2003;Yin,

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2009).Further,GubaandLincoln(1985)arguethatdependabilityinqualitative

researchcloselycorrespondstoreliabilityinquantitativeresearch.Thereforeinthis

studyconsistencyofmethodfordependability,wasachievedthroughthefollowing:

Datacollectionneededallinterviewstobeconductedwithconsistentquestions,

competencelevelandinterviewtechniquesandparticipantsofasuitablequalityto

allowcomparisonofinterviews.

Datareductioninvolvedaccuracyintransformationofinterviewsintodatathrough

audiorecordingandsubsequenttranscriptions.

Dataanalysisrequiredconsistencyofinitialcodingandthesubsequentuseofaxial

codingtoclarifyemergingthemesinthedata.

Crystalisationisavalidationtechniquethroughwhichtheresearchercorroborates

resultsacrossdifferentmethods(O'Toole,2006;Plummer,2011).Incollectivecase

study,thecross-referencingoffindingsacrossindividualcasestudiesenables

identificationofcommonalitiesanddifferencesaswellascomparison,contrastand

clarificationofemergingthemesinandacrosscases(Flicke,2007;Greene,Caracelli,

&Graham,1989;O'Toole,2006;Richards,2009;Stake,1995;Yin,2009).Member

checkingisthereviewofdraftsbytheresearchparticipantswhichhelpstriangulate

theresearcher’sobservationsandinterpretationsincasestudyresearch(Richards,

2009;Stake,1995).Asanexample,MAnderson(2002)sentthedraftsofnarratives

tohisparticipantsto“validateorcrystallisethevignettes”(p.104).Postmodern

contextsidentifytheinterweavingofprocessesinresearchascrystallization

(Lincolnetal.,2011).Inthepresentstudy,Yin’stacticsfortestingvaliditywere

consideredandwheresuitableincorporated.Thesefourtacticsaredescribedin

relationtothepresentstudy.

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Constructvaliditywasappliedinthisstudythroughusingmultiplesourcesof

evidenceandparticipantsrevieweddrafttranscripts,describedbyRichards(2009)

asmemberchecking.

Internalvaliditywasnotapplicabletothisstudyasthecasesweredescriptiveand

exploratoryandnotspecificallyexplanatory.

Externalvalidityusesreplicationwithinmultiplecasestudies.Inthisstudythesame

interviewmethodwasappliedforeachcasestudy.Thefindingsmaysupporttheory

throughreplicationoffindingsbetweencasesandmayberepresentativeofalarger

population.

Reliabilitywasachievedthroughcasestudyprotocol,thatis,theconsistent

applicationofaclearprocessofoperationalstepsforeachcasestudy(Yin,2009).

MethodofInquiry

Theoverarchingresearchquestionsoughttheperceptionsofindividualteachers

andthisdeterminedthemethodofinquiry.Themostdirectmeanstogainthis

informationwastoaskteachersthroughaninterviewprocess(R.Atkinson,2012;

Gardiner,2014;Kincheloe&Berry,2004).Qualitativeresearchmustbe“conducted

rigorouslyandcontributerobustlytousefulknowledge”(P.Atkinson&Delamont,

2006,p.749).

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Theresearcher

Theresearcherisavitalpartoftheprocess.Theybringtheir“ownpersonal

presenceasresearchers”,and/ortheir“experiencesinthefield”whichprovidesa

“reflexivitytotherole”(Flicke,2007,p.xi).Qualitativemethodologypositionsthe

researcherwithinthestudybothpersonallyandpoliticallyandthereforethe

researchermustavoidthepretenceofbeingobjective(Flyvbjerg,2011;Gardiner,

2014).Throughthequalitativeresearchparadigmresearchersareableto

incorporatetheideaofmultiplerealitiesfortheindividualsbeingstudiedandalso

forthemselves(Creswell&Clark,2007).Thesubjectivenatureofthestudyrequires

considerationoftheinsightsandmotivationsthatstemfromtheresearcher’s

academic,personalandprofessionalexperience(Altheide&Johnson,2011;O'Toole,

2006).Giventhesubjectivenatureofthisstudy,theresearcher’sidentityand

associatedlensesmustberevealed(Beattie,1995;Saunders,2015).

Participationselectionrationale

Participantsforthisstudywereselectedusingpurposivesampling.Purposive

samplingusesthejudgementofanexpertusingsetcriteriaandkeyattributesin

selectingcasesforaspecificpurpose(Neuman,2006;Richards&Morse,2007).All

participantswereselectedbecausetheyillustratedspecificfeaturesandprocesses

ofinteresttothisstudy(Silverman,2006).

Theeightcasestudyparticipantswerepurposefullysampledaccordingtothe

followingcriteria:

• CurrentlyteachinginNSW;

• Compellinginformation-richcaseschosentodeepenunderstandingand

knowledge;

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• Representativeoftherangeofteacherswhomayinteractwiththe

AustralianArtscurriculum.

Theintendedselectionofparticipantswas:

3primarygeneralistteachersincluding1visualartsspecialist

1secondaryvisualartsteacher

1secondarydramateacher

1secondarymediaartsteacher

Theresultingselectionofparticipantswas:

3primaryteachersincluding1visualartsspecialist(onewithpersonal

interestindramaandvisualarts,andonewithpersonalinterestindrama)

2secondarydramateachers

2secondaryvisualartsteachers,oneteachingprimaryschool,andonewith

drama

1secondarymusicteacher

Table4.1Attributesofparticipantteachers

AttributeTeacher*denotespersonalinterest

A B C D E F G H

Primary X x x X

Secondary X x X x x

Drama X x x* x* x

Visualarts

X x x* x

Music x

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Datacollection

Overview

Toaddresstheresearchquestion,interviewswereusedtocollectthenecessarydata

(Kvale&Brinkmann,2009;Minichielloetal.,1995;O'Toole,2006;Schostak,2006).

Consistentwithinterpretivemethodologyinqualitativeresearch,interviewisa

methodwhichengendersacumensessentialtoaddressingtheresearchquestions

(Peräkylä&Ruusuvuori,2011;Schostak,2006).

Areviewofrelevantliteratureonteachers’approachestoartsincurriculum

identifiedspecificthemesregardinghowteachersbringpedagogyandcurriculum

intotheirpracticeandfactorswhichaffectthemdoingso(Buldu&Shaban,2010;

Ewing,2010;Jeanneret,2009;O'Toole,2009a,2009b;Oreck,2006).Questionswere

thendevelopedthroughapplicationofthesethemesforaninterviewschedule,

whichaimedtoidentifyteachers’personalviewsoftheArtsintheirpracticeandin

currentandincomingcurriculum.

Developmentoftheinterviewschedule

Priortoconductingtheinterviews,aschedulewasdevelopedforInterview1(see

Appendix1).ThescheduleforInterview2wasdevelopedafterreviewingdatafrom

Interview1andthereleaseoftheAustraliancurriculum:Thearts(seeAppendix2).

Theinterviewswereconductedbetween27June2013and11July2014.

Interviews

Interviewswerethemostappropriatemethodforcollectionofdataastheyenabled

theresearcherto“reachareasofrealitythatwouldotherwiseremaininaccessible”

(Peräkylä&Ruusuvuori,2011,p.529).Interviewsprovidefirsthandaccountsof

participants’experienceswithoutconstraintssuchastimeorwritingspace(Gray,

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2009).Theaimoftheinterviewsinthisstudywastogiveprominencetothese

teachers’voicesandexperiences(Fontana&Frey,1994).Participantswereableto

elaborateupontheirresponseswithmoredetailthanbywrittenresponsesuchasa

questionnaireorjournal(MAnderson,2002;Kvale&Brinkmann,2009).Thein-

depth,semi-structuredinterviewsinthisresearchenabledtheresearchertoaccess

theparticipants’subjectiveexperiencesandattitudestotheircurrentcurriculum

andtheincomingAustraliancurriculum.O'Toole(2006)claimsthatthesemi-

structuredinterviewprovidesopportunityforcollectionoftheunexpectedinsight

amongartseducatorswhoarecollaborativebytrainingandnature.Thisstudy

broadenedthatpracticeandphilosophytoteachersintheArts,notjustdrama.In

researchwheretheprimarydataistheinterview,O’Toole(2006)advisesthe

researchercanuseexistingpolicydocumentstostructuretheinterviews.Inthis

study,participatingteachersrespondedtocurrentandincomingcurriculum

documents,whichincludedtheShapeoftheAustraliancurriculum:thearts(ACARA,

2011b)andthedraftandfinalAustraliancurriculum:thearts(ACARA,2012a,

2015a).Rapley(2007)contendsthatinstudyingtexts:

…youarealsointerestedintherhetoricalworkofthetexthowthespecificissuesitraisesarestructuredandorganisedandchieflyhowitseekstopersuadeyouabouttheauthorityofitsunderstandingoftheissue.(p.113)

Individualsemi-structuredinterviewswereheldatlocationsconvenienttothe

participants.Forsomethiswasattheirschoolandforothersthiswasintheirhome.

TheoneregionalteacherundertookbothinterviewsviaSkype.Wheninterviews

tookplaceinschoolgrounds,mypresencewasregisteredwiththeschoolandthe

Principalwasnotified.Twoofthesecondinterviewsinvolvingthreeofthe

participantswereundertakenatmyworkplacefortworeasons.Firstly,dueto

delaysinthereleaseoftheAustralianartscurriculumtheinterviewsoccurred

duringschoolholidaysandmyworkplacefacilitiesmeanttheparticipantscould

viewthenewcurriculumonalargescreenforreferenceduringtheinterview.Due

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todelaysinthereleaseoftheAustralianArtsCurriculumSarahandCraigagreedto

attendtogetherinordertocompletetheinterviewbeforeteacherswereawayon

vacation.Theircommentaryindicatestheyarebothfamiliarwitheachother’s

approachtocurriculumandtheirresponsesseemedtoinfluenceeachotherduring

theinterviewtotheextentthattheyoftenappearedtofocusonsimilarconcerns.

However,bybeinginterviewedtogethertheystillrecognisedthattheyhaddiffering

levelsofconfidenceandcouldprovideexamplesofteachers’collaborativepractice

intheirschool.

Theinteractionalcontextinwhichtheinterviewoccursmayalsoaffectthe

collectionofdata(Gubrium&Holstein,2009;Nikander,2012).Inthesituationof

bothinterviews,participantswereabletoincorporateanecdotesfromtheirdaily

classroompractice.Observationwasconductedthroughtheparticipantssharing

examplesoftheirstudents’work,asameansbywhichtodemonstratetheirArts

teachingpractices(Buldu&Shaban,2010).AsAngrosinoandRosenberg(2011)

explain,“…theobservation-basedresearcherwillbeabletoprovidearounded

accountofthelivesofparticularpeople,focussingonthelivedexperienceofspecific

peopleandtheirever-changingrelationships”(p.476).

Thetimeallocationforeachinterviewwasnotlimitedbytheresearchertoensure

participantscouldrespondfreelytothethemesandtextspresentedtothem.

Consequentlytheinterviewslastedbetween30and90minutes.Theinterview

scheduleconsistedofkeyquestionsderivedfromthethemesthatemergedfrom

relevantliterature.

ThefirstinterviewfollowedtheapproachofBulduandShaban(2010)toestablish

theparticipatingteachers’backgroundandexperience,includingtheir

qualification/s,yearsofteachingexperience,subjectmatterknowledgeand

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pedagogicalandprofessionalcontentknowledgeregardingcurrentcurriculum.It

alsoenabledtherespondentstodiscusstheirownperceptionsofthevalueofthe

Artsinschooleducation,theirteachingpractices,majorinfluencesontheircurrent

teachingpracticeandtheirknowledgeoftheproposednationalArtscurriculum.

Throughthefirstinterview,respondentswereaskedtodiscusstheircurrent

perceptionsofwhatanationalArtscurriculumwouldmeantotheirpractice.

Thesecondsemi-structuredinterviewwasconductedwitheachparticipantto

exploretheirunderstandingandperceptionofthedraftAustraliancurriculum:The

artsafteritsonlinepublicationinFebruary2014sincetheresearchermust

endeavourtoexplorethe‘wholestory’foreachparticipant(Rapley,2007).The

secondsemi-structuredinterviewexploredeachparticipant’sexperiences,views

andresponsestothenewcurriculumthroughinterviewquestionsintentionally

devisedinresponsetothemesthataroseduringthefirstinterviewandto

encompassconceptsidentifiedinthepublishedconsultationreports(ACARA,

2011a,2012c).

Procedures

Ethicalconsiderations

Priortocommencementoftheresearchethicalapprovalwassoughtfromand

approvedbytheSydneyUniversityHumanEthicsCommittee(seeAppendix3).

Onceresearchpermissionwasacquired,invitationstoteachersweredistributed

initiallythroughtherelevantteacherassociations(seeAppendix4).Teachersself-

nominatedbyemailingtheresearcherandwereselectedusingpurposivesampling

aspreviouslydescribed.Thefirstandsecondinterviewswerescheduledas

previouslydescribed.

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Tocomplywithprofessionalandethicalstandardsofresearch,thefollowing

measureswereappliedthroughoutthepresentstudy:

• Identifyingandothersensitiveinformationofinformantswaskept

confidential;

• Allparticipantswereprovidedsignedconsentformsfortheirinvolvement

(seeAppendix5).Participationwasmadevoluntary;

• Allparticipantsweremadeawarebothverballyandinwritingthatthere

wasnoobligationtoparticipateinallstagesofthestudyandthattheycould

withdrawatanytimewithoutreasonorconsequence(seeAppendix6);

• Participantsweremadeawareofthepurposeandgoalofresearchpriorto

consent(seeAppendix6);

• Viewsexpressedbyparticipantswererecordedaccuratelyandclarifiedif

therewasanyuncertainty.

Recording

Interviewswereaudio-recordedusingsoftware,GaragebandonaMacbookAir

laptopcomputer.FileswereconvertedtoMP4andthentranscribedbyanexternal

transcriptionservice.Thetranscriptionswerereviewedbyboththeresearcherand

theparticipants.Astheresearchwasnotinterventionistandthefocusofthe

analysiswasonparticipants’backgroundandperceptions,thatisthecontentof

theirinterviews,ratherthanmanneroftheinterview,videowasnotusedandethics

applicationforvideowasnotrequested.

Duringthecourseoftheinterviewphaseparticipantswereaskedwhethertheyfelt

comfortablewiththeprocess.Noobjectionswereraised.Participantsseemedto

becomemorerelaxedfromthefirstinterviewtothesecond.Havingreviewedthe

transcriptsofthefirstinterviewintheinterveningperiodseemedtorelieveany

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concerns.(SeeAppendix7:OutlineofquestionsInterview1;Appendix8:Outlineof

questionsInterview2).

Transcriptionprocess

InitialtranscriptionoftheMP4filesoftheinterviewswasundertakenbya

professionaltranscriptionservice.Thetranscriptswerereviewedinconjunction

withtheaudiofilesforaccuratereflectionofthediscourseinthetranscripts.The

researchermadeanycorrectionstothetranscriptsforaccuracy.Transcriptswere

providedtotheparticipantsforreviewpriortoanalysis.Asidefromtheprofessional

transcription,theonlypersontolistentotheaudiofileswastheresearcher

followingethicsprocedures.(SeeAppendix9Sampletranscript)

Researchlog

Theuseoflogsisemployedextensivelytodevelopstudents’reflectionsintheArts

classroom.Theyarealsoaneffectivetoolforthequalitativeresearcher(Clandinin&

Connelly,1994,p.421).Inthisstudy,thejournalwasnotusedfortheteachersto

recordincidentsofinterestthatoccurredbetweentheinterviewsasthefocuswas

ontheirimmediatereflectionsandopinionsduringinterview.Ialsorecalled

Anderson’scommentthatparticipant“logswerecompletedwithlimited

success”(2002,p.99).Thatsaid,thelogwasadeviceofconsiderablebenefitforme

astheresearcher,tonotetimesandcontextforinterviewandthoughtsarising

duringinterviewanduponre-visitinginterviewsintranscriptionreviewand

analysis.Thisinformationwasimperativeforthedevelopmentofthefindings

aroundtheteachers’narrativesinChapter5inthisthesis.

Dataanalysis

Dataanalysisisthesearchofcollecteddatatobringtogetherpatterns,recurrent

behaviours,objectsorideas(Freeman,2007;Peräkylä&Ruusuvuori,2011;

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Silverman,2006).Allinterviewswereaudio-recordedwithpermissionand

transcribed.TheaudiofileandthetranscriptionswereenteredintoQSRNVivo

Version10(QSR2013)softwarepackagetofacilitatelateranalysisthrough

qualitativemethodologiesincludingcodinganddescriptiveanalysis.

NVivo10softwarepackage

NVivo10isqualitativedataanalysissoftwarepackagedesignedtosupportthe

variouswaysqualitativeresearcherswork.Itassistsintheefficientanalysisof

unstructuredorsemi-structureddata(Bazeley,2007).Thesoftwareenablesthe

researchertocollect,organiseandanalysecontentfrominterviews,focusgroup

discussions,surveys,audio,socialmedia,videosandwebpages(QSRInternational,

2014).Forthisstudy,theNVivo10softwareassistedinthemanagementofdata,

managementofideas,queryingofdata,explorationofrelationshipsbetweendata,

maintainingtheresearcher’slogandreportingonthedata.Thismethodenabledthe

efficientexaminationofthepatternsandthemesthatarosefromthedata.

Codingofthedata

Acodeisanabstractrepresentationofanobjectorphenomenon(Bazeley,2007;

Strauss&Corbin,1998).Codingdatainqualitativeresearchisdataretentionand

theorganisationofinformation(Richards,2009).Inquantitativeresearchcoding

focusesdatareduction.Codingisfrequentlycombinedwithnarrativeandthematic

analysesinqualitativeresearch(Charmaz,2006,2011;Richards,2009).

Audiofilesandaccompanyinginterviewtranscriptswerecodedtodevelopinitial

themesandconcepts.Combiningreviewoftheaudiowiththevisualtextinthe

transcriptsassistedtheresearchertoconsideranynuanceinthediscourse.NVivo

enabledthecreationofnodes,whichweresortedtoidentifyrelationshipsbetween

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differentconceptsandconnectionsbetweencasesinthestudy(Cantali,2013;

Richards,2009;Richards&Morse,2007;Saldana,2009).

Afterinitialcoding,eachinterviewwasreviewedforconsiderationofemergent

themes.Qualitativeanalysisinvolvestheclassificationandcategorisationof

individualpiecesofdataexplorethrougharetrievalsystem(Babbie,2007;Richards,

2009;Richards&Morse,2007).Atthisstagetheemergingdescriptiveanalysis

informedthesecondroundofanalysisandguidedthedevelopmentofthequestions

forthesecondinterview.

Thematicanalysis

O'Toole(2006)explainsthatinfairlyopenmethodologiesanalysisand

interpretationisworkinginactionandthat“youcannotplaninadvancethecriteria

bywhichyouwillinterprettheunplanned”(p.141).Theanalysisinthisstudy

commencedwitha‘startlist’ofconceptsfortheinvestigation“derivedfromastrong

senseoftheliteratureandatheoreticalbasis”(Bazeley,2007,p.76).Asconcepts

andcategoriesemergedduringthecodingofthedatasimilaritiesanddifferencesin

thecaseswereidentifiableinaprocess,Patton(2002)referstoassensitizing.

Themesemergedfromtheconceptcategorisationthatdirectedthenarrative

reconstructionofthedata.

Theresearchevolvedduringtheextendedperiodofdatacollectionfrom27June

2013and11July2014.Thefirstinterviewfollowedthemodelofquestioning

developedbyBulduandShaban(2010).Thedatafromthefirstinterviewwas

analysedusinginductivecodinginNvivo10identifyingkeythemesthatarosefrom

theparticipantteachers’responsestoeachquestion(SeeAppendix10Exampleof

themesthatarosefromthedatainthecodingprocess).Thesecondinterview

conductedduring2014exploredhowteachersviewedandconsideredthenew

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AustraliancurriculumincomparisonandcontrasttotheNSWsyllabus.Theanalysis

oftheseresponsesandthethemesidentifiedinthefirstinterviewweremanually

categorisedwithinEisner’ssixinfluencesonartseducation.Thesesixinfluences

wereappliedasalensacrossthefirstandsecondinterviewdatatoreconstructthe

dataintotheresultingcategoriesoffindings.

Narrativeanalysisandreconstruction

Thepointofthelifestoryinterviewistoenablepeopletotelltheirstoryintheir

way,“sowelearnfromtheirvoice,theirwords,theirsubjectivemeaningoftheir

experienceoflife”(R.Atkinson,2012,p119).Squire(2008)arguesthatnarratives

areawayinwhichindividualsmakesenseofthemselvesandtheworld.Withinthe

subjectivefieldoftheteacher’spersonalexperience,narrativeisdefinedcommonly

inrelationtoeventsandthereforetheindividualteachers’storiesofeventsconvey

meaningtoaparticularaudience(Wells,2011).Wheninterpretedbythereader,

narrativeweavestogetherexperiences,actions,thoughts,eventsandinterpretations

tocreatemeaningsandnewversionsofreality(Ely,1991;Jefferson,2011).These

bringtotheforethemultiplerealitiessoughtforexplorationbytheresearcher

(Creswell&Clark,2007).Narrativemethodologyispowerfulinitsabilitytoreflect

theuniquecircumstancesofteacher’slives.Itallowsmultipleinterpretationsfrom

thesamenarrative(Goodfellow,1997).

Astheinterviewsinthisstudyweresemi-structuredusingopen-endedquestions

thenarrativeanalysisencompassedthenarrative,thecontentwithinthenarrative,

andalsothediscourseoftheinterviewanditscontext(Krippendorff,2004;

McAdams,1993,2003;Wells,2011).Storiesaretheprimarysourceofdatain

narrativeanalysisthatexaminesthecontent,contextandstructureasawhole

(Wells,2011).Withinthenarrativecontentanalysisenablestheexplorationof

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independentthemes(Krippendorff,2004).Throughnarrativeanalysisofthe

responsetoopen-endedquestionsatinterview,theresearcherseekstounderstand

theparticipant’sownwayofmakingsenseoftheirlife,establishingtheirlifestory

(McAdams,1993,2003).

Narrativereconstructionswerecomposedforeachteacherforeachoftheemergent

themes.Theparticularviewofeachteacherwasreflectedintheirnarrative,andnot

allteachershadnarrativesunderallemergentthemes.Somethemeshadanarrative

fromonlyoneteacher.Forinstance,Errol’sexperiencesasanactor,whilenot

sharedbytheotherteachers,illuminatedhiscontextandraisedsomeimportant

issuesinhispedagogicalapproachtoartscurriculumrelevanttotheresearch

question.

Potentiallimitations

Everystudyhasitslimitations.Inthisstudythelimitationsaredefinedas:limited

perspective;relianceonteacherresponse;achangeinplansandlimitedscopefor

generalisability.

Limitedperspective

Thisstudysetouttodescribethepersonalviewandresponsestothenew

AustralianArtscurriculumofeightNSWArtsteachers.WhereasGardiner(2014)

identifiedthelimitednumberofcasesnarrowedtheperspectiveinhisstudy,the

currentstudydoeshavethebreadthofcomparisontootherviewsidentifiedinthe

consultationreportspublishedbyACARA.Additionallytheperspectiveofthe

researchercanbeconsideredalimitationasitisnotpossibletoseethestudyfrom

everypossiblelensofreality.

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Reliantonteacherresponses

Thedatafromtheinterviewswasreliantonteacherresponsestotheinterview

questions.Thesecondroundofdatacollectionrequiredtheparticipantstoreview

thepublishedcurriculumonline.Insomecasesparticipatingteachersresponses

indicatedtheywerenotparticularlyfamiliarwiththenewcurriculum.Thiswasin

partduetothedelayinitsonlinepublicationheldoverfromministerial

endorsementinJuly2013untilonlinepublicationinFebruary2014.TheNSW

educationauthorityhassinceindicatedtheartscurriculumwillnotbeimplemented

inNSWuntil2018orsometimethereafter,removinganyimmediacyforteachersto

engagewiththenewcurriculum.

Achangeinplans

“Flexibilityisanessentialpartofresearchdesignandimplementation”(Ely,1991,pp.113-119)

Factorsbeyondtheresearcher’scontrolaffectedthetimelineandprocessofthis

study.ThepublicationoftheAustralianArtscurriculumwasstalledbyfederal

governmentelectionsinboth2010and2013.AdditionallyACARA’snegotiations

withstakeholderswereextendedwaybeyondproposedtimelinesduetocomplexity

ofstakeholderconcernsandthestrategiesusedtovoiceconcernsduringthe

curriculumdevelopmentphase.

Generalisablity

Datacollectionoccurredoveroneyearpriortotheimplementationofthe

curriculuminNSW,whichlimitsitsscopeincomparisontolongitudinaldata.Future

studiesinthisareamaybenefitfromthecollectionandanalysisofsuchlongitudinal

data(Cohen,2007).Thenarrativesinthisstudyarethoseofindividuals.When

corroboratedwithdataintheconsultationreports,thereispotentialfor

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generalisability.However,itshouldbeconsideredthatfurtherresearchwillbe

requiredtoprovidehardevidence.

Limitationsofthepresentresearch

Casestudywasamosteffectivetoolforthisresearch,however,thelimitednumber

ofparticipantsdoesnotprovidegroundsforgeneralisabilityofthefindings.

Althoughsomeofthefindingsofthecasestudiesdoreflectthefindingsinthe

consultationreportspublishedbyACARA.Thecasestudiesprovidetheexpertiseof

theindividualparticipantsintheiruniquesituations,sothatthisstudypresents

somecommonalityandprovidesasample,whichmayberepresentativeofalarger

population.

Thedatawasdependentuponteacherinterviewsintendedtobetimedaroundthe

deliverydatesoftheAustralianartscurriculum.Factorsbeyondtheresearcher’s

controlaffectedthetimelineandprocessofthisstudy.

Summary

Thepresentstudyaimedtocontributetothegrowingbodyofresearchonteacher’s

responsestocurriculumdevelopmentintheArts.Theprocessofbricolageto

combineinterview,casestudyandnarrativereconstructionapproaches,enabledthe

qualitativeresearchertofulfiltheaimsoftheresearchquestion(Kincheloe&Berry,

2004;O'Toole,2006).Thestudyintendedtoexplorepotentialperspectivesof

curriculumchangeintheArtsthatmayberelatedtothepersonalandprofessional

backgroundsandviews,aswellasthepedagogicalpracticesoftheparticipants.To

thisend,thisresearchsoughttoapplyamethodologythatsupportedthevoicesof

theparticipantteachersinastudythatalsoacknowledgescollaborationwiththe

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researcherwithouthidingtheresearcher’spresencebehindthepretextof

objectivity(O'Toole,2006).

Thefollowingchapterspresentthekeyfindingsofthisstudy.

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Chapter5Findings

Overview

Thischaptercontainsthekeyfindingsofmyresearch.Itisdividedintofivesections.

Eachsectionconsidersthecasestudyteachers’responsesthroughthelensof

Eisner’ssixinfluencesontheArtsineducationdetailedpreviously.

Section5.1,Readingandrespondingtocurriculaexploresteachers’responseto

currentandincomingnationalcurriculainlightofEisner’scontentionthatpolicyis

difficulttodisentanglefromideasabouttheaimsofeducation.Section5.2,Outside

forcesaffectingtheArtsinschoolsdetailstheoutsideforceswithintheschool

settingthatimpacttheteacher’scapacitytoteachtheArts.Section5.3,Theimpactof

nationalandstatestandardsdocumentstheimpactofstandardsoroutcomesonthe

teachingoftheArts.Section5.4,Theimpactoftestingandtertiaryentranceexplores

theimpactofhigh-stakestesting,theNationalliteracyandnumeracytesting

(NAPLAN),andtheNSWHigherSchoolCertificate(HSC)andtheswayoftertiary

entranceranking(ATAR).Lastly,Section5.5,Teachercompetencedelvesintothe

teachers’backgroundsandtrainingandhowtheyhavedevelopedknowledge,skills

andconfidencetobecomecompetentteachersoftheArts.

Introductiontotheparticipantteachers

Theinterviewswereconductedin2013and2014atwhichtimetheteacherswere

usingtheexistingNewSouthWalessyllabiforthecreativearts.Atthetimeof

writingthatis,2017,NSWteachershadyettobeadvisedwhentheywould

commenceusingthenewAustralianartscurriculum.Asmentionedpreviously,the

Australianartscurriculumwascompletedin2014andendorsednationallyin2015.

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Anoutlineoftheparticipatingteachers’backgroundsisprovidedinTable5.1.

Participants’backgrounds(seep.101).Thistableincludestheparticipantteacher’s

aliasnames,gender,theschool’scontextandlocation(regionalormetropolitan),

theiragebracket,influencesthatledthemtobecomeateacher,tertiarytraining,

yearsofteachingexperienceandtheschoollevelandartformspecialty,asan

overviewoftheirteachingexperience.Whilethisstudydidnotfocusongender,

therewasanattempttoreflectthesocio-demographicnatureoftheteaching

profession.Consequentlytheidentificationhasbeenincludedinthetableshowing

bothgendersparticipatedbutnofurtherdifferencesinattitudeswereevident

accordingtogender.Theprofileofeachteacherisalsodescribedbelow.

Participantteacherprofiles

MarytrainedattheCollegeofFineArts(COFA)16inSydneyinvisualarts.Initially

shewantedtobecomeagallerycurator,butrealisedthesejobswererare.She

travelledoverseasthenreturnedtoundertakeherBachelorofEducation.Shehada

totalofthirteenweekspracticumteachingduringherstudiesandishasbeencasual

teachinginmetropolitangovernmentprimaryschoolsforalmosttwoyears.

Sarahtrainedatateachers’collegeinSydneyaftercompletinghersecondaryschool

leavingcertificate.Hermaininteresthasalwaysbeenvisualarts.Shehascontinued

tolearndifferentartsandcraftsthroughoutherlife.Sarahhasbeenaprimary

schoolteacherformorethanthirtyyears,commencingasacasualswimming

teacher.Shebecametherelief-from-face-to-face(RFF)visualartsteacheratthe

sameschoolandhastaughtinvariousgovernmentschoolsinSydney.Currentlyshe

16nowapartoftheUniversityofNSW

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isaprimaryclassroomteacherwhospecialisesinvisualartsinametropolitan

governmentprimaryschool.SheteachesatthesameschoolasCraig.

Craighadlearningdifficultiesandtroublereadinginhisprimaryschooling.He

learnedthroughdramainspiredbyhisYear1teacher.Heleftsecondaryschoolin

Year10andtrainedtobecomeacabinet-maker.Withintwoyears,hereturnedto

completehisHigherSchoolCertificate(HSC)atTAFE(TechnicalandFurther

Education).Hewasinfluencedtobecomeateacherbyhisoldersisterwhowasa

teacher.Craigtrainedinearlychildhoodeducationbeforeundertakingaprimary

educationdegree.Hehasbeenteachingforfiveyearsinametropolitangovernment

primaryschool.Heisclassroomteacherwhousesdramaforlearningandteaching.

Hecoordinatestheannualschoolproductionandperformsinamateurtheatre.

GinacompletedhereducationdegreeinvisualartsandhistoryatTheUniversityof

Sydneyafterwhichsheattendedateachers’collegeinSydneytoacquirepractical

teachingskillsforvisualarts.Herinterestinteachingcamefromherfather,who

wasateacher,andfromherownteachersinsecondaryschool.Ginataughthistory

atTAFEbeforeteachinginanindependentgirlsschoolinSydneyforashortperiod.

ShemovedtoaregionalNSWtown,whereshebecameavisualartsteacher.She

studieddramaatanotheruniversityandbecametheHeadoftheCreativeand

PracticalArts(CAPA)facultyinaregionalgovernmentsecondaryschoolwhereshe

teachesbothdramaandvisualarts.Ginahasbeenteachingformorethanthirty

years.

Paulastudiedhistoryanddramainherteachingdegreeatuniversity.Shehas

alwaysbeeninterestedinvisualarts,studyingvisualartsatTAFEandcontinuingto

learndifferentmethodsandmediaofartthroughoutherlife.Sheisaprimary

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classroomteacherwhospecialisesinvisualartsanddramainametropolitan

governmentprimaryschool.Paulahasbeenteachingformorethantwentyyears.

ErrolgrewupinaregionalVictoriantown.Hewantedbecomeanactor,inspiredby

dramaclassesinhisearlyschoolyears.Hecompletedaneducationdegreein

English,andtaughtEnglishandmediainaregionalsecondaryschoolinVictoria

beforeauditioningforarecognisedperformingartsacademyinanotherstate.He

completedhisactortrainingandmovedtoSydneyformoreactingopportunities.

Errolusedteachingasameansoffinancialsupport.Hehasbeenadramateacher

andheadofthedramafacultyinanindependentmetropolitanperformingarts

specialistschoolformorethantenyears.

MelworkedinthevocationalsectoratTAFEforsomeyearsaftercompleting

secondaryschool.Shereturnedtouniversitytostudyforpersonalinterestand

discovereddramaeducation.Shecompletedherteachingdegreeindramaand

English.Melhasbeenteachingdramaformorethantenyearsatanindependent

metropolitanschool.

DeangrewupinTasmania.Atschoolhewasinterestedinmusicandgraphicarts.

Heparticularlyenjoyedteachingmusicwhilehewasinsecondaryschool.Hebegan

hisuniversitystudiesinmusicinTasmaniabeforecompletinghisdegreeinmusic

educationinSydney.Heistheheadofthemusicfacultyinalargeindependent

metropolitanschool,andhasbeenteachingformorethantenyears.

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Table5.1Participantteachers'backgrounds

17allnamesarepseudonyms

Teacheralias17

Male/Female

Schoolcontext

Age Influencestoteaching

Tertiarytraining

Teachingexperience

Training/specialty

Mary F casualteaching,primarymetropolitangovernment

20-30

Limitedjobsinartcurating

Tertiaryvisualarts

Recentgraduate,1-2years

secondary,visualarts

Sarah F primaryclassroomandvisualartsspecialistmetropolitangovernment

50-60

Teacherscollegestraightfromfinishingschool

Teacherscollege

Morethan30years

primary,visualarts

Craig M primarymetropolitangovernment

20-30

Oldersister Tertiaryeducationearlychildhood;Mastersofteaching

5years earlychildhood,primary,drama

Gina F secondaryregionalgovernment

50-60

Fatherandteacherswhotaughther

Tertiaryeducation;TAFEvisualarts

Morethan30years

visualarts,drama

Paula F primarymetropolitangovernment

40-50

Educationdegreestraightfromfinishingschool

Tertiaryeducation,historydrama;TAFEvisualarts

Morethan20years

primary,drama,visualarts

Errol M secondarymetropolitanindependent

40-50

Regionallocationmeantnoactingopportunities

Tertiaryeducation,music,performance

Morethan10years

drama

Mel F secondarymetropolitanindependent

40-50

Matureagedstudentafterworkinginvocationalsector

Tertiaryeducation,drama,English

Morethan10years

drama

Dean M secondarymetropolitanindependent

40-50

Graphicartsormusiceducation

Tertiarymusic,education

Morethan10years

music

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Section5.1:Readingandrespondingtocurricula

Introduction

Thisfirstsectionreportsuponthestudy’sfindingsintermsofhowteachersread,

andthenrespondtocurriculum.Eisner’s(2000)firstinfluenceonartseducation

consideredthat“policyisdifficulttodisentanglefromideasabouttheaimsof

education”(p.4).Artseducationhasevolvedfromchildrenmakingattractiveobjects

toafieldthatenablesstudentstosaysomethingimportantaboutthesocial,political

andeconomicworldtheyinhabit.Eisner(2000)recognisedthat“policyrepresents

anarrayofideastoguidepractice”andclaimedthatthecomplexityofpolicy

affectedthe“missionofthefield”(p.4).Iconsiderthelattertobethegoalsthat

manyteachersholdfortheirstudents.YetEisneralsoconsideredthatthis

disentanglingofpolicyaffectedappropriatepractice,thatis,theteachers’pedagogy.

Australianresearcher,Yates(2008)arguesthatcurriculumpolicy-makersdonot

considerthepedagogicalaspectofhowcurriculumistaughtinschools.John

O’Toole,leadwriterfordramaintheAustralianartscurriculum,wasperplexedby

thistensionduringthecurriculumdevelopment.Hemused,“…wewerealso

forbiddentoconsiderpedagogy,howthecontentwouldbetaught”(O'Toole,2015,

p.190).

Overview

InthissectionIexploretheparticipantteachers’reportsofhowtheyworkedwith

theexistingNSWcurriculumtoteachtheArts,andhowtheyenvisagedworking

withthenewAustralianartscurriculum.ForsometeachersthenewAustralianarts

curriculuminspiredachangeinpractice.Forotherstheysawnomajordifferences

betweentheNSWandAustralianartscurriculaandintendedtomaintaintheir

existingapproachtoteachingtheArts.However,whenteachershadaglimpseofthe

newAustraliancurriculum,theyweremoreenthusiasticabouttheprospectof

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curriculumchange.Concernssuchas,“Willthisbeanotherairyfairydocument?”

thatis,anotherpolicytodisentangle,werealleviatedasteachersreviewedthenew

curriculumonlineanddrewcomparisonswiththeexistingNSWcurriculum.

Settingthescene

In2012,inresponsetothedraftnationalartscurriculum,only13%of632

respondentstotheonlineconsultationsurveyidentifiedasprimaryteachers,

whereas39%representedassecondaryteachers.Theremainingrespondents

comprised19%professionalassociationsand27%educationauthoritieswith1%

representingtheartsindustryand1%theuniversitysector(ACARA,2012c).My

studyprovidestheopportunitytoexploretheindividualviewsoffourprimaryteachersinamorein-depthmannerthanwasevidentinthelimitedprimaryteacher

responsesintheconsultationreportpublishedbyACARA.Thisstudyalsodetailsthe

perspectivesoffoursecondaryartsteachersfromfourdifferentschoolcontexts.

Notanother“airyfairy”document

Inhersecondinterview,primaryteacherofmorethanthirtyyearsexperience,

Sarahinitiallycommented,“Ihopethisdoesn’tchangetoomuchbecauseyouknow

howsometimesitcanbeso‘airyfairy’”(Int2:April17,2014).Sarahwassurprised

atherabilitytoreadtheAustralianartscurriculumonline.SeeFigure5.2(p.104).“I

reallylikedit.I’mnotverygoodonthecomputer,andIthoughtitwasveryuser-

friendly.IthoughtifIcanuseit,anyonecanuseit.That’swhatIthought”(Int2:April

17,2014).Similarly,primaryteacher,Paula,alsofoundtheAustralianarts

curriculumeasytoaccessasadigitaldocument.Shestated,“Ithinkthisone’seasier

toreadandeasiertonavigate”(Int2:July11,2014).Craig,aprimaryteacheroffive

yearsexperiencewhoteachesatthesameschoolasSarah,stated,“I’mmorefroma

technologicalbackgroundsoIcanunderstandwhatSarahsays,ifshecanuseit

anyonecanuseit.Soit’sgoodforme”(Int2:April17,2014).

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Figure5.2DigitalfunctionalityoftheAustraliancurriculum:Columnview

Awareofthediversityofschoolsandtheirapproachestocurriculum,Mary

graduatedasasecondaryvisualartsteacherin2013.Shehassincebeenworkingas

acasualteacherinprimaryschoolsandreinforcedSarah’sandCraig’spositionon

theincomingnationalartscurriculum.“IthinkalsothestructureofwhatI’vereadin

thenewsyllabusismoreaccessibletoteachers”(Int2:June9,2014).Sheargued

that“aprimarygeneralistteacherwhodoesn'thaveanyarttrainingordrama

training”couldunderstandthecurriculum.MaryinsistedthattheAustralianarts

curriculum“hasbeendoneinawaythatit'saccessibleforallteachersandall

107

studentsaswell.”LikewiseSarahmaintained,“Ithoughttherealtestwouldbe,ifI

couldreadthrough,saydanceandunderstandwhattheyweretalkingabout”.See

Figures5.3(p.105)Sheadded,“it’ssoplainlywrittenit’seasytounderstandand

doesn’tlooktooscaryand,yesIunderstandthat”(Int2:April17,2014).Intermsof

theactualpracticeofteachingdance,Sarahextendedherresponse:

whatwouldscareme,ifIwasdoingdance,wouldbetohave30kidsalljumpingaroundallovertheplacebecauseIdon’tknowwhatI’mdoingandtheywouldsensethat.Butyouknowthiswasquitegood.Showedyouthedifferentstepstogothrough(Int2:April17,2014).

SeeFigure5.4(p.106).

Figure5.3DigitalfunctionalityoftheAustraliancurriculum:pop-upwindowcontainingglossarydefinitionoftheartformspecificterminthecontentdescription

108

Figure5.4DigitalfunctionalityoftheAustraliancurriculum:pop-upwindowcontainingexamplesoflearningandteachingforthecontentdescription

109

FurthertoSarah’spositiveresponse,Craiglikenedteachersapproachingthenew

curriculumtostartinganewjob,whereit’ssomeone’s“jobtoshowyouthroughthe

place,orientation.”Uponlookingatthegeneralcapabilities(orcompetencies)

taggedintheAustralianartscurriculum,Craigsuggested,“It’steacherstryingto

pretendtheyaretheexpertsinthesyllabus,buttheydon’thavethatunderstanding

ofgeneralcapabilitiesunlesssomeonehasshownthemgeneralcapabilitiesandhow

itlinkstothesyllabus.”Hepointedtothescreenandstated,“Teacherswillseelittle

iconsbuthavenounderstandingofwhatitis”(Int2:April17,2014).Seegeneral

capabilityiconsidentifiedinFigure5.5(p.107).

Figure5.5DigitalfunctionalityoftheAustralianartscurriculum:iconsforgeneralcapabilities

JustasCraigconsideredtheuseoficons,teachersalsoconsideredthechoiceof

organisationandterminology.Gina,whilesupportiveoftheAustralianarts

curriculum,challengedtheorganisationoftheartscurriculumintotwokeystrands,

‘makingandresponding’.Sheexplained,“Ithinkthey’retryingtomakeitallfitintoa

boxthatitalldoesn’tnecessarilyfitinto.”Ginawasconcernedthat“theuniqueness

ofeachofthosesubjectsisbeingsacrificedforthedesiretogetitallneatenedup”

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(Int2:June3,2014).Bycontrast,Errolwascomfortablewiththeorganisingterms

‘making’and‘responding’.Infact,hepreferred‘responding’to‘appreciating’which

iscurrentlyusedintheNSWsyllabus.Hestated,“Ilovethewordresponding;

gettingstudentstorespondtodrama.”Errolelaboratedthatwhenhetakesstudents

toaperformancehewants“themtohaveareactiontoit;Iwantthemtorespondto

itthroughconversationorthroughwritingdownarevieworsomeotherresponse

toit”.Bycontrasttoappreciating,heexplained,“respondingisatermwhich

requiresmoreofthestudentsgivingupareactionratherthanjustsortofnodding

andlikinganddisliking”(Int2:April29,2014).

Headofmusicatanindependentmetropolitanschool,Deanwasnotperturbedby

changesinterminology.Hesaw“thecorrelationsbetweenthe‘elements’[Australian

curriculum]andthe‘concepts’[NSWsyllabus]ofmusic”(Int1:November9,2013).

InfactDeanreportedthathisschool“hasalreadyencouragedvarioussubjectareas

toapplysomeofthevariationstotheirprograms”meaningteacherswereworking

simultaneouslywithboththeAustralianartscurriculumandtheNSWmusic

syllabus.TheapproachtoimplementationatDean’sschoolclosedthegapbetween

planning,policyandactuality(Bamford,2015).Snyderetal(2014)andBamford

(2015)identifiedcollaborativeplanningandcollegialco-teachingaccompaniedby

commitmentfromtheschooladministrationasessentialcomponentsforbest-

practiceindeliveryofartseducation.PreviouslyAprillandBurnaford(2006)found

thatprogramscharacterisedbyconstructivistlearningincludingteacher

collaborationaremorelikelytotransformteachingacrossaschoolasappearstobe

thecaseinDean’sschool.

Theneedfororientation

InmyroleatACARA,asSeniorProjectOfficerfortheArts,Ifoundthatmost

teachersdidnotseekoutpolicydocumentsbeyondthesectionsofthecurriculum

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associatedwithwhattheywererequiredtoteach.Consequentlyteacherswould

commentnegativelyonthenewcurriculumwithouthavingreadit.AsCraig

recognisedearlier,teachersneed‘orientation’.Thiswasclearlyidentifiedin

responsetofeedbackonthedraftAustralianartscurriculum.ACARAreported“The

needforsupportdocumentstoaccompanythecurriculumwasalsoemphasizedin

severalsurveycomments”(ACARA,2011a,p.34).Asimilarsituationoccurredin

Scotland,withtheintroductionofthenewcurriculumwhenteachersinitially

reported“theDraftExperiencesandOutcomes,ingeneral,were‘vague’,‘woolly’or

‘unclear’ontheirfirstattemptsatinterpretation”(Baumfieldetal.,2009,p.5).

TherewerenotablyfewerconcernsfromScottishteacherswhoparticipatedin

formaltrialingofthecurriculumindicatingthebenefitofsupportandtrainingto

teachersinterpretingandapplyingnewcurriculum.

TrialingthedraftAustralianartscurriculumwaspartofthecurriculum

developmentprocess18.Duringthe2012consultationonthedraftnationalarts

curriculum,32schoolsparticipated(ACARA,2012c),testingpartsofthecurriculum

assuitabletotheparticipatingschools’andteachers’yeargroupsandartssubjects.

Followingthetrial,recommendationswerecollatedandonemajorchangewasthe

reductionofcontentdescriptionsinboththeprimaryandearlysecondaryyears

acrossartssubjects.Inprimary,allartformsinitiallycontainedeightcontent

descriptionsperband,exceptvisualartsthatcontainednine.Allfiveartssubjects

werereducedtofourcontentdescriptions.Acommonorganizingthreadwas

insertedacrosseachofthefourcontentdescriptionstoassistprimaryteacherswith

integrationor‘connectivity’,as“theword‘integration’becametaboo”(O'Toole,

18Aspartoftheconsultationonthedraftcurriculum,ACARAselectedupto50schoolstoparticipateinamoreintensiveengagementprogramwiththedraftcurriculumforeachlearningarea.(Typicallyoneortwoteachersineachschoolareselected/nominatedtotrialthecurriculum,thatis,amaximumof100teachersintotal).(ACARA,2012b,p.18)

112

2015,p.191).InYears7to10,thereweretencontentdescriptionsineacharts

subject.ThesewerereducedtosevenforeachartssubjectintheAustralianarts

curriculumendorsedin2015.

Facingandfearingchange

PriortoACARA’sestablishmentandthedevelopmentofthenewcurriculum,teachersinNSWhadworkedwithsecondaryartscurriculapublishedand

unchangedsince2003,andtheCreativeartssyllabusforprimaryschoolsdatedback

to2000.TheextensiveprocessofconsultationandcurriculumdevelopmentledbyACARAenabledteacherstoprovidefeedbackindividuallythroughonlinesurveys

andalsocollectivelythroughtheirprofessionalassociations.However,aftersomany

yearsworkingwithonecurriculumteachersmayhavefeltthreatenedbychange.Influencesonteachers’interactionswithcurriculumincludefactorssuchasstate

andlocaltraditions;pre-andin-serviceexperiencesandtherolesofprofessional

organisationsandgovernmentswithinprocessesofcurriculumdevelopmentandimplementation(Erickson,2004).

Regionalsecondaryschoolvisualartsanddramateacher,Ginareportedstrong

awarenessofthedevelopmentofthenationalartscurriculum.SherecalledreadingtheShapepaperin2010when“theQueenslanderswereallcelebrating”and“the

NewSouthWalesvisualartsteacherswereallcrying”(Int1:June27,2013).She

wasawareofdifferentstateprioritiesthroughhergeographicallocationandher

membershipofthevisualartsanddramateacherprofessionalassociations.Gina’s

viewwassupportiveofanationalcurriculum,“it’sanadmirablethingtotryand

createasystemforthewholecountry”(Int1:June27,2013).

InAustralia,secondaryschoolspecialistteachers,likeGina,havesubject-specific

teacherprofessionalassociations.Teacherscanseekinformationabout

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requirementsfortheirparticularcurriculumthroughtheirassociation.FortheArts,

thereisanassociationforeachartform:dance,drama,mediaarts,musicandvisual

artsineachstateorterritory.Additionallytheseassociationshaveanationalboard

withrepresentativesfromacrossthecountry.Associationscommunicatetotheir

constituentsthroughannualconferences,emailnewslettersandonlinesocialmedia

groups.Duringthedevelopmentofthenationalcurriculum,secondaryteachers

turnedtotheseassociationsforinformationandtoexpresstheirviews.ACARA

consultedwiththeseassociationsandtheirfeedbackwasreporteduponinthe

consultationreportspublishedbyACARA(2011a,2012c).However,Hayes,Christie,Mills,andLingard(2004)contendthat“professionallearningcommunities

maybeusedtodrivetowardsconsensusinwayswhichareinherentlyundemocratic

anddonotrecogniselegitimatedifferencesinteacher’sviews”(p.523).Tomitigate

ACARAreporteduponindividualteacher’sresponsestothedraftcurriculum

throughonlineconsultationsurveys,enablingindividualteacherstoremain

anonymous.O'Toole(2015)reported“mostteachers’groupsandorganisationswe

consultedrespondedtoourdraftproposalwithapproval”(p.191).Henoted

oppositionfrom“dissidentvisualartsspecialists,andtheprimaryprincipals

association,bothbelievingthatgeneralistteachersarenotcapableofgainingthe

skillsandunderstandingtoteachallfivearts”(pp.191-192).

YetMary,teachingcasuallyinprimaryschools,demonstratedknowledgeofboththe

currentNSWsyllabusandtheincomingnationalcurriculum.Shesurmisedthatthe

Australianartscurriculumwas“incorporatedintofiveartforms:drama,art,dance,

music,andmediaarts.”Sheclarified,“throughouttheschool,allstudentswillgeta

tasteofallfiveofthoseartforms.“Shecontinued,“butit'snotsayingthatteachers

havetodoeverysingleoneofthem”(Int1:April12,2013).SupportingMary’spoint,

GinarecalledthataspeakerfromACARA(atavisualartsteacherconferencein

2013)explainedthattheteacherswouldberequiredtoteachthefivesubjectsinthe

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artscurriculumacrosstheprimaryyears,KindergartentoYear6.Ginaaffirmed“Idothinkthat’sagoodthingtomakethecreativeartsanintegralpartofKto6

becauseIthinktherearesomestatesinAustraliathathavereallymissedouton

that.“SheclaimedthatinNSW,“theoneareawherethey’rereallymissingtheboatis

music”(Int1:June27,2013).GinareportedthatVictoriaandQueensland“teach

musicmuchbetterthanNSWdoes.”Shefeltthatintermsofactualcurriculum

development,“NewSouthWalesshouldprobablynotprevailinthatarea”as

Victoriahas“amuchbettersystemoforganisingthings”.Ginaclaimedthatthisis

whyitisoftendifficulttoenticemusicteacherstoherregionalarea“because

Victoriahasagreatsystemwheretheyhavealotofsessionalteachinginstate

schoolsandthegovernmentpaysforitwhereasinNSWyoujustgetyourclassroom

teacherwhoisboundtodoeverything”(Int1:June27,2013).Shecontinued:

Iworryaboutthewaythey’regoingtodeliverthecreativeartsintheprimaryschool.NSWhashadacreativeartscurriculumforanumberofyearsandIdon’tthinkthat’sbeingtaughtverywell.Iknowmyownchildrengotverypoorvisualarts,music,dance,dramainprimaryschool.Theschoolwouldputonamusical,they’dallticktheboxandthat’dbeit.Idon’tseehowthey’regoingtochangethat(Int1:June27,2013).

Asarecentgraduate,Maryreflecteduponherknowledgeofvisualartsinboththe

AustraliancurriculumandtheNSWsyllabus.Sheclaimed,“whenyou’vestudiedfor

thatlong,it'sverydifficulttolookandnotseehowit[theAustralianarts

curriculum]relatestothe[NSWcreativearts]syllabusinaway”(Int1:April12,

2013).Atthetimeofthisstudy,Marywasworkingasacasualreliefteacher.Ofthe

lessonstheclassroomteachersprovidedforhertoteachsheobserved,“I’mpretty

suretheycouldstillkeeptheirsamelessonandlookatthenewcurriculumandstill

picktheartscontent“(Int1:April12,2013).ShesurmisedthatthenewAustralian

artscurriculum“couldberelatedtothecontentoftheexistingNewSouthWales

creativeartssyllabus”(Int1:April12,2013).

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Similarly,secondarydramateacher,Melinitiallyreportedlittledifferencebetween

theAustraliancurriculumandtheNSWcreativeartssyllabusindrama.“Idon’t

thinkthey’reoverlydifferent”(Int2:April23,2014).However,shenotedthat

wordingintheAustraliancurriculum“ismuchsimpler,it’smucheasierforpeople

whoaren’tdramateachersandforstudentswhoarelearningtermstounderstand”

(Int2:April23,2014).Additionally,Mel,astheonlydramateacherinherschool

commented,“I’mmorelikelytolookatwhat’srelevanttome,Iguess.”She

consideredthatifshe“haddramainYears7and8,theninordertoprogramIwould

probablygobackandlookatwhatthey’resupposedtodoinprimary”(Int2:April

23,2014).Mel’sviewreflectsthatofmanyteacherswhowilltendtoreadonlythe

sectionsofthecurriculumrelevanttotheyearstheyarerequiredtoteach.Mary

contextualisedherbeliefabouttheimportanceofaccesstotheArtswith

comparisontohistoricviewsconsideringthatpreviously“onlythebourgeoisie

visitedartgalleries.Theaverageworkingclasspersoncouldn’thaveanappreciation

forart”(Int1:April12,2013).SheproposedthattheAustralianartscurriculumis

“helpingtheArtstobemoreaccessibleforeveryone”(Int1:April12,2013).

Ginarecollectedsecondaryteachersaskingprobingquestionsatthevisualartsconferencein2013.“Wellwhat’sgoingtohappentovisualartsandmusicwhicharecompulsoryinNSWinYears7and8?”(Int1:June27,2013)Shereportedthatthe

speakerinferredthearrangementforYears7and8inNewSouthWaleswould

remainunchanged.InNSW,TheEducationAct1990No819requiresmusicand

visualartstobetaughtfor100hoursinYears7and8(BoardofStudiesNSW,2004/

2014;NESA,2016b).Ginabelievedthatto“ensurethattheArtsaretaughtacross

thestate”ACARAshouldhavestatedthattheArtsare‘mandatory’orcompulsory,asisthecaseformathematicsandEnglish.Thisconcernwasevidentinthereporton

19Formerly known as the Education Reform Act 1990

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thedraftAustralianartscurriculumconsultation.“Musicneedsthesupportof

mandatoryface-to-facehoursinaweeklytimetable”(ACARA,2012c,p.75).

LikeGina,Marywasfamiliarwiththestateregulationformusicandvisualartsin

Years7and8.Acutelyawareofteachers’sensitivitytochange,Maryadded,“New

SouthWalesteachershavetheirknickersinaknotbecause,atthemoment,Year7

andYear8it'scompulsorytohavevisualartsandmusic”(Int1:April12,2013).

Similarly,asheadofdrama,Errolwasalsofocusedonwhatwouldbe‘mandatory’,

asheconsidered,“withthisnewnationalcurriculum,howdoyoudecidewhat’s

importantandwhat’snot?”(Int2:April29,2014).YetErrolsupportedthe

motivationsforanationalcurriculuminAustralia,“itmakessensethatthereisa

nationalcurriculumandthatthewholecountryisallonthesamepage.”He

concluded,“itwillbeinterestingtoseehowitallplaysout.”(Int2:April29,2014).

Alsoseeingpositiveoutcomesinthenewcurriculum,Ginawas“glad”thatthe

Australianartscurriculumacknowledgedthattheartssubjectsare“alldistinct”.She

continued,“Ilikethefactyoucanexploreoneandseethecrossoverswithanother

artform.”However,shedidn’tknow“howthatwillcomeaboutinreality,giventhe

wayhighschoolsarestructured”(Int2:June3,2014).Sheidentifiedanotable

distinctionbetweentheAustraliancurriculumandtheNSWsyllabus.Shestatedthat

theAustraliancurriculumcontains“alotoftheopenendedstuffwhichisgreat.”

ThisobservationisaffirmedbyEwing(2010)whoreportedthatwhenlearnersare

“engagedactivelyinauthenticactivitiesthatchallengeexistingknowledgeand

understandings”(p.33)learningseemslesseffortful.Ginaexplainedthatthisopen-

endedness“frightensteacherswhentheydon’tknowwhereit’sgoing.”Shereported

anexperiencewithsomeNSWtertiarypre-serviceteachingstudents,“theyworryso

muchaboutcontrollingtheoutcome,aboutmakingsuretheygetacertainoutcome”.

HoweverGinawasgladthat“sometimeswhatthekidswillcomeupwithisfar

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betterthananythingyoucouldimagineandifyoutryandsteerthemtoofarinto

onedirectionyou’regoingtomissthat”(Int2:June3,2014).ForGina,learningand

teachingindramawasparticipatoryandsocial(Neelands,2009).Herapproachto

teachingdramaenabledtheopen-endedlearningshenotedintheAustralian

curriculum,inwhichthecreativeprocessisinherentlysocialandalsoexperimental

(Munday&Anderson,2016).

Asasecondarydramateacher,MelwasalsoskepticalastohowtheNSWauthority

wouldincorporatethenewartscurriculum.Shereported,visualartsandmusic

were“beingvaluedoverthingslikedrama”(Int2:April23,2014).Sheelucidated,“it

willbeallperformingartscandodance.Visualartscandomediaarts.”Melsaidthe

NSWauthorityclaimedthatvisualarts“dothatsortofstuffanyway.”These

commentsreflectedanofficialpositionthatmediaartsshouldnotbecomeafifth

subjectintheArts20.MelmimickedtheNSWeducationauthoritystating,“dramacan

betruckedintoEnglish,wealreadydoallofthat.”Sheconcludedthatinresponseto

theincomingnationalartscurriculum,theNSWeducationauthoritybelieved,“We

don'thavetochangeanythingwedo”(Int2:April23,2014).WhileMelanticipated

theNSWeducationauthoritywouldneitherpromotethenationalartscurriculum

norchangetheexistingstatecurriculum,Dean,headofmusicathisschool,tooka

moreholisticview.Hewasawareofsometeachers’fearofchange.Hereviewedthe

wholeAustralianartscurriculumformusic,Foundation21toYear10andreported,

“someteachersarenervousaboutthattransition.”Heunpackedthisconcern

postulatingthatchangeisnecessarytoadvancelearningareas:

20InconsultationonthedevelopingAustralianartscurriculumtheNSWeducationauthoritystated,“MediaArtsshouldnotbeincludedasaseparatedisciplineintheArts,itshouldbeincorporatedappropriatelyinalllearningareas.”Consultationfeedbackreport–TheArts,ACARA.(ACARA,2012c)21FoundationisthetermfortheyearbeforeYear1intheAustralianCurriculum.InNSWthetermusedisKindergarten.

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Peoplearesaying,‘Ohwhycan'titbethesame?’Butyouknowthesamemeansyou'rejustdoingthesamethingoverandoveragain.Thereneedstobepointswherethethingschangeinordertoadvanceallthesubjectareas(Int1:November9,2013).

Deanfeltitwasalsohisresponsibilityasaleaderinhisschooltoembracechange

andherecognisedhisowndevelopmentasteacher:

Ithinkasaleaderandbeingsomeonethat'sdrivenbysyllabusorcurriculumdesign,youneedtobeopentolotsofdifferentchanges,ordifferentwaysoflookingatthings.IfIcomparemythoughtprocessesfromwhereIamnow,toalotearlieron,Ithinkmyapproachearlieronwouldhavebeenalotmorenarrow-minded(Int1:November9,2013).

DeandescribedhowhisschoolhascondensedthemandatedYears7and8music

syllabusintoaoneyearcourseinYear7andprogrammedamusicelectiveinYear8.

Hebelievedthatthisenabledstudentstoexploretheirowninterestinperforming,

composingororganisingsound,listeningordeconstructingmusic,“givingkidsthat

opportunitytoknowthattheycanactuallydeveloptheirmusicalskillinthose

differentareas”(Int1:November9,2013).Deanexplainedthatinseemingtoreduce

thecreativesubjectsonoffer,theprincipalwas“notlimitingthecreativesubject.He

wasactuallyinspiringothersubjectareastothinkmorecreativelyonhowthey

delivertheircontent”(Int1:November9,2013).Deanidentifiedthattheapproach

inhisschoolwasmoreconcernedwiththestudents’learningexperiencethan

fulfillingpre-specifiedcurriculumoutcomes.Heconcluded“whetherpeopleexcelin

itornot,thatshouldn'tbethedrivingfactor”(Int1:November9,2013).Bycontrast,

Mary,GinaandErrolwerefrustratedbypossiblelimitations,duetothemandatedor

compulsoryartssubjectsofmusicandvisualartsinNewSouthWales.However,

Deanemphasizedthataleaderneedstobeopentochange.Thisviewofleadership

andchangecombinedafocusonpedagogy,acultureofcareandrelated

organizationalprocesseswhichcomprised“productiveleadership”(Hayesetal.,

2004,p.521).Deanalsofeltthat“principalsshouldpromotedispersalofleadership”

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assuitabletotheirstyleandlocalconditions(Hayesetal.,2004,p.535).Dean’s

demonstratedattributesofleadershipforcurriculumchangewerealsoevidentin

theleadershipdecisionofhisprincipal:“re-thinkingteachingresponsibilities”,

“engaginginreflectiveinquiry”,“undertakingpersonalexamination”,“building

learningcommunities”,andinspiring“publicimagination”inqualityeducationto

deependemocracyineducation(Henderson&Slattery,2008,p.3).Thepositive

teachercollaborationDeanreportedwasinstarkcontrasttotheprincipal-directed

approachtoimplementationdiscussedbySarahandCraig.Bothwerescathingof

theirprincipal’sdirectiveofteacher“teamsforeverything”(SarahInt2:April17,

2014)intheirschool.TheirannoyancewasapparentinCraig’sfrustratedcomment

that“wecan’tcope”(CraigInt2:April17,2014).Theirsentimentandcommentary

suggestedthatthetransformationalresultofcollaborationandcollegialityevident

inDean’sschoolwasnotoccurringwithintheirschool.

Thenewcurriculum

Secondarydramateacher,Mel,wasconcernedbythecomplexityofexplainingthe

NSWsyllabusoutcomesinassessmenttaskstoherstudents.“Ittakesmeagesto

explainittothem.It’snotaseasyforthemtounderstand,whereastheywould

understandthis”(Int2:April23,2014)indicatingtheAustralianartscurriculum.She

claimedthatherstudents“wouldfullyunderstand”requirementsfordramainthe

Australiancurriculumas“youcanlinkyouroutcomesoryourcontentdescriptions

moredirectlyandmoreexplicitlyintermsofwhatyougivekidsforassessments”

(Int2:April23,2014).

LikeMel,primaryclassroomteacher,Paulaidentifiedthesimilaritiesbetweenthe

nationalcurriculumandtheNSWcreativeartssyllabus.Sheexplainedthesethrough

anecdotesofherprimaryclassroompracticeindrama.“Thesimilarityiswhatthey

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expectthatthechildrencanlearn”atthestageorband,forexample“thebasic

characters,costume,settingandallthat”(Int2:July11,2014).Sheconsideredthat

thestudentsmaynotunderstandalloftheelementsofdrama,but“theyunderstand

wheretheircharacteris,whattheircharacterwears,butthentheydon’tunderstand

wehavetouseemotion.”Inconsideringherownstudentsandherapproachto

dramaintheprimaryclassroom,Paula“likedthecontent”andfeltreaffirmedbythe

Australiancurriculumfordrama,“becauseallthesethingsthatI’velookedat,butI

didn’trealiseIwasdoing”(Int2:July11,2014).Paulawasreadingthecurriculumin

termsofherownteachingpracticeandmakingsenseofit.O'Toole(2015)stated

thatthenationalcurriculumwritersweredirectednottoincludepedagogy,

suggestiveofYates'(2008)contentionthatpolicymakersdonotconsiderthe

pedagogicalaspectofhowthecurriculumistaught.Regardlessofthese

disagreements,Paulaunderstoodthenewcurriculumthroughherpedagogy.

Furthermore,PaulaandMel’sinteractionswiththeincomingnationalarts

curriculumdemonstratedtheycouldwork“flexiblyandpurposively”with

curriculumintheArtsaspurportedbyEisner(2004).Thisisinfact,contraryto

Lingard,Hayes,andMills'(2003)claimthat“policyandstructuralconditionswork

againstthevaluingofteachersandtheirwork”(p.399).

AsweexploredtheAustraliancurriculuminthesecondinterview,Paulaidentified

thegoalofarecentintegrateddramaactivitywasforstudentstoidentifyand

considerdifferentperspectives,usingdeBono’ssixthinkinghats22inadrama

development.Inherexample,PaulacombineddramawithdeBono’stheoryto

explorethestoryofGoldilocks.Shereportedthattheinteractiveinterrogationofthe

22Ateachingtoolforthinkingappliedinschoolsandusedinorganisationalmanagementtraining.Thesixmetaphoricalhatsenableparticipantstoexperiencethesixlevelsofthinking:whiteforinformation,redforfeelings,blackforweakness,greenforstrengths,yellowforcreativity,andblueformanagingthethinking.processhttp://www.parade.vic.edu.au/md/teacher_research_guide/defining/defining_debono.htm

121

storywassoeffectivethat“everystorywereadfromnowon,wehavetolookatthe

sixhats.Idon’thavetositthereexplainingthisiswhatthishatmeantbecausethey

alreadyknow.”Paula’sapproachintegratedcurriculumrequirementsinEnglishand

dramawithcriticalandcreativethinkingskills(generalcapabilities)andtheprocess

enhancedherstudents’confidenceandperformance.Shesurmised,“Theywantto

performeverythingnow.Theywanttobeonthestageagain.They’rehappyand

theylikebeingvideotaped.Theywanttodoitthemselves”(Int2:July11,2014).

AsshereviewedthenewAustraliandramacurriculumonline,Paulastronglyagreed

withtheYears3and4banddescriptionstatementthatstudents“extendtheir

understandingofroleandsituationastheyoffer,acceptandextendtheirideasin

improvisation”(ACARA,2015a).ThisresonatedwithPaula’srecentpractice,

“becausewiththesixthinkinghats,theywereabletothinkfurtherthanjustthisisa

littlegirlgoingintoahouse”(Int2:July11,2014).Paula’sintegratedapproach

clearlydemonstratedEisner’s(2008)beliefthatproblemstheaveragecitizen

assessedwere“multidisciplinary”and“oftenrequiremodesofthoughtthatarenot

definedwithinaspecificdiscipline”(p.15).LikewiseDunnandStinson(2011)

foundindramathatwhenteachersareabletoeffectivelymanagethecombination

ofartisticandteacherrolesin“boththemacroandmicrolevelsofplanningand

implementation”thestudentlearningis“optimized”(p.630).Atthesametime,they

concludedthata“teacher’sapproachwasshapedbythecontextinwhichtheywork

andtheunderstandingsofcurriculumandpedagogyunderpinningthatcontext”(p.

630)asevidencedbyPaula.

Eisner(2004)himselfstated,“Asexperiencedteacherswellknow,thesurestroadto

hellinaclassroomistosticktothelessonplannomatterwhat.”(p. 6) Yet,in

consideringthecurrentandincomingcurriculum,Craigdeterminedthathewould

fitthecurriculumtowhathedoesratherthanalterhispracticetofitthecurriculum.

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AshecomparedthetwocurriculaCraigpondered,“Istheexpectationofthe

outcomesdifferent?Possibly.ButI'lljusttryandworkthemintowhatIdo.Sothat's

howIwilladaptwiththenewcurriculum”(Int1:October1,2013).Similarly,Sarah,

withmanyyearsteachingexperience,said,“Idon’treallyusetheNSWcreativearts

syllabusthatmuch,tobehonest”(Int1:October1,2013).Herattitudewasreflected

inanotherstudybyPowerandKlopper(2011)whofoundthatupto20%ofNSW

respondentsreportednotusingthesyllabusdocumentsinplanningcreativearts

learningexperiencesfortheirprimarystudents.Sarahoffered,“Iknowit’sthereand

IknowwhatIshouldbedoing”.Sheoffered,“I’dprobablystartusingitasastarting

offpointandthenIsortofgoout,notonatangent,butIcouldexpandonit”(Int1:

October1,2013).

Craiginitiallydidn’tthinkthechangetotheAustralianartscurriculumwouldimpact

onhimatall.Heconsideredifhewouldchangehispracticewiththeintroductionof

thenewAustralianArtscurriculum,“HaveIreadit?Thewholething?Thedraft?No.

WillitchangethethingsthatIwanttodoinschool?Probablynot”(Int1:October1,

2013).Duringhisfirstinterview,Craigandhiscolleague,Sarahbothinferredthey

didnotrigidlyadheretothecurrentNSWsyllabus.Craigrevealed,“becauseIthink

dramawillalwaysbethere.Dancewillalwaysbethere.Singingwillalwaysbe

there.”Insummary,theArtsarepartofCraig’sday-to-dayteachingpractice.He

concluded,“SoIknowitwon'treallyimpactonmealot”(Int1:October1,2013).

However,inthesecondinterview,uponreviewingtheAustralianartscurriculum

online,Craigcommented,

Ithinkthat’swhatthenewcurriculumisallabout,it’saboutgettingchildrentoreflectonwhatthey’relearningandthenhowtheirlearningisgoingtoassistthemasindividualsinthetwenty-firstcentury.(Int2:April17,2014)

TowhichSarahresponded,“You’reteachingthemhowtolearn.That’swhatyou’re

doing”(Int2:April17,2014).Sarahwasdeterminedonthispoint,“Youshouldbe

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fosteringaloveoflearningwithoutarewardattheend.”Herviewrecognisedthe

“potentialcurriculahavetoinspireandchallenge”(Duffy,2016,p.37).BothSarah

andCraigalreadyhadoneormoreoftheArtsembeddedintotheirdailypractice.

Theydidnotforeseechangeintheirclassroomteachingwiththeincoming

Australianartscurriculumratherthenewcurriculumendorsedtheirexistingarts

practice.

Paula,SarahandCraig’sapproachesallsupportedYates'(2008)conclusionthat

teachersviewcurriculumpolicythroughalensofpedagogy.Craig,SarahandMary

eachindicatedintenttoadapttotheincomingcurriculumbyconnectingtheir

existingpracticestothecurriculum,ratherthandevisingcompletelynewlessons.

WithintheAustraliancontext,Alteretal.(2009)reportedconsiderableconsistency

acrossexistingstateandterritoryprimaryartscurricula.Theresearchersidentifiedthateachjurisdiction’scurriculumincludedthethreeprocessesofmaking,

presentingandresponding.Eachcurriculadocumentincluded‘stagestatements’identifyingexpectedstudentachievementattheendofeachlevelofdevelopment.It

followsthattheteachersinthisstudydidnotfindvastdifferencesbetweenthe

AustralianartscurriculumandtheexistingNSWcreativeartssyllabus.

Conclusion

Theparticipantteacherswerepositiveandexcitedaboutthenewcurriculumafter

reviewingtheAustralianartscurriculumonline.Bothprimaryandsecondary

teachersfoundthatitwasnotcompletelydifferenttothecurrentNSWsyllabusand

thereforenotthreatening.Whereasinthenationalconsultationsometeacher

professionalassociationstendedtobenegativeabouttheincomingAustralian

curriculum,inone-to-oneconversationindividualteachersweremotivatedto

exploretheAustralianartscurriculumandpositivelyanticipatedworkingwithitin

itsdigitalform.WhileprimaryteachersreportedbackwardmappingtheNewSouth

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Walessyllabustoartsactivitiestheyundertookintheclassroom,theysaw

opportunitiestoworkfromthenewAustralianartscurriculuminfluencedbyit’s

potentialtoenableauthenticlearningopportunities.Oneprimaryteacherandone

secondaryteacherparticularlynotedtheopportunitiesforopen-endedlearning

activitiesprovidedbythenewcurriculum,incontrasttothepre-specifiedoutcomes

prescribedintheexistingNewSouthWalesartscurricula(thiswillbediscussedin

Section5.3:Theimpactofnationalandstatestandards).Teachersdidnotseemto

havedifficultydisentanglingthepolicyfromtheirpracticeascontendedbyEisner

(2000).TheyidentifiedthepotentialtochangepracticethroughtheAustralianarts

curriculumenablingthemtoencouragestudentstoreflectonhowthey’relearning

andtodevelopstudents’loveoflearning.

Thefollowingexploresparticipantteachers’perceptionsoftheoutsideforcesthat

impacttheircapacitytoteachtheArts,thesecondoftheinfluenceshighlightedby

Eisner.

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Section5.2:OutsideforceswithintheschoolaffectingtheArts

Introduction

Intheprecedingsection,IexaminedEisner’scontentionthatpolicyisdifficultto

disentanglefromtheaimsofartseducationthroughtheparticipatingteachers’

responsestocurrentandincomingartscurriculum.Ifoundthattheparticipantsdid

notfindanymajordifferencesbetweentheoldandthenewcurriculaandwere

generallypositiveabouttheincomingnationalcurriculum.Inreality,theydidnot

reportanymarkeddifficultyindisentanglingthecurriculumpolicyfromtheaimsof

artseducation.

ThesecondinfluencenotedbyEisner(2000)wasthatpoliciesaffectingarts

educationwereoftendevelopedbypeoplefromoutsidethefield.Therecently-

developedAustralianartscurriculum(endorsedSept.2015)waswrittenbyarts

educators,artsexpertsandartssupporters.Althoughdevelopedbyandforarts

curriculumusers,i.e.teachers,studentsandacademics,intheAustralianarts

curriculumthereisanessenceofthe‘tighteningup’thatEisner(2004)claimedwas

inherentineducationalpolicy.Hearguedthattherewas“anefforttocreateorder,to

tidyupacomplexsystem,toharnessnature…sothatourintentionscanbe

efficientlyrealized”(pp.3-4).This‘tidyingup’intermsoftheAustraliancurriculum

canbeobservedintheuseofanestablishedcurriculumdesignasdescribedinThe

curriculumdesignpaper(ACARA,2013).ThisdocumentwasinitiatedforEnglish,

maths,historyandscience,thefirstfourlearningareasorsubjectstobedeveloped

inthenationalcurriculum.IntheprocessofdevelopingtheAustralianarts

curriculum,itwasevidentthatthecurriculumstructuredictatedbythiscurriculum

designwasnotidealfortheArts.“Akeyproblemforcurriculumdesignbasedon

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subjectsishowtoaddnewkindsofknowledgeoradditionalexpectationstothe

curriculum”(Brennan,2011,pp.264-266).Despitethis,theartscurriculum

contributorsworkedefficientlytodevelopanartscurriculumthattheteachersin

thisstudyhavefoundaccessibleandfunctionalasdescribedpreviously.

Overview

Inthefollowing,Ireportontheoutsideforcesatworkwithintheschool.These

includetheschool’sattitudetotheArts;economicpressures;lackofspecialist

teachers;andexpectationsofcontrolintermsofstudents’behaviouroroutcomes.

Theseoutsideforceswithintheschool,impactedthecapacityoftheeight

participantteacherstoteachtheArts.Theteachersconsideredwhetherthesemay

changewiththeincomingnationalartscurriculum.Theattitudeoftheschool

towardstheArtsistheprimaryfactoraffectingateacher’scapacitytoeffectively

teachthesubjectintheclassroom,andbroaderschoolsettings(Eisner,2004).

Ultimately,howeverthewaytheschoolchoosestoincorporatetheArtsintothe

classroomcurriculumandwidercommunitylifeoftheschooldictatestheallocation

ofresourcesfortheArts.Resourcesinthisinstance,referstotheallocationoftime,

staffing,facilitiesandmaterials.Theschool’sattitudecombinedwithappropriate

resourcesclearlyinfluencesstudents’interestinandenthusiasmfortheArts.The

experiencesoftheeightteachersinvolvedthisstudypresentarangeofschools’

attitudestowardstheArts.

Attitudeoftheschool

Asaresultoftheirinterviews,IunearthedarangeofattitudestotheArtsfromthe

schoolexperiencesdescribedbytheparticipantteachers.Primaryschoolteacher

Craignoted,“You’vegotdifferentschools,eachhasgottheirownagenda”(Int2:

April17,2014).The‘agenda’emanatestheschoolvalues.Richerme(2016)claims

thesevaluesmaybemanagedbyindividualswithintheschoolormaybewhole

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schoolvaluesledbytheprincipalandreflectedinparentandcommunity

involvement.Inmycasestudies,therangeofschoolattitudestotheArtsvariedfrom

theverypositivearts-focusacrosscurriculumatDean’sschooltothemostly

negativeatMel’sschool.Yet,pivotalineachcasewasthedeterminationandvalueof

theArtsheldbyeachindividualteacher.

Artsatthecentreoflearning

Dean’sschoolisanindependent,co-educationalKto12schoolwhichvaluedthe

Arts.Deanclaimed,“I'mreally,reallyfortunatethattheArtshasastrongfocusatmy

school,andIthinkithashadforalongtime.Itreallyplaysavitalroleinthatschool

motto,whichis‘all-rounder’”(Int1:November9,2013).Deanexpandedthatanall-

roundercanbeperceivedasa“Jackofalltrades,masterofnone”.However,athis

schoolthismantraencouragedstudentstodevelop“abroaderperspective,or

[become]apersonwhoisabletocreateandthinkcreatively”(Int1:November9,

2013).Deanconnectedthistothecurriculum,“Ithinkthat'swhytheprinciplevalue

iscreativity,notjustasaseparatebodyofsubjectsthatsitsoutsideoftheArts,

writingandarithmeticandallthat.”TheprincipalofDean’sschoolnotedthatthe

studentswhocometopoftheschoolacademicallywerealsothestudentswho

participate:

[P]layingintheschoolorchestra,orthey'reactingintheschoolplay,orthey'repartofthedanceprogram,andthey'reinvolvedinsport;andtheycompeteandtheydoallthesethings.Andthenactuallythetopkidsarethosekidsthatareinvolvedinallofthat(DeanInt1:November9,2013).

Hisprincipalalsostressedthatparticipationwasbeneficialtostudentachievement

atschool.Thosestudentswhoachievedthetopacademicresultsalsoparticipatedin

artsandotheractivitiesacrosstheschoolcurriculumandcommunity.Participation

intheArtscontributedto“adaptivemotivation,academicbuoyancy,andclass

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participation”(Martinetal.,2013,p.721).Moreover,theprincipal’sapproachtoArts

intheschoolreflectedEisner’scontentionthat:

thedistinctiveformsofthinkingneededtocreateartisticallycraftedworkarerelevantnotonlytowhatstudentsdo,theyarerelevanttovirtuallyallaspectsofwhatwedo,fromthedesignofcurricula,tothepracticeofteaching,tothefeaturesoftheenvironmentinwhichstudentsandteacherslive(2004,p.4).

Further,thecreativeexperiencehighlightedbyDean’sprincipalwasoneofthe

“strategicgoals”oftheschool:

oneofthestrategicgoalsoftheschoolistogivethatopportunitytokids.Thereareawholelotofdifferenteducationalpedagogiesthatwefocusonasaschool,dimensionsoflearning;habitsofmind,makingthinkingvisible.Higherorderthinking,sothatwholecreativeexperiencethatyoumightthinkyoujustgetthroughthearts,noit'sbeyondthat.It'screativethinkinginamathematicsclassroom.It'screativethinkinginascienceexperiment…it'samindset(Dean,Int1:November9,2013).

DeanacknowledgedthestrongsupportoftheschoolleadershipfortheArtsand

creativity.Asheadofthemusicfaculty,Deanwasaleaderwithinhisschool.Hisuse

oftermssuchas“strategicgoals”andthephrase“thatwefocusonasaschool”

denotetheconsidered,collegial,forward-planninginspiredbytheschool’sprincipal.

BrundrettandDuncan(2015)foundthat“thejudiciousandstrategicuseofallstaff

inajointendeavourdirectedtowardstheimplementationofanyrevised

curriculum”isanessential“leadershipskillincurriculuminnovation”(p.758).Dean

summarized“Wearecreativeinanarts-focusedschool,buthopefullythatinfluence

ofcreativethinkingappliestoallofthesubjectareas”(Int1:November9,2013).

AsdescribedintheprevioussectionDean’sschoolprincipalenabledthecondensing

ofthe‘mandatory’musiccurriculumforYears7and8intooneyear,Year7.This

enabledstudentsthechoicetoelectanotherartssubjectinYear8.Deanexplained

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“Year9thenbecomestheextensionofthatelectiveprogram”andidentifiedthat

students“wouldhavecompleted200hours[ofmusic]bythen”.TheNSWcreative

artssyllabusmandatesthatstudentscomplete100hoursofmusicandvisualartsin

Years7and8(Stage4).TherestructuringofthemandatedmusiccourseinYears7

and8atDean’sschoolremovedthestigmastudentsattachedtobeingforcedto

devotetwoyearstoasubjectthatdoesnotinterestthem.Simultaneously,this

approachenabledstudentswhodidhaveapassionforaparticularartformtohone

thatinterestfromtheirsecondyearofhighschool.Thisincludesmusicandvisual

arts,aswellasdanceanddrama.23Theinnovativecultureinlearningandteaching

adoptedbyDean’sschooldemonstratedimprovementinstudents’academic

outcomes.Italsodevelopedcertain“creativedispositionsandothersocialand

emotionalskills”oftenassociatedwithartseducation(Winneretal.,2013,p.25).

Schoolattitudesaffectedbyeconomicpressures

Similarly,Errol’sschoolapproachedtheArtsinaninnovativewaythatdidnot

adheretothespecificationsofthecurrentNSWartscurriculum.Errolteachesatan

independentperformingartssecondaryschoolforYears7–12.Theattitudeofhis

schoolwasthatthestudentsactivelyparticipateintheirchosenperformingarts

discipline:dance,dramaormusic.Errolexplained,“eachsemesterhasa

performanceoutcome”.Heclaimed,“We’refortunatethatwe’reinaschool

environmentwheresixhoursaweekisofferedforkidsintheirchosendiscipline.It

isfantastic.Theycancertainlygetalotoutofit”(Int1:September13,2013).

WhereasDean’sschoolvaluedtheArtstocontributetothegrowthofthestudentas

awhole,an“all-rounder”,Errol’sschoolfocusedonthestudent’sdevelopmentasa

performerwithintheirchosenartform.

23InNSWthestudyofbothmusicandvisualartsiscompulsoryinYears7and8,whiledramaanddanceareoptionalanddecidedbytheindividualschool.

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Asacommitteddramateacher,Errolemphasised“frustration”inresponseto

severalfactorsathisschool,whichhasastatedaimofhelpingstudentstorealise

theirperformingartspotential.Firstly,theeconomicpressuretomaintainstudent

numbersasmanyotherindependentschoolswere“competingforthesameclient

base.”Herecountedthatasaconsequence,theschoolwas“takingalotofkidswho

aren’tnecessarilykidswhoexcelinthechosenartsdiscipline.”Hecontinued“there

arestudentsintheschoolstudyingdancewhodonothavethephysique,orstudying

dramabutdonothavetheaptitude.”Thisargumentrunscountertothe

expectationsofthecurrentNSWartscurriculum.Itshouldbenotedthattheschool

allocatestwohoursperdayofspecialistperformingartstraininginthestudent’s

chosenartform.Thistrainingoccursinadditiontotheregularschoolday.Errol

claimedthatthestudentsinhisschoolwere“notparticularlywell-travelled”or

experiencedoutsidetheirimmediateschoolsituation.Heacknowledgedthat“tobea

successfulactor,youhavetodrawonlife’sexperiences.”Hesurmised,“certainlythe

kidsthatIworkwithinmyparticularplaceofemploymentdon’thavethose

experiences,whichmakesitveryhardtodrawonsomesortofpalatethattheycan

reallyflyorsoarwith.”However,hisoverridingpersonalphilosophyasadrama

educatorwasthat“dramaeducationgivesyousomeconfidenceandsomewhereto

focustheirenergiesortheireccentricity,andtosucceed”(Int1:September13,

2013).Errol’sstrugglewaswiththelimitationsofhisschool’sattitudetotheArts

againsthisownphilosophyandpracticeasanartseducator.Hedescribed“a

frustrationthatIhavewithalotofthesekids,whetherthey’redoingtheperforming

artsclassorwhetherthey’redoingthedramaStageSix,isthattheydon’tseealotof

livetheatre.It’sextremelyfrustrating.”Errol,atheatreenthusiast,wasaghastthat

studentswhoattendedthespecialistschoolwantingtodevelopskillsinthe

performingartsdidnotattendliveperformances.Heheldthatthesestudentswere

“operatingfromapositionofignorance”.Heargued:

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weofferthemopportunitiestoparticipateintheatreclubsandtocomeandseelivetheatreasagroup.Andit’salwaysveryrewardingbecauseyouknowalotofthekidsaresurprisedathowengagedtheybecomeandthinktheyshoulddoitmore(Int1:September13,2013).

Errolwasstrivingagainstakindofstudentapathy.Hisaimwastonurtureand

developstudents’learningacrossboththecognitiveandtheaffectivedomains

throughdrama,andinsodoingenablethevibrantconnectionofemotionand

thoughtwhichDunnandStinson(2012)maintainis“theheartofqualityarts

education,andthestandardpracticeofartseducators”(p.217).

Similarlystrugglingwithherschool’sattitudetotheArtswasMel,thesoledrama

teacherinasecondaryindependent,co-educationalschoolwhereshebelievedthat

dramawasnotapriorityfortheleadershipatherschool.Shereportedteachingthe

NSWdramasyllabustoYears9to12,butstated,“Wedon'thaveYears7and8

dramainourschool“(Int1:September3,2013).Shedescribedrunninganafter-

schooltheatresportscoursethatstudentsinYears7and8paidtoattend.She

maintainedthatthiswasyet“anotherout-of-schoolexperience”sheprovided,but

that“theparentcommunityrecognizedthevalueofdrama.”Melclaimedthat“the

schoolwasgettingfrustratedwithkidswantingtoswapoutofonesubjectandthen

changetodrama”asaresultofstudents’out-of-schooldramaexperiences.She

argued“ifyoudon'tofferitasa‘taster’duringYear7and8,howdoyouexpectkids

tomakeachoice?”(Int1:September3,2013).InNSW,inYears7and8,music,visual

artsandlanguagesare“mandatory”(NESA,2017)andmustbestudiedfor100

hours(BoardofStudiesNSW,2004/2014).“Dramaisanelectivecoursethatcanbe

studiedfor100or200hoursatanytimeduringYears7to10”(BoardofStudies

NSW,2004/2014,p.10).

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AsdramawasnotofferedatherschoolinYears7and8,Melclaimedtheschool’s

leadershipwasnotassupportiveofdramaasofothersubjects.LikeErrol,Mel’s

schoolwasdrivenbytheeconomicsofstudentenrolments.Shenotedthatather

independentschool,theminimumnumberofstudentenrolmentsrequiredfora

coursetobeofferedvariedbetweensubjects.“Istillfighttohavemysubjectsrun

everyyearthough.”Melmaintainedthatherschoolhadacommitmentto“run

music,visualartsandlanguages,regardlessofstudentnumbers”(Int1:September3,

2013).SheexplainedthatthispredominantlyoccurredinYears9and10whenall

artsandlanguagessubjectsweretermed“electives.”Sherecalled“lastyearFrench

gotfourstudents”whiletherewere“tenorelevenstudentswhowantedtodo

drama.”Shemused,”theywouldn'trundramabecausetheywantedtwelveandI

didn'tgetit,buttheyranFrenchwithfour?”(Int1:September3,2013).This

enrolmentstrategyatMel’sschoolisanexampleofcurriculumthatprivileges

languagesaswellasmathematicsandscienceovertheArts(Ewing,2010;Miller&

Saxton,2011;Robinson,2001).Schoolsmayalsoallocatelowerprioritytolearning

areasnotdirectlyassociatedwithhigh-stakestestinginordertomaintain

“economiccompetitivenessinthetwenty-firstcentury”environment(Berliner,

2011,p.291).Inresponsetoeconomicpressure,independentschoolsusehigh-

stakestestresults,suchasNAPLANandtheHSCtopromotetheschoolandcompete

forstudentenrolments,asraisedbybothErrolandMel.(Theimpactoftestscoresis

discussedinsection5.4).

Inresponsetothisprivilegingofsomesubjectsoverothers,MellikeErrolwas

frustratedbyherschool’sattitude.Asaresult,shefeltthis‘outsideforce’affecting

theschool’sattitudetotheArtscouldpotentiallyhindermanyschoolsinNSWfully

implementingtheincomingAustralianartscurriculum:

mybiggestfrustrationwithallofthisisthatschoolswon’tactuallyimplementtheartsexplicitlyacrossthosestages,andthatjustannoysmeandfrustratesmebecauseIthinkit’sreallyimportant(Int2:April23,2014).

133

Bycontrasttothearts-focusedapproachinDean’sschool,Mel’sschool

demonstratedthatsome“schoolsvaluewhatisvaluedbytheeconomiccultureof

thecountry”(Russell-Bowie,2012,p.61).Errol’sschoolontheotherhand,

exemplifiedthat“schoolingmarketsprioritizetheneedsofvalued‘customers’”

(Hayes,2013,p.3).Inbothschools“economicefficiencycontinuestotrump

imaginativeefficacy”(Miller&Saxton,2011,p.120).

Creatingcommunity

UnlikeErrol’sandMel’sschoolswheretheattitudetotheArtswasdrivenbythe

economicsofstudentenrolments,Ginareportedadifferentexperienceinher

regionalgovernmentsecondaryschool.AsheadofCreativeandPerformingArts

(CAPA)withaschoolpopulationof1100students,shedescribedtheschool’s

diversestudentpopulation:

600ofthemwouldcomefrommiddleclasstouppermiddleclassfamilies.400ofthemwouldcomefromveryverypoorhousingcommissions.There’sabout100newEnglish-speakingrefugees,newmigrants,peoplefromBangladesh,India,thatsortofthing.Andthenthere’sabout80to100kidswhocomeandgo,transients,theycome‘causetheylivewithmumandtheyleaveandthey’rewithdadandtheycomebackagainandthey’readrainonourwholesystem(Int2:June3,2014).

Ginawasparticularlyconcernedforthestudentsshecalled‘transient’.Shemused,

“Ifwecouldjustkeeptheminoneplacewecouldteachthemsomething”(Int2:June

3,2014).Sherealisedshecouldnotreachstudentswhowerenotpresentatschool

andrecognizedthatconsideringthiscohort,theschool“getsreallygoodresults”.

However,sheadded“…nowthatwehavetokeepkidsatschool‘tilseventeen24,it’s

24“On1January2010,theminimumschoolleavingageinNSWwasraisedfrom15to17yearsofage.ItisnowcompulsoryforyoungpeopletocompleteYear10orturn17yearsofage...IftheycompleteYear10butarenotyet17yearsofagetheymustremainatschooluntiltheyareatleast17yearsofage”.Theimpactoftheraisedschoolleavingage,DepartmentofEducationandCommunities,1November2012.

134

muchharder.”Ginahadautonomyandconsideredherprincipalsupportive.“Having

abossthatdoesn’tgetinyourway,andgivesyousupportbutalsogivesyougood

guidancewhenyouneedit”(Int1:June27,2013).Shereflecteduponherexperience

ofprincipalsinpreviousschools:

I’vehadalotofreallygoodprincipals,andaprincipalwilljustsetsuchagoodtonesometimes,thatyouknowthatyouhavesupport,andyouknowthathe’sgotyourback(Int1:June27,2013).

Ginareferredtotheprincipal“settingagoodtone”whichwassimilartoDean’s

experienceinhisschool.Bothparticipantteachersrecountedevidencethat

exemplifiedleadershipstructuresthat“positivelyimpactlearningintheclassroom”

asdetailedbyBrundrettandDuncan(2015,p.759).

Gina,likeMel,wasalsoinvolvedindramaactivitiesoutsideoftheschoolday.Of

particularnotewastheannualregionaldramacampheldintheschoolholidays.

Ginaexplained:

Wetryandencouragekidsfromverysmallschoolstogoaswell,‘causeoftenthosekidshaven’tgototherkidsthattheycan‘play’with.Andwetryandencourageboys.Andthemainthingsare,makesurethekidshavegotthings,makesureisolatedkidsgetachance,makesureboys,particularlyinthearts,becauseoftenthey’reinasmalltownwherepeopleidolisefootball.(Int2:June3,2014)

Ginaidentifiedthatgeographicisolationandlackofcommunityinterestimpacted

thestudents’abilitytoparticipateintheArts,andthislimitedhercapacitytoteach

theArtsinherschool.Byprovidingtheschoolholidaydramacampandthereby

engagingtheseisolatedstudentsinalearningcommunity,Ginawasableto

effectivelyteachdrama.Shestressedtheimportanceofthisholidaydramaactivity

forbringingstudentstogetherfromisolatedregionallocations,particularlyboys

whowereinterestedintheArts,butwereoftenaloneintheirinterest.Thisout-of-

135

schooldramaactivitywasessentialfortheseregionalstudentstohavean

opportunitytoexploreandlearnindramawithinacommunityoflike-mindedpeers.

Bycontrast,inMel’smetropolitansituationshewasfrustratedbecausetheschool

couldnotconsistentlyofferdramawithintheschooltimetable,whichimpactedher

capacitytoteachdramaacrosssequentialyears.However,bothGinaandMelwere

intentonengagingtheirstudentsindramathatdemonstrated“cognitive,affective

andbehavioralimmersionintheartshasthecapacitytoimpactdeeperbeliefsand

valuesaboutoneselfandone’splaceintheworld”(Martinetal.,2013,p.721).These

twoteachersfoundwaystoworkaroundtheoutsideforcesimpactingtheir

situationsinordertoenabletheirstudentstoexperiencelearninginandthrough

theArts.

Lackofspecialistteachers

Beyondtheattitudeoftheschool,Ginaidentifiedafurtherexternalfactorimpacting

thedeliveryofartseducationwasthelimitedavailabilityofspecialistartsteachers

intheregion.Consequentlythesharingofvisualartsteachersbetweenthe

secondaryandprimaryschoolswasonestrategytomaintainvisualartslearning

andteachinginboththeprimaryandsecondaryschools.Ginadescribedthis

linkagesstrategy:

Oneofourartteachersgoesdowntoaprimaryschooleveryweekduringsport.Sheteachesarttodifferentclasses.Shestartswithanartworkandthentheyendupmakingsomething.Sotheyrespondtotheartworkthatshe’sshownthembydoingsomeactivity.(Int2:June3,2014)

Whilethesharingofvisualartsteacherswasenablingtheteachingofvisualartsto

occuracrossprimaryandsecondaryschools,Ginawasawareotherartssubjectsdid

nothaveaccesstospecialistartsteachers.Shewasscathingoftheuseofthe‘all-

schoolmusical’inprimaryschools,claimingthequalityoftheArtswaslacking.Gina

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didnotseethischangingwiththeincomingnationalartscurriculumandexplained

whythislimitationonqualityArtsteachingwasoccurringinregionalareas:

propervisualartsteachinganddramateachingandmusicteachingshouldbegoingoninthoseprimaryschools,butalotofthoseprimaryschoolteachersaregettingquiteoldandnoneofthemwanttochangetheirways.Manyofthemareafraidofmessandafraidofthekidsbeingoutofcontrol.Really,whatthey’reafraidofistheopen-endedproject,whichisreallywhatmakesyousomethingwhenyou’reakid,‘whatifIwanttolookatthisinsteadofdoingwhatshewantsmetogetthatresult?’”(Int1:June27,2013)

TeacherswhoneedtomaintaincontrolexemplifyEisner’s(2004)observationthat

“weplaceamuchgreateremphasisonpredictionandcontrolthanonexploration

anddiscovery”(p.6).Furthertothedifficultyinattractingspecialistartsteachersto

regionalareasGinaobservedtheproblemofageingteachers.Sheclaimedolder

teacherspreferredcontrolinclassroom.Theyexpectedspecificoutcomesfrom

students,whichwasoftendetrimentaltostudents’experiencesinartseducationin

primaryschool.Shenotedthatmanysecondaryvisualartsteacherswereusingthe

sameprogramsyearafteryear.“I’vebeentellingthemtomodifythingsandgetkids

excitedaboutthings,buttheydothesamethingeveryyear”(Int1:June27,2013).

Sointhisinstance,evenhavingspecialistartsteacherswasafurtheroutsideforce

impactingGina’svisionforartseducationinhercontext.Gina’ssummationofher

regiondemonstratedthattheinequitiesinthe“lifechancesofmanyAustralian

children”wasimpactedbytheinadequaciesofstructure,includingthedesign,

staffingandresourcing,ofmanyschools(Ewing,2012,p.101).

BycontrasttoGina’snegativerecollectionsofherownchildren’sprimaryschool

musicals,Craig’ssuburbanprimaryschoolwasusingtheannualwholeschool

musicalproductiontobringtheschoolcommunitytogether.Craigidentifiedthatthe

schoolcommunityvaluedtheArts.SimilarlytoGinaandMel,Craigwasinaschool

thatallocatedtimeout-of-classfortheArts,inthiscase,preparingfortheschool

137

musicalproduction.Heexplained,“Wehaveafternoonpractices”and“inourschool,

alotofpeoplegetonboard,theyvalueit,theyseeopportunitiesforthechildren”

(Int1:October1,2013).Hecontinued,“weprovidealotofopportunitiesforthekids

who’vegotbeat.Youknow,musicaltheatre,itcouldbesport,itcouldbeaerobics,it

couldbechessclub.”Craignotedthatforalargeschool,“wehavenexttozero”

problemswithstudentbehaviour“becausethey’resobusy”.ForCraig,thebusy-ness

oftheArtsactivityintheschoolwas“agoodthing”asiteradicatedtheneedfor

behaviourmanagement.AccordingtoNeelands(2009)theprocessof‘making’as

partofanensembleeffectivelyraisesstudents’self-esteemandimproves

behaviours,whilealsoraisingthequalityofthestudents’work.

Inhismetropolitanschool,CraigdescribedtheArtsasanormalcomponentof

schoolactivity.EachteacherwasinvolvedintheArtsintheirdailyclassroom

practiceandinpreparationfortheout-of-schoolmusicalproduction.Bycontrastto

Gina’sobservationofprimaryteachersinherregionwhowantedstudentstofulfilla

particularoutcome,Craighighlighted:

Istherealessonplanwrittenforeachtimewedoit?No.It’sjustmoreofthe,‘Right,thisisourplay.We'vegottogetitdone.Thesearerehearsalschedulesandwepullittogether.’(Int1:October1,2013)

Craig’scommentaryidentifiedthattherewasaperformancefocus,ratherthanin-

classsubject-basedlessons.Hestated,“teachingtotheexactoutcomeorstatement,

thatdoesn’treallyhappen.Butit’smoretheexposuretothechildren”(Int1:October

1,2013).This‘exposure’oftheArtswaspartofCraigandhisschool’sholistic

approachtoteachingthewholechildinprimaryschoolcontext.Craigconcluded,

“they’llprobablygetmoreexposuretosomethinglikethatthantheywouldinthe

classroom.That’swhatmybeliefis“(Int1:October1,2013).Craig’swholeschool

approachwas,inaway,likethatofDean’sschool,thatisto“cultivatethe

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individualityofstudents”(Eisner,2000,p.4)althoughthisoccurredoutsidethe

classroom.

ThisapproachtoartseducationinprimaryschoolssuchasCraig’scasemaywellbe

acommonphenomenon.B.PowerandKlopper(2011)reportedthatrespondentsin

theirstudyofprimarycreativeartsinNSWindicatedthatnotimeatallwas

allocatedtodanceanddrama.“Afurtherindicationofcurriculumexpectationsnot

beingmet”(p.18).Theresearchersalsofoundthatmorethanonequarterof

respondentsidentified“teachinglearningexperiencesincreativeartsasisolated

eventsasopposedtosequencesoflessons”(p.18).Incontrasttothesefindings,both

CraigandGinacreatedcommunitiesofstudentsthroughtheartsactivitiesthey

undertookoutsideofclass.Eachcontainedlearningintheparticularartssubject,

butalsolearningthroughtheartform.Thesetwoexamplesresonatewith

Ewing’s(2010)observationthat“acommunityofparticipantspursuingashared

goalthroughengaginginartsactivitiesenjoythesocialbenefits”thatinclude

“thecreationofasenseofcommunityidentity,andthebuildingofsocialcapital

andorganisationalcapacity”(p.15).

Aschoolculturederivesfromitscommunity.Withinthiscontextaretheteachers

andtheirapproachestolearningandteaching.AsdemonstratedbyGinaandCraig,

participationintheArtshasbeenlinkedtogreatersenseofcommunityorcivic

engagementintheschool(Catterall,Dumais,&Hampden-Thompson,2012;Martin

etal.,2013).Furthermore,inbothsituationstheseteachersenabledstudentsto

engageinartsactivitiesthroughin-schoolandoutsideofschoolartseducation.

Curriculumisreliantuponteachers’choicesaboutwhatispresentedand

consequentlyhowstudentsrespondtoit(Eisner,2008).Gina’sandCraig’s

approachesreflectthe“innovativecultureinteachingandlearninginorderto

improvestudents’academicoutcomes…creativedispositionsandothersocialand

139

emotionalskills”(Winneretal.,2013,p.25).TheyusedtheArtswithconsideration

“forstudentslivinginarapidlychangingworld,[since]theartsteachvitalmodesof

seeing,imagining,inventing,andthinking”(Winner&Hetland,2010,p.31).Yet,

persistentinGina’sandCraig’sexperience,andthatoftheotherparticipantteachers

inthisstudy,isthatthesituationsinwhichtheyteachtheArtsaremultilayeredwith

“interrelatedissuesoftimeandthequantityofcurriculummaterialrequiring

coverage”overlaidbydemandsof“accountability”(Alteretal.,2009,p.10).Each

participantteacherworksinaschoolsituatedwithinaparticulargeographic,social

andeconomicperspectivethatcontributestotheschool’sattitudetowardstheArts

whichultimatelyimpactstheteachers’capacitytoteachtheArts.

Combiningtheindividualschoolsituationwiththecomplexityofcurriculum

changeandexpectationsofschoolleadershipisevidentintheexperiencesof

Craigandhiscolleague,Sarah.Theyreportedaschoolleadershipapproachto

curriculumimplementation,whichonthesurfaceimplied“strategicuseofall

staffinajointendeavourdirectedtowardstheimplementationofanyrevised

curriculum”(Brundrett&Duncan,2015,p.758).However,thesituationatSarah

andCraig’sschoolcontraststotheleadershipapproachpromotingcollegiality

reportedearlierbyDeanathisarts-focusedindependentschool.CraigandSarah

spokenegativelyabouttheirprincipal’sdelegationof‘teams’ofteachersto

managethedifferentfocusactivitieswithintheschool.Craiglistedsomeexisting

teacherteams:“thinkinghats”;“giftedandtalented”;“enrichment”.Duringtheir

interview,Sarahinterjected,“Infactteamsforteams,teamsforeverything”

(Int2:April17,2014).Termssuchas“giftedandtalented”and“enrichment”,

“revealtheinstitutionalcharacter”ofschoolingandare“generalizingstatements

thatdonottellusaboutactualyoungpeopleortheirexperiences,butabouthow

theymaybesegregatedandassignedtoparticularinterventionsandallocated

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targetedresources”(Hayes,2013,p.6).Craigconcluded,“There’ssomany

things.We’resittingintheclassroom.Wecan’tcopeanymore.There’stoomuch”

(Int2:April17,2014).Theprincipal’s’delegationofteacherteamstomanage

change(Hayes,2013),demonstrateda“top-down”approachtoschool

improvement.Thiswas“anotherdubiousassumption”wherebypoliciesmay

changebutschools“continueontheirmerryway”(Eisner,2008,p.16).Contrary

tothesuccessfulcollegialapproachtocurriculumchangedevelopedinDean’s

school,unlessteachers“buyintoreformefforts,littleislikelytohappen”(Eisner,

2008,p.16).

Isolatedartslearningintheclassroom

Asaprimaryteacherwithovertwentyyearsexperience,Paulaalsofelt

disconnectedfromtheschoolleadershipanddecision-makinginhermetropolitan

primaryschool.Sherelayedtwooccasionsthatdemonstratedalackofsupportfor

visualartsintheschool.Sherecountedhertacticalapproachforsecuringresources

forvisualarts.“ItwascominguptoChristmasandthere’snowhitepaintleft.”She

askedherstudents,“Whatcouldwedo?”Thestudentsidentifiedthattheyhadblack

paperandcolouredpaint.Paulaexclaimed,“weallpaintedorangesnowmen,yellow

snowmen,pinksnowmenandgavethemtotheprincipal.”Shesmirked,“Thenext

day,we’vegotanorderforwhitepaint”(Int1:October1,2013).Paula’splayful

anecdotedemonstratedthat“theartsteachstudentstoactandtojudgeinthe

absenceofrule,torelyonfeel,topayattentiontonuance,toactandappraisethe

consequencesofone’schoicesandtoreviseandthentomakeotherchoices”(Eisner,

2004,p.5).Whileshewassuccessfulinobtainingresourcesfortheupcomingfestive

season,Paularecollectedasecondoccasionwhenshewantedtohangstudents’

artworksfromtheceilinginthelibrarybut“thelibrariandidn’twantit”(Int1:

October1,2013).Inthisexample,thelibrarian’sviewrestrictedtheexposureofthe

students’artworksandlimitedthebroaderbenefitoftheart-making.Paula

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recognisedthatexhibitionsofstudents’workintheschoolwas“essentialto

promotingvisualartanditsroleindevelopingstudentself-esteemandacademic

success”(Davis,2008).ThedevaluingoftheArtsbyotherstaffdirectlyimpactson

theperceivedvalueoftheArtswithintheschooland“alackofvalueandsupportfor

theCreativeArtsinlearningatasystemiclevelcanperpetuatealreadylowlevelsof

esteemfortheCreativeArtsamongstteachers”(Alteretal.,2009,p.3).

Paulawasnegativelyimpactedbythelibrarian’sunwillingnesstoexhibitstudents’

artworks.Bycontrast,Craigwasenthusedbyhisschoolbuildinga“cultureof

community”(Munday&Fleming,2016,p.156)throughstudentparticipationinthe

wholeschoolmusicalproduction.Hereportedmorestudentswantedtoparticipate,

“nextyearwe’relookingatprobablyabout400kidsinthenextproduction.Soit’s

justgettingbiggerandbiggerandbigger”(Int1:October1,2013).Craig’sstudents

felttheywerecontributingtoandwerepartofalargercommunitythrough

participatingintheArts(Caldwell&Witt,2011).

However,schoolexpectationsandtheirdeliveryofartsexperiencescannegatively

impactstudentattitudesandbehaviour.This,inturn,canaffecttheindividual

teacher’scapacitytoteachtheArts.WhileCraigexplainedthatstudentsinhis

schoolwere“toobusy”witharangeofartsactivitiestohave“behavioural

problems”,throughcasualteachinginbothprimaryandsecondaryschoolsMary

sawfirsthandthedistinctionbetweenschoolexpectationsofstudentparticipation

invisualarts:

Secondarystudentswereallmoreautonomousbecausetheybasicallywentintotheclassroomandjuststartedcontinuingonwithwhatthey'dalreadybeendoing…likemaking,paintingorsculpture,whateverthey'dbeenworkingonthepreviousfewlessons.WhereasYear5and6,ImeanitwasdefinitelywhereIhadtocontroltheclassabitmore(Int1April12,2013).

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Marycontrastedthestudentautonomyofsecondarystudentswithteacher-

directedlearningforprimarystudents.AspreviouslynotedbyGina,inmany

instancesprimaryteacherswere“afraidofkidsbeingoutofcontrol”inart

lessons.InMary’sexperiencethereweretwoconsiderations.Firstly,theexisting

learnedbehavioursofstudentsduringvisualartsactivitiesintheprimary

classroom,andsecondly,studentsreactionstoareplacement,i.e.casualteacher.

The“controlledoutcomes”asreportedbyGinawerepartofthevisualarts

experiencesofstudentsintheprimaryschoolsMaryexperienced.Asarecent

graduate,Mary’sapproachwastoenableopen-endedvisualartsexperiences.

Shethoughtthestudents’enjoymentintheactofmakingwasdepleted“ifkids

arejust‘doing’,Ithink,withthoseassessmentkindofbodiesofworkthatthe

teacherwouldsetforthem.”Maryconsidered,“Ithinkalsoforprimary,it'sthe

enjoymentfactoraswell”(Int1:April12,2013).Sofortheprimarystudentsshe

casuallytaughtMaryfoundsheneededto“controltheclassabitmore”.

Conclusion

Theteachers’capacitiestoteachtheArtswereinfluencedbyoutsideforceswithin

theschool.Theseoutsideforcescommencedwiththeschool’sattitudetotheArts,

whichflowedthroughfromtheschoolleadership,usuallytheprincipal,andalso

includedeconomicandregulatorypressures;teacherautonomy;lackofspecialist

teachers;resourcesandstudentinterest.

Ineachoftheeightparticipatingteachers’situations,itwasclearthattheschool

attitudetotheArtsinfluencedshiftsincurriculadecision-making.Economic,andin

onecasegeographicfactorsparticulartotheschool,contributedtothisleadership

attitude.Teachersreportedthatartspracticeinprimaryschoolswasimpactedby

theattitudeoftheschool,demonstratedbyschoolleadershiporotherstaff.One

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primaryteacherexperiencedadevaluingoftheArtsandasenseofisolationthrough

negativeviewsexpressedbyotherstaff.Twoprimaryteachersfromthesameschool

dislikedtheirschoolprincipal’sinstitutionaltop-downapproachtocurriculumand

schoolmanagement,whichputmoreoftheonusontotheteachers,who

consequentlyfeltoverwhelmed.

TwoindependentschoolsheldtheArtsatthecentreoftheschool’sapproachto

learningandteaching,howeveroneoftheseschoolswasalsobeholdentoeconomic

pressuretomaintainstudentenrolments.Similareconomicpressureimpactedthe

dramateacheratathirdindependentschoolwherenumbersofstudentenrolments

andcurriculumregulationdirectlyinfluencedthedecisiontoscheduledrama

classes.Thecapacityofsecondaryartsteacherstodevelopsequentiallearning

acrosstheyearsofsecondaryschoolwasimpactedbytheregulationof“mandated”

subjectstakingprecedenceoverother“elective”ArtssubjectsinYears7and8.One

schoolusedanalternativeapproachtoschedulingtoprovideaccesstodanceand

drama,aswellasmusicandvisualarts,acrossYears7and8.

Inthreeschools,teachersreportedthatArtsprogramsoftenoccurredoutsideof

schooltime.Theseprogramsenabledlearningcommunitiestoengageandsupport

studentslearningintheArts.Ineachschooltherewereexpectationsofcontrolled

outcomesinartslearningactivities,andinprimaryschoolslimitedavailabilityof

specialistteachersintheArts.Ideallyteachers,asdemonstratedbyDeanandGinain

particular,needtoremainopentolearningandteachingsituatedina“vast,

interrelatedwebofideas,texts,personalities,architecturalstructures,literary

narrativesandmuchmore”(Barrett,2015,p.160).Theteacher’ssenseofautonomy

enabledthemtoworkwithintheparametersoftheirschoolcontext.Ultimatelythe

schoolattitudetotheArtsdeterminedallocationofresourcesincludingtime,

teachers,facilitiesandmaterials.Likewise,students’interestintheArtswas

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influencedbytheschool’sattitudecombinedwithassociatedresources.Students’

interestandschoolvaluesweresharedorchallengedthroughthedeterminationof

eachindividualteachertopreserveandpromotethevalueoftheArtsintheir

school.

Thefollowingsectionexploresparticipantteachers’perceptionsoftheimpactof

stateandnationalstandardsontheArtsinschools,thethirdoftheinfluences

identifiedbyEisner.

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Section5.3:Impactofnationalandstatestandards

Introduction

Intheprevioussection,Ireviewedtheoutsideforces,thatis,thefactorsbeyonda

teacher’scontrol,thatimpactupontheircapacitytoteachtheArts.Theserelatedto

Eisner’s(2000)secondinfluenceonartseducationinschools.Histhirdinfluenceon

thefieldofartseducationwas“theimpactofnationalandstatestandards”(p.4).

Thefollowingreportsonandanalysesthestudy’sfindingsconcerningteachers’

viewsofstandardsorprescribedoutcomes.

Standardsandoutcomes

Eisner(2000)contendedthatastandardimplies“ameansofteachers’andstudents’

accountabilitytopre-specifiedoutcomes”(p.5).Artseducatorsrecognisedthatto

competefortimeandresources,politicallytheyneededtoboardthe“standards

bandwagon”andmeasurestudents’learningintheArts(Eisner,2000,p.5).Asa

result,Eisner(2000)claimed“Nationalandstatestandardsenforceorleadto

uniformity“(p.4).Therehascontinuedtobeaworldwidemovementtowards

standards-basedreform,inwhichstandardsareexternallyimposed;curriculumis

prescribedandcommonsubjectknowledgeisemphasised,allwithoutconsideration

ofthecontextandneedsoftheindividualstudent(Hargreaves,Earl,Moore,&

Manning,2001).

An“outcomes-orientedcentralisedcurriculum”reducesthescopeforteachersto

usetheirownindividualapproachtocontent(Smyth&Dow,1998,p.297).

Furthermore,thisfulfilsthegoalofpolicymakers“preoccupiedwithpredictingand

measuringtheoutcomeofteachingandlearning”(Smyth&Dow,1998,p.301).This

focusonmeasurementistheaccountabilitythatEisner(1995b)referredtowhenhe

claimedthatsuchstandardsfailedtorecognisetheindividualityofstudents.

146

However,outcomesthattendtobebroaderandlessexclusivelysubject-based

demandagreatdealofinterpretationbytheteacher.Theperceivedbenefitsof

outcomes-orientedcurriculaarepredictable,measurablelearningoutcomes,which

aresensible,objectiveandpractical.Theperpetuationofstandards-basedreform

hasseenstudentsincreasinglydisengagedfromtheirschooling.Additionally,if

outcomesarehighlyspecific,theybecome“toonumerousandcumbersome”

(Hargreavesetal.,2001,p.25).Thestandardsinartscurriculumdevelopedinthe

UnitedStatesinthe1960sresultedinaprimaryteacherneeding“tocopewith200

objectivesovertheforty-weekperiod.Aschoolofsixgradeswouldhave1,200

objectivestoattain”(Eisner,2000,p.5).

Whencurriculumcontains“clearlydefinedlearningstandardsoroutcomes”,

teachersthinkmoreclearlyaboutwhat“theirstudentscanandwilllearn”

(Hargreavesetal.,2001,p.44).Eisner(2000)hascontinuallyespousedthe

importanceof“cultivatingindividuality”throughartseducation(p.4).Morethana

decadelater,inAustralia,Ewing(2012)alsorejectedtheapplicationofmandated

studentachievement.Sheclaimedthatteachersneedtobeprovidedwithadequate

resourcesandfundingtotransformcurriculumsothat“allchildrencanbemore

engagedinlearningandthinkingprocesses,andthereforemorelikelytodevelop

muchneededcreativethinking”(p.108).

Overview

Inthissection,Iexploretheimpactofstandardsoroutcomes,upontheteacher’s

capacitytoteachtheArts.InrecentAustraliancurriculumdevelopment,an

achievement“standard”describes“whatstudentsaretypicallyabletounderstand

anddo”(ACARA,2013,p.5).ThecurrentNSWcreativeartssyllabiusetheterm

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‘outcomes’.However,thereisnodefinitionoftheterm‘outcomes’25providedonthe

NSWEducationAuthority(NESA)websiteoranysyllabusdocuments.The

Australiancurriculumachievement‘standard’andtheNSWsyllabus‘outcome’both

reflectthestudent’s‘knowledge’(orwhatthey‘understand’),and‘skills’(orwhat

theycan‘do’).Ineffect,theterms‘outcomes’and‘standards’areinterchangeablein

thisinstance.

AcomparisonoftheAustralianartscurriculumandtheNSWcreativeartssyllabus

forKindergartentoYear6identifiedsimilaritiesinstandardsandoutcomesineach

curriculum.TheAustraliancurriculumfocusesuponthestudent’slearningprocess

wherebytheachievementstandarddoesnotdemandaspecificend-product.By

contrast,theNSWsyllabusexpectedcompletionofapredeterminedsetofoutcomes.

Eisner(2000)arguedthatpre-specifiedoutcomesweretheresultofafocuson

accountability.Suchoutcomesrestricttheteacher’scapacitytocultivatecreative

learningandthinkingfortheindividualstudent,consequentlylimitingthepotential

ofthestudenttoexplore,learnanddevelop(Ewing,2012).Furthermore,orientation

materialsdesignedtoassisttheprimarygeneralistteacherinusingthecurriculum

becomealessonplanperceivedtofulfilltheprescribedoutcometherebynot

cultivatingtheindividualstudentbutoftenenforcing“rote-learning”(O'Toole,2015,

p.191),evencopying.Suchoutcomes-focusedlessonplansareoftenrepeatedfrom

yeartoyear.

Inadditiontopromoting‘rote-learning’,pre-specifiedoutcomesenforceafearof

makingmistakesamongstudentswhohavelearnedthatsuccessisequatedwith

fulfillingpre-determinedoutcomes.Evidentparticularlyintheseniorsecondary

years,prescribedcontentfortheNSWStage6syllabusencouragesteacherstouse

25AccordingtotheEducationAct1990,(updatedin2017)acoursesyllabus“istoindicatethe…desiredoutcomesintermsofknowledgeandskills…”

148

thesameunitsoflessonsannuallyknowingthatthesefulfillpre-determined

outcomes.Furthermore,thecomplexityofstandardsorprovisionoftoomany

outcomes,especiallyintheprimaryyears,overwhelmsteachers.Consequently

manyprimaryteachersusestandardactivitiesinanattempttofulfillcurricula

requirements.

Participatingteachersdiscussedhowtheyappliedthecurrent‘outcomes’inthe

NSWcreativeartssyllabiandenvisagedusingthe‘achievementstandards’inthe

incomingAustralianartscurriculum.Primaryteachers,Paula,SarahandCraig,were

concernedwiththeactualday-to-daylearningexperienceofthestudent,

acknowledgingEisner’s(2000)pointthatthegoalofartslearningshouldbe

“cultivatingindividuality”(p.4).Theteachersdescribedhowtheyengagedthe

studentinlearningintheArtsasprescribedbythecurriculum,andalsoidentified

usingtheArtsasapedagogicaltoolforintegrationofothercurriculumlearning

areas.Secondaryteachers,MelandGina,reportedworkingthroughsyllabus

outcomescollaborativelywiththeirstudentstoensurestudentsunderstoodthe

requirements.DeanandErrol,whose“artsrich”secondaryschools’programs

deviatedfromthespecificsoftheNSWsyllabus,didnotreportlimitationsof

prescribedoutcomes.ThissectionconcludesthatthecurrentNSWsyllabus

outcomestendto“leadtouniformity”inlessonplans,whichlimitstheteacher’s

capacitytocultivatethepotentialoftheindividualstudent’slearningintheArts.By

contrastteachersfoundtheAustralianartscurriculumstandardsweremore‘open-

ended’givingtheteacherandstudentsgreaterscopeforcultivatingindividual

studentlearning.Teachersreportedstudentsfearingmakingmistakeswherethere

wasaperceivedpre-specifiedoutcome.Inprimaryschool,orientationmaterials

becomealessonplanwhenprimarygeneralistteachersdonothavetheknowledge

ofthecurriculumcontent.Acurriculumthatprescribestoomanystandards,or

outcomes,overwhelmsteachers,particularlyinprimaryschooling.Finally,the

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teachersreportedthatlearningandteachingwasmostsuccessfulusingaflexible

student-centredapproachtoteachingtheArts.

Settingthescene

Eisner(2000)observedthattheUSprimaryschoolcurriculuminthe1960s

containedtheequivalentof200objectivesperschoolyearequatingto1,200

objectivesoversixschoolyears.Bycomparison,curriculumcontenthaseffectively

beenreducedfortheteachersinvolvedinthisstudy.TheNSWcreativeartssyllabus

explainsthatthewaysofthinkingdevelopedintheArts“provideorientationtothis

syllabus”and“underpinthefoundationstatements,outcomesandindicators,staged

contentandapproachestoassessment”(BoardofStudiesNSW,2006,p.6).The

AustraliancurriculumforeachartssubjectandtheNSWcreativeartssyllabuseach

includecomparablecomponentsaslistedinTable5.6(p.149).

Additionally,theAustralianCurriculumincludeslinkstostatementsaboutstudent

diversity,generalcapabilitiesandcross-curriculumpriorities(ACARA,2015d).For

thepurposesofthissection’sexplorationof‘standards’and‘outcomes’,wherethe

Australiancurriculumrefersto‘achievementstandards’and‘contentdescriptions’

theNSWcreativeartssyllabusrefersto‘outcomes’and‘indicators’respectively.

150

Table5.6ComparisonofAustraliancurriculumandNSWsyllabus

components

Australiancurriculum NSWsyllabus

Rationaleandaims Rationaleandaims

Structureforlearning,includingorganisingstrands(e.g.making,responding)

Overviewoflearningincreativeartsincludingorganisingstrands(e.g.making,appreciating)

Banddescriptions Foundationstatements

Contentdescriptions Indicators

Achievementstandards Outcomes

Contentelaborations Unitsofwork

Implications for teaching, assessing andreporting

Generalprinciplesforplanning,programming,assessing,reportingandevaluatingincreativearts

Examplesofknowledgeandskills Scopeintheartforms

Glossary Glossary

StatementsaboutstudentdiversityNone

GeneralcapabilitiesNone

Cross-curriculumprioritiesNone

Table5.7(p.154)isanexampleprovidesalignmentofcurriculumcontentforYear3

and4(Stage2)visualarts,fromtheAustralianartscurriculumandtheNSW

creativeartssyllabus.NotethatsomecomponentsoftheAustraliancurriculumhave

beenreorderedtomoreeffectivelydemonstratethisalignment.TheNSWcreative

artssyllabusprovideseightindicators#whichparallelwithfourcontent

descriptions^intheAustraliancurriculum.Forexample,theactivityinvolvedinthe

NSWindicator,“learnabouthowartists,includingthemselves,haveintentionsthat

affectthelookoftheworkanditsdetails”issimilartothatfortheAustralian

curriculumcontentdescription,“exploreideasandartworksfromdifferentcultures

andtimes,…touseasinspirationfortheirownrepresentations”.TheNSWsyllabus

151

phrasestheoutcomefromthepositionofstudentasobserverwhomaymakeart,

“artistsincludingthemselves”;whereastheAustraliancurriculum26phrasesthe

contentdescriptionfromthepositionofstudentasartistandobserver

simultaneously,bytheverb‘explore’asopposedto“learnabouthow”and,“fortheir

ownrepresentations”,asopposedto“artist,includingthemselves”.Theinclusionof

“includingartworkbyAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderartists”isaspecific

requirementwithinthecross-curriculumpriorities;oneofthethreecomponents

definedintheShapeoftheAustraliancurriculum:“learningareas,general

capabilitiesandcross-curriculumpriorities”(ACARA,2010,p.16).

TheNSWsyllabusrequiresteacherstoidentifystudentprogressagainstfour

outcomes##twofor‘making’andtwofor‘appreciating’.Bycontrast,theAustralian

curriculumrequiresteacherstoidentifystudents’progressagainstoneachievement

standard^^containingtwoparts:‘understandings’and‘skills’.Again,thereareclear

alignmentsbetweenthecontentin‘making’andthecontentin‘skills’,andlikewise

between‘appreciating’and‘understandings’.Thisstructureisrepeatedinthe

AustralianartscurriculumandtheNSWcreativesyllabusforeachoftheincluded

Artssubjects.NSWincludesvisualarts,music,dramaanddance(inthatorder).The

AustraliancurriculumfortheArtsincludesdance,drama,mediaarts,musicand

visualarts,intentionallyinalphabeticalorderasadvisedbytheCurriculum

26ThelanguageintheAustralianartscurriculumwasnegotiatedbyanationalpanelofrepresentativesofeducationauthoritiesineachstateandterritoryinanefforttofindtermsagreeableandfunctionalforteachersinallstatesandterritories.“TheprimaryaudiencefortheAustralianCurriculumisteachers.Thecurriculumisconciseandisexpressedinplainlanguagewhilepreservingacomplexityappropriateforprofessionalpractitioners.Consistencyintermsoflanguageandbroadstructuresupportsteachersinandacrosslearningareas.”http://australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/structure/

152

AdvisoryPanel,27andlistedintheShapeoftheAustraliancurriculum:Thearts

(ACARA,2011b).

TheNSWcreativeartssyllabuscontainsfourpre-specifiedoutcomesforeachofthe

fourartssubjectsthatprimaryschoolteachersareexpectedtoteach.Thisequates

tosixteenoutcomesintheNSWcreativeartssyllabus.TheAustraliancurriculumfor

theArtscontainsoneachievementstandardforeachoffiveartssubjects,totaling

fivestandards.TheAustralianartscurriculumalsoprovidestheoptionofageneric

Artslearningareaachievementstandardforeachtwo-yearbandoftheArtsin

primaryschool,reducingthestandardtoonepertwo-yearband.Forexample,for

Years3and4,theArtslearningareastandardis:

BytheendofYear4,studentsdescribeanddiscusssimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenartworks28theymakeandthosetowhichtheyrespond.Theydiscusshowtheyandothersorganisetheelementsandprocessesinartworks.Studentscollaboratetoplanandmakeartworksthatcommunicateideas.29

However,primaryteachersalsohavesevenotherlearningareastoteach:English,

mathematics,science,humanitiesandsocialsciences,technologies,healthand

physicaleducation,andlanguages.Therefore,combiningtherequiredoutcomesor

standardsforalleightlearningareasmaystillbeasdauntingatotalofoutcomesor

standardsasthe1,200objectivesoversixschoolyearspreviouslyreportedby

Eisner(2000).

27Seeformembersofthecurriculumadvisorypanel:http://docs.acara.edu.au/resources/ACARA_Curriculum_Advisory_Panel_Members_-_Arts.pdf28“Generictermforaperformanceoranartworkineachofthefiveartssubjects.Whenreferredtogenericallythiscurriculumusestheterm‘artwork’.Withineachartssubject,thesubject-specifictermsareused.Artworksarealsofrequentlydescribedwithreferencetoformsorstyles.”https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/the-arts/glossary/?letter=A29GenericlearningareastandardforTheArtsinYears3and4:http://australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/curriculum-filter/?subject=12718&subject=12727&subject=12736&subject=12745&subject=12754&year=Year+4

153

IntheDRAFTAustraliancurriculum:Theartsfoundationtoyear10consultation

report(ACARA,2012c)halfofrespondentsindicatedthe“explanationandnatureof

theachievementstandards”wasclear(p.7).However,theyindicatedthattheclarity

oftheachievementstandardsdecreasedforeachofthesubsequentyearsof

schooling,concludingthatthe“achievementstandardsaretoogenericandneedto

clearlyidentifytheknowledge,understandingandskillsstudentsareexpectedto

demonstratebytheendoftheband”(ACARA,2012c,p.iii).AccordingtoJacobs

(2010),“anexaminationofsyllabusmaterialcanonlytakeussofar;thebrevityof

curriculumdocumentspreventsarticulationbeyondgeneralstatements”(p.46).

Thepublishedconsultationreportresolved,“Theexpectationsintheachievement

standardsarerealisticbutaretoobroadandshouldbemorespecific”(ACARA,

2012c,p.20).Followingtheanalysisoffeedbackfromthe2012consultationon

draftcurriculum,theArtscurriculumwasfurtherrevisedwithnationalconsultation

andconsequentlyendorsedbyallstatesandterritoriesin2015.

PaulaandCraig,reportedthat“moreacademic”primarystudentstendedto“copy”

orreplicatewhattheyperceivedwastheexpectedresult,inordertofulfillan

outcome.Craigarguedthathismoreacademicstudentstendedto“copysomething”,

thatismimicthevocalpresentationstyletheyperceivetoberequired,intheway

theyreadaloudthenarrationinadramaclass.Paulareportedstudentswere

effectivelytrainedtoproduceidenticalartworkinvisualartsthroughstandardized

or“one-sizefitsall”activitiessuchasbookcovers.Fromanearlyage,studentsare

measuringthemselvesagainstapre-specifiedoutcome.Furthermore,ofsecondary

visualartsstudents,regionalvisualartsanddramateacher,Ginanoted“thekidsin

thetopclass,they’resofrightenedofmakingthosemistakesthattheyoftenwantto

rubeverythingout“(Int2:June3,2014).Thestudentsheldpreconceptionsofwhat

wouldfulfilltherequirementsofpre-specifiedoutcomes.Ross(1986)arguedthat

allowingassessment“absolutesovereigntyovercurriculum”devaluestheArtsand

154

particularlyremovedthechild’s“righttofailinasystemthatequatesfailurewith

worthlessness”(p.viii).ApositionreiteratedsomethirtyyearslaterbyDuffy(2016)

whoreportedthatanover-relianceonsummativeassessmentprovides“replicable

dataonwhatstudentshavelearnedandeffectivelyreducesmeaningfullearning”(p.

38).

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Table5.7ComparisonoftheAustraliancurriculumandNSWcreativeartssyllabusforvisualartsforYears3and4

NSWStage2Indicators#

AustralianCurriculumYears3and4Contentdescription^

Learnto: Learnabout: Making

developtheirartisticintentionsinartmakingandconsiderhowtheseaffectthelookofthework,itsdetailsandanaudience’sresponse

howartists,includingthemselves,haveintentionsthataffectthelookoftheworkanditsdetails

exploreideasandartworksfromdifferentculturesandtimes,includingartworkbyAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderartists,touseasinspirationfortheirownrepresentations

selectandexploredifferentaspectsofsubjectmatterinparticularwaysintheirmakingofartworks

howartiststhinkaboutwhatanaudiencemaythinkabouttheirworkwhentheymakeart

usematerials,techniquesandprocessestoexplorevisualconventionswhenmakingartworks

useparticularartistictraditionsguidedbytheteacher’sinstructioninartmakingandexperimentwithtechniques,toolsandgraphicschema(egindrawing,painting,sculpture,printmakinganddigitalworks)

howartists,includingthemselves,caninterprettheworldinparticularwaysintheirartmakingtraditionsassociatedwithdifferentformssuchasdrawing,painting,sculpture,printmakinganddigitalworks

presentartworksanddescribehowtheyhaveusedvisualconventionstorepresenttheirideas

interpretthemeaningofartworksbytakingintoaccountrelationshipsbetweentheartwork,theworldandtheartist

howpicturesandotherartworksinviteinterpretationsfromaudiences

Respondingidentifyintendedpurposesandmeaningsofartworksusingvisualartsterminologytocompareartworks,startingwithvisualartworksinAustraliaincludingvisualartworksofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderPeoples

Outcomes## Achievementstandard^^

Makingrepresentsthequalitiesofexperiencesandthingsthatareinterestingorbeautiful*bychoosingamongaspectsofsubjectmatter.*‘Beautiful’withinthisoutcomedoesnotsimplymean‘pretty’butrathersomethingthatexcitesandarousesawe,wonder,fascinationanddelight.

SkillsStudentscollaboratetoplanandmakeartworks that are inspired byartworks they experience. They usevisual conventions, techniques andprocessestocommunicatetheirideas.

usestheformstosuggestthequalitiesofsubjectmatter.

Appreciatingacknowledgesthatartistsmakeartworksfordifferentreasonsandthatvariousinterpretationsarepossible.

UnderstandingsStudentsdescribeanddiscusssimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenartworkstheymake,presentandview.Theydiscusshowtheyandothersusevisualconventionsinartworks.

identifiesconnectionsbetweensubjectmatterinartworksandwhattheyreferto,andappreciatestheuseofparticulartechniques.

Chapter5Findings

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Accountability

Reflectionsfromboththeprimaryandsecondaryteachersinthisstudyindicated

thattheirstudentswereawareofbeingassessedormeasured.Eisner’s(2000)

concernthatstandardshavethepotentialto“leadtouniformity”(p.5)issupported

byHendersonandSlattery(2008)whoarguedagainst“one-size-fits-allsolutions,

ideologicalagendas,and/orsortingmechanisms”claimingthese“mustbecritically

challenged”(p.2).Yet,therecollectionsofCraig,PaulaandGina,demonstratepre-

specifiedoutcomesareevidentintheNSWsyllabus.Bycontrast,Ginafoundthat

secondarydramastudentsactuallylikedtolearnfromtheprocessofself-

assessmentandreflection,evenmakingmistakes.Althoughteachersconsideredthe

achievementstandardsintheAustralianartscurriculum“more-openended”(Gina

Int1:June27,2013),howtheseareinterpretedwillonlybecomeevidentduring

implementation.

InreviewingtheimplementationoftheartscurriculuminNewZealand,E.Anderson

(2010)found,“whileinitialimplementationwaspositivelyembraced,itwasnot

longorextensiveenoughtotranslateintosustainableembeddedpractice”(p.68).

TheAustralianartscurriculumasendorsedin2015extendsonlytoYear10and

doesnotprovideassessmenttoolsintheformofpre-specifiedassessmenttasksor

tests.Bycontrast,outcomesarespecifiedintheNSWcurriculumforeacharts

subject(visualarts,music,danceanddrama).Bytheseniorsecondaryyears,Years

11and12,eachsubjectismeasuredbyacombinationofweightedassessmenttasks

andexaminationreflectiveoftheUSCommonCoreStateStandardswhichinclude

standardizedassessments“tomeasurestudentperformanceannuallythatwill

replaceexistingstatetestingsystems”(Richerme,2016,p.88).

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RecentexperiencewiththenewercurriculaintheUSandtheUKindicatesthat

althougheachnewcurriculumpromotedthedevelopmentofhigherorderthinking

skillsandcreativity,thedemandsofaccountabilityto“testandjudge”throughnew

standardsinhibitedteachers’useofcreative,open-endedexplorationsandin-depth

projectswhich“supportanddevelop”studentlearning(Cullen,2015,p.3).

Consequently,assessmentinartseducationhasmovedto“measurementof

technicalknowledge,interpretation,criticalanalysisandevaluation”particularto

theartform(Jacobs,2010,p.46)frompreviouslybeinga“measurementof

competenciesthroughtheroleplayedbyartsineducationalsettings”(Ewing,2010,

p.17).InAustralia,thenationalcurriculumhasbeendevelopedinresponsetoa

perceivedpolicyneedandbyanactofParliament,definedintheNationalEducation

Agreement(CouncilofAustralianGovernments,2008).Shieh(2012)reportedthat

theNationalStandardsintheUnitedStatesdemonstratedatensionbetweenthe

demandsofpolicyandaspirationsof“teachersagency”regardingcurriculum

renewal(p.55).However,inAustralia,the“increasedfocusonaccountabilityand

assessmentinschoolshaspromptedmanyleadershipteamstoallocatefundsaway

fromartsprogramsintheirschools”(deVries&Albon,2012,p.9).Infact,teachers

reportedthattheylackedtheautonomyandeventhetimetousetheArtsintheir

teachingasrevealedbySarah.“There’sjusttoomuchinthecurriculumatthe

momentandvisualartsisjustshovedunderthecarpet”(Int1:October1,2013).

Intheirteaching,primaryteachers,Sarah,CraigandPaula,combinedtheArtswith

otherlearningareas,notablyHSIE30,mathematicsandEnglish,whichestablished

“meaningfulconnections”andteaching“acrossdisciplines”,enablingthemto

30HumanSocietyandItsEnvironmenthttps://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/hsie/

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overcomeissueswithacrowdedcurriculum(Gibson,2016,p.145).Theteacher’s

expertiseincurriculuminterpretationandpedagogyisimperativetoastudent’s

successandrequiresmorethanfulfillingstandardsoroutcomes.Yet,asexperienced

primaryteacher,Paularecounted,shedidnot“makeaconsciousdecisiontodothat,

itjusthappens”(Int2:July11,2014).Teachersalsofoundthatartspedagogy

engagedstudentswhowere“notacademic”(CraigInt1:October1,2013).

StandardizedartsactivitiesinPrimary

Primaryteachers,PaulaandSarahsoughttoinspiretheirstudentsthroughvisual

arts.Althoughtheybothreportedthattheywereexpectedtoadheretoa

predetermined,across-school“arts’activity”consistingofstandardorpre-specified

activitiesconsistentacrossprimaryschoolsinNSW.Paularecollected:

IwassodepressedbecausewhenI’dgointoaroom,theyallusedthesamebookandtheyallwenttothesamefirstpage.Thepagewhereyouputyourfootonthepage,tracearounditandthenputAboriginaldesignsinside(Int1:October1,2013).

Paulawasaghastthat“everyschool”shewenttohad“theexactsamestuff”.She

determined,“there’sgottobemoretovisualartsthanthat.”Sherecalledthat“every

schoolonlyhadsomecolouredpaper,somepaintandpencilsandthat’saboutit”

(Int1:October1,2013).Sheappreciatedatleasthavingsomeresources,although

thesewerestaplesforvisualarts.Eisner(2000)contendedthattheprovisionof

commonsetsofmaterialswasfurtherevidenceofschoolsboardingthe‘standards

bandwagon’.Paulawasperplexedasshethoughtofthestudents:

Idon’tknowifyouknow,Kindergarten‘tilYear4,theywilldrawyouanything…assoonastheyhitlateYear4,Year5and6,they’llstopdrawingbecausetheythink,“nup,thisisrubbish,I’mnotgoingtodoit”(Int1:October1,2013).

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Boone(2008)identifiedthatchildrenbelieveartisticabilityimproveswithageand

thattheyhavestrongviewsabouttheirownartwork.“Ifachildisdissatisfiedwith

art,s/hedoesnotwantittobedisplayedbecauseviewersmightperceivethemas

artisticallyinadequate”(p.34).Compoundingolderstudents’dissatisfactionwith

theirownartwork,Dinham(2007)reportedthatmostprimaryschoolteachers

themselveshad“noexperienceofvisualartsbeyondprimaryandfewhadvisual

artstoYear8”(p.21).Cutcher(2014)stressedthatprimaryteachersneedto

understandthatvisualartscomesfromanexperientialperspective,aposition

practisedbyPaula.YetPaulaacknowledgedthatotherteachersinherschoolrelied

entirelyontheprescribedCreativeartsK-6unitsofwork(BoardofStudiesNSW,

2000)resultinginastandardisationofvisualartsactivities.Consequently,visual

artslearningforthosestudents,wasuniformandstagnantandoftenresultedin

them‘copyingthemodel’.

ReinforcingPaula’sexperience,SarahdescribedanactivityoccurringacrossNSW

schoolsinStage1(KindergartentoYear2)andStage2(Years3and4).She

recounted.“Everyonehadthisgenericbookcover”(Int1:October1,2013)forYear

2thatduplicatedPaula’sexperienceinanotherschool.Sarahdislikedtheactivity,

stating“theywereboring,theyhadtheschoolemblemonthefront”.Sheclaimed,“I

wastheonlyteacherwhosaid,“I’mnotdoingit.Ijustwillnothavethosebooks“

(Int1:October1,2013).Sarahwantedtoprovideanauthenticvisualartsexperience

forherstudents.Sheinformedthestudents,“thisisanopportunitytodoreallynice

artworkandputitonyourbook.”Sherecalled,“EveryoneknowswhatI’mlikeand

theyjustsaid,‘OkaySarahyougooffandyoudothat’…FortunatelyinStage1that’s

whatwedoanyway.Wemakeartworktoputonourbooks.”Althoughthebook

coverswereastandardactivityacrosstheclasses,Sarahreiterated,“thehorrible

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genericbookcoversfizzledout,thankgoodness.I’mabitlikethat.Iliketodomy

ownthing.”(Int1:October1,2013)

FurthertoSarah’sandPaula’sconcernregardingtheuseofstandardactivitiesin

primaryvisualarts,asacasualreliefteacherinprimaryschools,Marysuggested

thatprimarygeneralistteachers“possiblydovisualartsataverylowlevel,say

colouringinapicture.”SheobservedteachersusingtheCreativeartsK-6unitsof

work(BoardofStudiesNSW,2000)“toguidethemastohowtocreateanartlesson

plan”(Int1:April12,2013).Concernforthequalityofartseducationinprimary

schoolsextendedtomusic.Secondaryvisualartsanddramateacher,Gina,was

disturbedbythelimitedapproachtomusicinNSWprimaryschools.

Ithinktherearesomeschoolsaroundherethatdon’tgetverymuchmusicoriftheydotheygetarecorderthat’sbeendippedindisinfectantsothatthegermsofthepreviouschildhavegone.Ahorriblethought.Aterribleimagewhenyouthinkaboutit.(Int1:June27,2013)

SupportingGina’sview,(Petrova,2012b)reportedthatAustralianprimaryschool

musiceducationwas“inastateofcrisis:Therearesimplytoomanyprimaryschools

withoutmusic”(p.422).Furthermore,Petrovanotedthatnationally,musicwas

taughtbygeneralistprimaryteachersinthegovernmentschoolsector,asituation

particularlyevidentinNSW.Gina’sassumptionthatallprimarystudentslearned

recorderandthevisualartspracticesreportedbyPaula,SarahandMary

demonstratedthat“usedfoolishlycurriculumcansterilisepracticeandmakethe

classroomaboringplace”(Glatthorn,1999,p.28).

Flexibilityandcultivatingcreativity

FlexibilityinapproachingtheArtswasimportanttotheparticipatingteachers.

Dean,headofmusicinanindependentKto12schoolinNSW,claimed:

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Youcaninstillinthem[thestudents]anunderstandingandanappreciationofdifferentstylesofmusic.Andyoucangetthemtoquestionhowtheyviewthings,andtobeabletodescribethat(Int1:November9,2013)

AnumberofresearchersincludingGibson(2016)haveidentifiedtheimportanceof

flexibilityinapproachestolearningandteachingtheArtsintheclassroom.Teachers

realisethatdifferentstudentslearnindifferentwaysandthattheintegrationofthe

Arts“intotheacademiccontentcurriculaprovidesalogicalapproachtoaddressthe

varietyofstudents’intelligencesthatarereflectedintheirdifferentlearningstyles”

(Snyderetal.,2014,p.3).Furthermore,teachershavehadtoreconsidertheirown

positions.Forexample,oneteacherinWest’s(2012)studypointedout:“Ithinkthat

youhavetodecidethatyou’renotpreparingstudentstobephenomenalviolinists.

I’mteachingviolinbecauseIwantthemtoappreciatemusic”(p.77).ThisAmerican

teacher,likeDean,recognisedthatmusicteachersinschoolsneedtoadapttheir

expectationstoinspirestudents’andasDeanstatedhesoughttoinstillinstudents

“anunderstandingandanappreciation”.

West’s(2012)studyfoundthatapproachestomusiclearningandteachingintheUS

schoolswerenotachievingadequateyearlyprogressagainstthenew“standards”

associatedwiththeNochildleftbehind(NCLB)policy,Snyderetal.(2014)found

thatawholeschoolapproachtoartsintegrationhadapositiveimpactonstudents

achievement,student-teacherrelationshipsandstudentattendance.Similarly,the

holisticviewatDean’sschoolencouragedflexibilityandprioritizedcultivatingthe

individualstudent’scuriosityandcreativity,whichincludeddevelopingan

understandingofmusicthatwasnotlimitedtopre-specifiedoutcomes.Themusic

programatDean’sschoolhasdevelopedacrosstheyearsofschooling:

FromKindergartenallstudentsareinvolvedinasingingexperience,sochoralisarealimportantthreadofthatlearningexperience.TheyarealsoinvolvedinaninstrumentalprogramfromYear1,rightupthroughtoYear6.

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Andthatchangesinavarietyofdifferentformsastheymovethroughthedifferentyeargroups.(DeanInt1:November9,2013)

Deanexplainedthatmusicattheschoolenabled“studentstofindtheirownvoice”

andto“developanappreciationofmusicandunderstandingofstyle.”Infact,hedid

notrefertosyllabus“outcomes”atall.Consequently,studentsunderstood“what

wasexpectedofthemintermsofthequality”andthat“sustainedeffortisrequired

toachievesuchresults”(Gibson,2016,p.148)becausethelearningwasmeaningful

them.Theflexiblestudent-centredapproachatDean’sschoolclearlydemonstrated

that”schoolsarebestplacedtodeterminehowtheArtsaredelivered”(ACARA,

2011b,p.4).ApositionsupportedbydeVriesandAlbon(2012)whoclaimedthat

thisflexibilitydoesnotdecreasestandards,ratheritupholdstheimportanceof

consideringthecontextofthelearnerasidentifiedbyindividualteachers,schools

andcommunities.

Secondaryschoolarts:Fulfillingoutcomesorcultivating

individuals?

Inherinterview,secondarydramateacher,Mel,notedthepersonalskills

developmentenabledindrama:

Idon'tteachdramabecauseIwanttoproducethenextNicoleKidmanorHughJackmanor,thatIthinkactingitselfasacareerisanincrediblydifficultcareer…ThethingthatIlikeaboutteachingdrama,andIseeitinmusicandvisualartsanddance,istheconfidenceandthepresentationskills(Int1:August14,2013)

Yet,Mel’sschool’sapproachwasdrivenbycurriculumrequirementsincontrastto

thestudent-centredlearningapproachevidentatDean’sschool.Furthermore,Mel

inferredthatthepre-specifiedoutcomesinthecurrentNSWdramasyllabuswere

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convolutedbycomparisontothecontentdescriptionsintheAustraliancurriculum

fordrama.Mel’sexplanationofpreparingstudentsforanassessmenttaskinYear9,

demonstratedthatthe“teachers’ownfeelings”and“theirrelationshipswiththeir

students”caninfluencehowtheyplananduseoutcomes(Hargreavesetal.,2001,p.

35):

Igothroughthose[NSWdramaoutcomes]withthekids.Ittakesmeagestoexplainthem,becausethewordingisnotaseasyforthemtounderstand,whereastheywouldunderstandthis[Australiandramacurriculum].(MelInt2:April23,2014)

Cognisantoftherequirementtofulfilcurriculumoutcomes,Ginaalsoreviewed

outcomeswithstudentspriortothecommencementoftasks.“BeforeIgetthemto

evaluateanyone’swork,weworkoutwhatallthebandsmean,thedescriptors.”

Gina’sapproachindefiningthetaskwithherstudentsmadethe“feedbackmuch

moreuseful”whenstudentsreceivedtheirgradingonassessmenttasks.She

recountedtheprocessundertakenwithoneYear9dramaclass:

BeforeIgavethemtheirmarksbackIaskedthemwheretheythinktheystood.AndIhadtwoorthreekidswhocameinonthedayandsaid,“IknowI’manE,becauseIlaughedallthewaythroughitandIcouldn’tremembermylinesandIwasnotacharacteratall.”AndIsaid,“Well,yep.Butthegoodthingisyoucandoitagain.ComebacknextMondayanddoitagainandyoucangetahighermark.Becauseyou’reinYear9,youknow,Ithinkthat’smoreimportant.”Andtheyweregreat.Theycameback.Theywereallorganised.Idon’tthinkI’mevergoingtohavethathassleagain,becausetheycertainlydon’twantanEagain.(Int2:June3,2014)

Inthissituation,Ginaenabledstudentstoreviewandevaluatetheirownworkand

decideiftheywantedtorevisetheirworktoachieveimprovedgrades.This

approachfulfilledEisner’sgoalsofcultivatingtheindividualstudentand

demonstrated“aclimateforachievementaswellasinstructionalpractices…

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characteristicofarts-richschoolsandmayaccountfortheiradvantages”(Catterall,

2009,p.11).

Awareoftheimportanceofstudentachievement,Melfelttheneedtojustifydrama

byconvincingstudents“thatitisnotabludgesubjectorasubjectthat'sasoft

option”.Shealsoidentifiedthebroaderbenefitsofstudyingdrama,“Itactuallygives

kidssomuchconfidenceandskillsforanyworkplaceandanysituation,notjust

work,butanysituationtheyfindthemselvesinthroughouttheirlives”(Int1:

September3,2013).Althoughartsparticipationinschoolsisrecognisedas

influencingstudentmotivation,confidenceandlearning(Martinetal.,2013),these

benefitsdonotdirectlyfulfillthepre-specifiedoutcomesor‘standards’usedto

measurestudentachievement.K.Thomas(2015),asupporterofthecurrentNSW

pre-specifiedoutcomes-basedsyllabus,andopponentoftheimpositionofnational

standardsinAustralia,reportedthatstudents’creativeautonomy“continuestobe

legitimisedparadoxicallyinthestate-basednormativeassessmentregimethat

rewardsstudents’individualperformance”(p.305).However,pre-specified

outcomesencouragestudentstolearnskillsbyrotewhichhistoricallytheycould

notapplyindifferentsituations(O'Toole,2015).TheapproachtakenbyGinaand

Meltodefinetherequiredoutcomesincollaborationwiththestudentscombined

fulfillingthepre-specifiedoutcomeswithcultivationoftheindividualstudent’s

abilitytoreflectupontheirlearningprocessandapplyskillsaccordingly.Gina’sYear

9studentsrevisedtheirworkandthroughresubmission,demonstratedtheycould

improvetheirdramaperformanceandresultinggradingforthepre-specified

outcome.

Gina’sapproachresonateswithCatterall’s(2009)researchwhichfoundthatarts-

richhighschools“domorecollaborativelearning”and“muchlessteacherlecturing

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thanarts-poorschools”(p.122).Catterall’sscaleof‘artsrichness’drewonindividual

schoolscoresfindingthat“indicatorsofeducationalattainmentandachievement

weresignificantlyhigherforthearts-richschoolparticipants”(Ewing,2012,p.16).

Ginarelatedthatherschool“getsreallygoodresults”demonstratingthat

engagementintheArtsinschoolsisstronglyconnectedto“enhancedacademic

performanceandtosocialvalueslaterinlife”(2012,p.12).Apointstressedby

dramateacher,Mel:

Peoplehavetheiracademicbackgroundinourparticularindustry,butthepeoplethatwewantinleadershipandmanagementpositionsdon'thavethesoftskillsnecessarilytoleadpeople,tothinkcreatively,toworkinteams,tostrategizeeffectively,allthosekindsofskillsthatpeopleneedineverydaylife.Ithinkdramateacheskidsthoseskillsandteachesthemtobeself-sufficientandcreativeinhowtheyapproachthings,howtoworkingroups,andeffectivelyworkwithotherpeoplewhotheydon'tnecessarilygetonwithsocially,butcanworktogethertoproduceafantasticoutcome.(Int1:August14,2013)

Nonetheless,bothGinaandMelreportedongoingchallengesbeyondfulfilling

curriculumoutcomesinteachingdramaintheirschools.Asneitherschooloffered

dramainYears7and8,bothteachersidentifiedthelimitationsofbeginningto

studydramainlateryearsofsecondaryschool,whencommencingintheearlyyears

could“empowerteachercapacitytobuildstudentengagementintheArts”(Snyder

etal.,2014,p.5).

BycontrastErroltaughtdramainaspecialistperformingartsschoolthatshould

demonstrate“artsrichness”(Catterall,2009),yettheschool’sacademicresultsdid

notreflectthis.Inconsideringthestudents’sensitivityinperformanceassessment

Errolstressed:

Preparethemforthefeedback,whichyou’regoingtogivethembecauseintheperformingartsthere’ssomuchofthemselvesintheworkwhichtheyproduceandwhentheyhearcriticismitcanbeverysouldestroyingtothem

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sometimes.Wellit’scertainlynotmeanttobethatway.Butbecausethere’ssomuchofthemselvesinvested(Int1:September13,2013)

Althoughthestudentswerepresentingperformancetofulfillpre-specified

outcomes,Errolnotedthestudents’heightenedsensitivitytocriticism.He

contrastedtheirresponsestofeedbackontheirdramaperformancewithcriticism

ofthestudents’writtensubmissions,stating,“Theycanstepbackfromanessay,its

onlywordsonapage”.TheresponseofErrol’sdramastudentstoassessment

contraststoGina’sYear9dramastudentswhoidentifiedtheirownshortcomings

andwillinglyresubmittedtheirperformancetoprovetheycouldattainahigher

grade.However,anothercomparisoncouldbedrawnbetweenErrol’sdrama

studentsandGina’svisualartsstudentswho“fearedmakingamistake.”These

studentsalongwithCraig’smore“academic”primarystudentswho“copy”helda

pre-determinedexpectationofwhatwasrequiredtofulfilastandardorpre-

specifiedoutcome.Ineffect,thesestudentsmissedoutontheteacher’s“cultivation

oftheindividual”whichEisnerexpected.

Cultivatingindividualityintheprimaryclassroom

Pauladiscoveredafurtherthreadin“cultivatingindividuality”amongherstudents

assheexploredtheAustralianCurriculumfordrama.Sheconsidered,

It’sanewwayforteacherstolookatdrama.It’snotjustformegiveittothem,thestudentsneedtohaveownership.Thentheysay,“Canwedothis?Canwesuggestthat?Whydon’twedothis?”…andthenitmakesittheirs.(Int2:July11,2014)

167

Byadoptingthiscollaborativeapproach,Paulachangedherclassroompractice.The

sharingbetweentheteacherandstudents,enabledopen-endedcreative

opportunities,asidentifiedintheAustralianartscurriculum.Ofsharingthe

developmentofthecreativeworkwithherstudents,Paulaasserted,“that’sahard

jumptotake”.Sherecalledthathandingherscriptovertothestudentswas

challenging.“It’smine,Iwroteit”.Sheaddedthatshewantedthestudents“to

performitthewayIwantit.”Yet,sherecalledthestudents’suggestionsasthey

asked,“Butwhycan’twedothis?Whycan’twewearthat?”andultimately

recognisedthatthestudents“addedtotheplay”.Paulaconcludedemphatically,“and

nowit’sours,notmine.”Shereportedthatthiscollaborationwithstudentswas

somethingshe“hadneverdonebefore”.AccordingtoM.Anderson,Fleming,and

Gibson(2016),“High-qualityartsclassroomsfeaturedaformofpedagogywherethe

toolsofcreationweresharedbetweenthestudentsandtheteachersinarangeof

approaches”(p.60).Paula’srealisationaboutthestudentsowningtheirlearning

suggestscurriculumimplementationatschoollevelmayseeachangeinfocusfrom

staticmemorisationorlearningbyrotetocriticalthinkingasreformshifts

instructionfromteacher-centredtostudent-centredmodels(O'Toole,2015).

Similarly,primaryteacherCraig,useddramatoengageandenablestudentsinhis

class.BycontrasttoPaulaandSarah,Craigdidnottalkaboutstandardsorset

activities.Hefocusedonthestudents’preconceptionsofrequiredachievementat

school,identifyingthatthe“moreacademicstudents”considereddramaas“just

somethingtheywereexpectedtodo”.Heclaimed,“It’snotorganic”,whereashe

notedother“lessacademic”studentswould“gowiththeflow”.Craigrecounted:

Inmyplayrecently,itwasthechildrenwhoaren’tthebrightestortheoneswhoseemtonotbetalentedatanythingelse,theyseemtoshinealotmorethanothers.(Int1:October1,2013)

168

Craigexplainedthathecast“themoreacademic”studentsasthenarrators“because

theycouldreadbeautifullybuttheywouldn’tgiveenoughdramaticexpression.”

CraigidentifiedthatasearlyasYear3someofhisstudentsalreadyhada

preconceptionofwhatwasexpectedinadramaperformance,andtheywouldtend

to‘copy’this.ThisstudentpreconceptionofoutcomeswasalsoevidentinPaula’s

claimthatbyYear4childrenstopdrawingbecausetheythinktheirdrawingis

“rubbish”.Maras(2008)reportedintermsofvisualartsthatbynineyearsofage,

childrenrecognised“culturallyagreedpractice”andcanproducereasonsfor

“inclusionandrejection”(p.349).ToCraig,thereadingbythemoreacademic

childrenwas“beautiful”butjust“notappealing”.Laterinhisinterview,hewentso

farastosay,“It’slikethosepeopleatlectures–Highlyintelligentpeople,butboring“

(Int1:October1,2013).UltimatelyCraigfocuseduponcultivatingthepotentialof

the“less-academic”studentsthroughthestory-tellingopportunitiesaffordedthem

throughdrama.Hegavetheexampleofastudent:

Shehastheideathatshewantstobetheactor.Shewantstobethedancer.She’snotverygoodatitbutyoucanseethat,ifyouseeheronstage,she’stheonewhostandsoutbecauseshereallyenjoysit.(Int1:October1,2013)

Craigcastthese“lessacademic”studentsinthecharacterrolesasheconsidered,“I

thinkifsomechildrenaren’tacademicandthey’renotsportythenperhapsit’sthe

artisticthatthey’llexcelin.”Asanartsteacher,hesoughttocultivateanyartistic

attributesinhisstudents.Itcouldbedrawing.“Itcouldbepainting.Itcouldbe

drama.Itcouldbedance.Itcouldbesinging.”Throughthisapproach,Craigwas

actually“cultivatingtheindividualityofstudents”(Eisner,2000,p.4).

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Conclusion

Inthissection,Ihaveexploredthethirdinfluenceonartseducationasidentifiedby

Eisner(2000),thatis,standardsorpre-specifiedoutcomes.Standardsoroutcomes

intheArtscurriculumarerequiredbypolicymakersandpoliticians,but

simultaneouslylimittheartsteacher’scapacitytoinspiretheindividualstudent.

“Educationpolicymakersandorganisationspositoverarchingstandardsand

assessmentsasparamounttoformingatwenty-firstcenturyworkforce”(Richerme,

2016,p.88).Inaneraofaccountability,schoolstendtofluctuatebetweenadrivefor

organisationandthegoalofflexibilityenablingteachers“tobemoreresponsiveto

thechangingneedsofstudentswholiveinacomplex,fast-pacedandtechnologically

sophisticatedsociety”(Hargreaves,1994,p.69).Eisner(2000)determinedthe

teacher’sfocusshouldbeoncultivatingtheindividualratherthanonfulfillingpre-

specifiedoutcomes.

Asaresultofinterviewswiththeparticipantteachers,Ifoundthatacurriculumthat

demandsaccountabilityintheformofaspecificend-productprescribedby

predeterminedoutcomes,limitstheteacher’scapacitytocultivatetheindividual

student’spotential,thuslimitingthestudent’slearning.Theparticipantteachers

perceivedtheexpectedoutcomestowhichthecurriculumheldthemaccountable

limitedthebreadthofcreativelearningtheycouldexplorewiththeirstudents.They

alsoreportedthatstudentsfearedmakingmistakesandassumedtheymustfulfill

expectationsofpre-specifiedoutcomes.Thisresultedinstudentsreplicatinga

perceivedend-product,andforrotelearning,leadingtothe“uniformity”sofeared

byEisner.Additionally,insomeinstances,teachersreportedtherecurrentuseof

standardactivities,lessons,orunitsofwork,tofulfiltherequirementsofpre-

specifiedoutcomes.Standardartsactivitiesweredismissedbyallthreeprimary

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teachersinthisstudywithMary,asecondary-trainedvisualartsteacherworking

casuallyinprimaryschools,notingthelimitedcapacityofprimarygeneralist

teacherstoteachvisualartsoftenleadingthemtoadheretoprescribedmaterials

providedtoaccompanythestatesyllabus.Furthermore,teacherswere

overwhelmedifthereweretoomanyoutcomesorstandards,withbothprimaryand

secondaryteachersfindingtheAustralianartscurriculumeasiertoreadandmore

manageablethantheNSWcurriculum.However,Ifoundthatteacherswhoworked

collaborativelywithstudentswereabletoadapttheirapproachtopre-specified

outcomesenablingthecultivationoftheindividualstudentandsupportingopen-

endedopportunitiesinstudentlearning.

Inthisexplorationoftheparticipantteachers’reflectionsuponstandardsor“pre-

specifiedoutcomes”asdefinedbyEisner(2000).Whileithaslongbeenevidentthat

primaryteachersfocuson“cultivatingtheindividual”whereassecondaryteachers

focusontherequirementsofthesubjectasprescribedbythecurriculum,the

participatingteachersreportedexamplesofbothcultivatingtheindividualand

fulfillingstandardsoroutcomesacrossprimaryandsecondaryschooling.The

cultivationofindividualitywasenabledthroughcollaborativepractice.The

teachers’“pedagogicalartistry”involvedthe“reconceptualisationofeducational

standards”andademocraticapproachtolearningandteaching(Henderson&

Slattery,2008,p.3).Thesecondaryspecialistteachersreporteddiscussinganalysis

ofoutcomeswithstudentspriortocommencinganylearningandteaching.

Collaborationbetweenteacherandstudentsintheprimaryyearsenabledcreative

learningresultinginanopen-endedoutcome,ratherthanateacher-focusonpre-

specifiedoutcomes.Theadditionalbenefitwasthestudents’senseofownershipof

theirlearning.

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Thefollowingsectiondiscussestherelatedinfluenceoftheimpactoftestingon

teachers’capacitytoteachtheArts,Eisner’sfourthinfluenceonartseducation.

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Section5.4:ImpactoftestingandtheArtsfortertiaryentrance

Introduction

InthelastsectionIdiscussedthatinresponsetostandardsandpre-specified

outcomes,theprimaryteacherspracticecentredaroundcultivatingtheindividuality

ofstudents,whereasthesecondaryteachersfocusedonfulfillingthepre-specified

curriculumoutcomes.Thatsaid,somesecondaryteacherseffectivelycombined

cultivationoftheindividualstudentwithfulfillingoutcomesthroughacollaborative

approachtolearningandteaching.Similarly,someprimaryteachersweredrawnto

thespecificityoftheirchosenartform,althoughtheymaintainedafocusonthe

needsanddevelopmentofthestudentratherthanfulfillingexpectationsdirectedby

theartform.Havingarguedintheprevioussectionthatteacher-student

collaborativelearningandteachingpositivelyinfluencedthestudents’senseof

ownershipoftheirlearningand,theircapacitytofulfillrequirementsofstandards

oroutcomes,thissectionconsidersEisner’s(2000)fourthinfluenceonarts

education,thatoftesting,andhisfifthinfluencerelatingtotheArtsandentranceto

tertiarystudy.

Testing

Thetesting31movementoriginatedinscientificpsychologywhereitsearlier

applicationwastoidentifythesuitabilityofindividualsforeitherordinaryarmy

serviceorforofficertraininginWorldWarI.Eisner(2000)explained,

Sincepsychometricshasbecomeahighlysophisticatedfield.Itisafieldthathasgivenusintelligencetesting,standardizedachievementtests,andtheSATs.Performanceonthosetestsiswhatthepublicusestojudgethequality

31MoreonthedevelopmentoftestingisdiscussedinChapter2LiteratureReviewsee:p37

173

ofeducationthatstudentsreceive.Theyarehardlythat.Testscoresdrivecurriculumbecausewhatistestediswhatistaught.Andsincetheartsarenottested,theycanbeneglectedwithgreaterimmunitythanthosefieldsthatare.(p.5)

Eisner(2000)furtherarguedthat“anideaandapracticebecome,ineffect,apolicy”

(p.5)thatis,whatstudentsknowbecomesthe‘idea’tobe‘measured’andthe

‘practice’istoinventwaystomeasureit.Inthetwenty-firstcenturyasgovernments

replicateeachothers’curriculumpolicydevelopment,theysimultaneouslydemand

greateraccountabilityfromeducatorsthroughtestingincoresubjectareas

(Alexander,2011;Berliner,2011).InAustralia,Ewing(2012)supportedthe

visionarygoalofimprovededucationforallAustralianchildrenthroughthe

developmentofthenationalcurriculum.However,shearguedthat“themandated

highstakestestingregimeandcurrentinitiativestoimproveteacherquality,

however,seematoddswithsuchvision”(p.98).TheAustralianNational

AssessmentProgram-LiteracyandNumeracy,knownasNAPLAN,wasestablished

duringthe2008educationreformagendaoftheRudd-Gillard32governmentto

improveaccountabilityandraiseteacherquality.NAPLANhasbeenreported

annuallyontheMySchoolwebsitesince2009.Although“Governmentswillnot

themselvesdevisesimplisticleaguetablesorrankingsandprivacywillbe

protected”(MinisterialCouncilonEducation,2008,p.17),NAPLANhasenabled

comparisonofschoolsthroughsuchtables.Thishasresultedin“associated

performancepressure”feltbyschoolsandteachersaccompaniedby“thedesireto

berankedhighly”whichhasimpacted“thecurriculumchoice”and“thestyleof

pedagogy”adoptedbyteachers(Thompson,2013,p.82).Keddie(2017)identified

thatinAustralia,asintheUK,“studentperformanceonstandardizedtestsisaudited

32OneofthepolicyobjectivesoftheLaborGovernmentfollowingthe2007AustralianFederalelectionwastodeliveran“EducationRevolution”toimproveexcellenceandequityinAustralianschools.(Rudd&Gillard,2008)

174

andconvertedtoapublicrankingofschoolswithschool‘effectiveness’additionally

policedandregulated”(p.3).NAPLANtestingoccursinYears3,5,7and9,impacting

bothprimaryandsecondaryteachers.Furthermore,secondaryteachersalsofocus

onrequirementsofNSWsyllabusoutcomes,fortheseniorsecondaryyears,Years

11and12.TheseoutcomescontributetoassessmentandtestingfortheHigher

SchoolCertificate(HSC),whichisusedtocreateastudent’suniversityentrancerank

orATAR33.Consequently,thepublicroutinelyuseNAPLANandtheHSCtojudgethe

qualityofeducationreceivedbystudentsinNSW.

Primaryteachersareconsistentlyconfrontedbydemandstoprioritisemeasuring

literacyandnumeracythroughhighstakestestingovertheteachingof“whatsome

believeare‘lessacademic’subjects”,forexampletheArts(Gibson,2016,p.145).

BakerandAstell(2015)reported“theimpactofstandardisedtestingsuchas

NAPLANonthenarrowingofclassroomcurriculumandmarginalisationofareas

thatarenottested”(p.9),supportingEisner’sassertionthat“theartsarenottested”.

Yet,acrossseniorsecondarycurriculainAustralia,students’learningintheArtsis

assessedinthreebroadareas:“creation(oftheart),presentation(orperformance

oftheart)andresponse(orcriticalanalysisofdimensionsofone’sownandothers’

art)”through“moderationofwork,externalexaminationandtheuseofcommon

assessmenttools”(Jacobs,2010,p.50).Previously,Hanley(2003)positedthaton

theonehand,assessmentintheArtsmayinhibitthestudent’simagination,

creativityandoriginality,yetsimultaneouslyclaimedthattoascertainlevelsof

33ATAR:TheAustralianTertiaryAdmissionRank(ATAR)isanumberbetween0.00and99.95thatindicatesastudent’spositionrelativetoallthestudentswhostartedhighschoolwiththeminYear7.So,anATARof80.00meansthatyouare20percentfromthetopofyourYear7group(notyourYear12group).http://www.uac.edu.au/atar/

175

studentachievement,assessmentintheArtswasimperative.So,justastheArts

joinedthestandardstrend,theyhavealsoclimbedaboardthe‘testing’bandwagon.

Overview

Inthissection,Iexploretheimpactoftestingupontheparticipantteachers’capacity

toteachtheArtsasrevealedinresponsetotheopen-endedquestionsusedinboth

interviews(SeeAppendices7and8).Twopredominantfactorsevolved.Firstly,that

testresultsinfluencedwhatwastaught,includingthatinprimaryschool,where

teachingtheArtswasusedtosupporttheteachingofotherprioritizedlearning

areas.Secondly,highstakestestscausedanxietyforteachers,studentsandschool

leadersbecausethepublicoftenjudgesthequalityofeducationthroughthesetest

results,representativeofEisner’sconcern.Additionally,thehighstakestestsatthe

endofsecondaryschoolinNSWconverttothestudent’suniversityentrance

ranking.Eisner(2000)maintainedthatuniversityadmissioncriteriadidnot

acknowledgetheArtsascognitivebutrather“personallyexpressive.”Asaresult

more“solid”subjectssuchasmathematics,science,historyandsocialscienceswere

consideredbetterpreparationforuniversityentrance(p.5).Thispositionis

challengedbytheexamplesofAustraliantertiaryentrancerankingprovidedbyone

oftheparticipantteachers.

Teachingtothetest

Regionalsecondarydramaandvisualartsteacher,Gina,wasscathingofthenational

literacyandnumeracytesting.“Ireallythinkthatatthebottomofitallit’sthe

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expectationsofNAPLAN,andeverybody’sattemptstomakeNAPLANthebe-alland

end-all”(Int2:June3,2014).LikeEwing(2012),Ginafeltthatthenationaltesting

was‘atodds’withthegoalofimprovingtheeducationalopportunitiesforall

Australianchildren.Shereportedthataschoolinherregionwasscheduling

NAPLANpracticedays:

Youknow,itreallyfrightenedmewhenIreadrecentlysomeoneataparticularschoolsaidtheycouldn’tdosomethingonaparticulardaybecauseallthekidshadtodoapracticeNAPLAN.Nowwhywouldyoumakethemgothroughittwice?Thatisjusthorrible.(Int2:June3,2014)

Thisschool’spracticewas,ineffect,fulfillingEisner’sconcernthatwhatistestedis

whatistaught.Byschedulingstudent“practiceNAPLAN”,theschoolleadershipand

therefore,theteachers,succumbedtothepoliticalpressureofthishighstakes

testing(Baker&Astell,2015;Cutcher,2014).Infact,theidentifiedschoolwasproof

thatNAPLANwas“likelytoencouragetheteachingof‘testwiseness’”(Klenowski,

2010,p.11).Furthermorethepressurecausedbythetesting“resultsinteachers

engaginginvastamountsoftestpreparationwiththeirstudents”asevidentinthe

schooldescribedbyGina.Furthermore,such‘testwiseness’mayalsocause“the

validityofhighstakestestingtobeproblematical”(Berliner,2011,p.288).Inreality

moreattentionshouldbegiventothecontextualfactorsoftheschool(Birenbaum,

Kimron,&Shilton,2011)whenconsideringthedetrimentaleffectsofaccountability

testing(Berliner,2011).Ginadescribedherownregionalschoolleadership’s

responsetotheschool’sNAPLANresult:

Ourschoolissayingthingslike“theYear7and8kidsvocabularyisnotgoodenough,we’llhavetogivethemsomeworkinvocabulary”.Well,Idon’tbelievethatatall.Ithinkthey’vejustgottomakesurethateveryclassthey[thestudents]gotohasarichvocabulary,becauseallthoseotherclassesarewhat’sgoingtoinformthekids’understandingandknowledgeandskills.It’snotjustEnglish.(Int2:June3,2014)

177

Ginadeterminedthatinteachingthewholecurriculumthestudents’vocabulary

shouldimprove.Shedidnotbelievevocabularyshouldbetaughtinisolationin

responsetothetestresults.Cutcher(2014)foundthat“omnipotenceof

standardizedtestingofliteracyandnumeracyinAustralia”hasledtoaperception

thatsuchatestdecreeswhatthecommunityvaluesinschooleducation(p.74).

Primaryteacher,Craigobserved,“alotofchildrenseeschoolasachore.Theydon’t

seethereasonbehindit”(Int2:April17,2014).So,inthecontextofliteracytesting

withinNAPLAN,heconsidered:

…thereisacapitalletteratthebeginningofasentence,theyknowthatbut…theydon’tknowwhattheimpactisiftheydon’tdoit.Welltheimpactistheygetalowmark.It’snottheendoftheworld…untilthereisbigimpactontheminYear10,11or12whentheywanttodosomethingorgetajob.Then,itstartstogethard.(Int2:April17,2014)

Craig’sconsiderationdemonstratesthatteachersareresponsibleforimpartingall

curriculum,althoughonlythe“written”and“tested”curriculumareseentobeof

importancein“standardizedtests,competencytestsandperformanceassessments”

(Glatthorn,1999,p.29).The“undueweight”giventothecurrentliteracyand

numeracytestingregimeinAustraliaismorethanthatattributedtostudents’“end

ofschoolachievement”(Ewing,2012,p.104),which,inNSW,istheHSC.Primary

teachersreportedthatlearningareasnottestedbyNAPLANweremarginalisedor

notincludedinclassroomcurriculum(Baker&Astell,2015).AsCraig’scolleague,

primaryteacher,Sarahstated,“visualartsisbeingsweptunderthecarpet”(Int1:

October1,2013).Craig’sstudents’disinterestinNAPLANtestingandtheirfeeling

thatschoolwas“achore”highlightedEwing’s(2012)contentionthat“pedagogy

whichconnectswithbothemotionalandfeelingbrainfunctionsismorelikelyto

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increaselevelsofattention,retentionandenjoymentintheactoflearningand

facilitatedeeperlearningandunderstanding”(p.105).Sarah,fullyawarethatthe

“goalofassessmentshouldbetoadvancelearning”(Birenbaumetal.,2011,p.36),likedtomakelearningenjoyable,claimingthatifstudents“don’tthinkthey’re

learninganything,it’sfun”(Int2:April17,2014).WhereasCraigwassomewhat

pragmatic:

Youcan’tmakeeverythingfun.Eventuallythat’sgoingtobecomeachore.Soyougetthekidsinthatregimentedstatewhereyou’redoingmathsthesamewayandyouthrowinagame,then“ahthisisdifferent.”Sotheyfinditfun.(Int2:April17,2014)

WhileCraigandSarahconsideredhowmuch‘fun’couldbeincorporatedinto

learningmaths,andGina’sschool’swasdeterminedtoincreasestudents’

vocabulary,someschoolsusedNAPLANresultstoidentifyareasforstudents’

development,andallocatedassociatedprofessionallearningforteacherstosupport

students’developmentintheareaofconcern.

NAPLAN:Adiagnostictoolorrevisingtheintendedcurriculum?

EventhoughNAPLANmeansnothing,itmeanssomething.(Paula,Int2:July11,2014)

Atprimaryteacher,Paula’sschool,NAPLANtestresultsindicatedthatreading

comprehensionwasweak.Thestudentpopulationisamixofculturalbackgrounds

withmanyofthestudentssecond,thirdorfourthgenerationborninAustralia.Luke

(2010)criticisedhighstakestestingarguingthatitcanfailstudentsfrom

linguisticallydiversebackgrounds,andleadschoolstoimplement“scripted

standardisedpedagogy”whichresultsin“basicrulerecognitionandcompliance”(p.

180).Paularecounted:

179

TheparentsarehappytheirchildcanreadbutthenIhavetotellthem,“yes,hecanreadbuthedoesn’tunderstandasinglethinghe’sread.”Sothenit’sthatnextlayerofcomprehension,whichisabig,hugestepbecausenowmathsisthesameway.(Int2:July11,2014)

PauladidnotreportanypressurefromparentsinresponsetoNAPLANresults,by

contrasttotheissueofpublicjudgmentraisedbyEisner(2000)andreportedby

Thompson(2013).Itwaslikely,thatbeingfromlinguisticallydiversebackgrounds,

theparentsthemselvesdidnotunderstandtheconceptorperceivedsignificanceof

thetesting,reflectiveofLuke’spoint.Inherinterview,Pauladescribedthenew

comprehensionstrategythatwastobeintroducedatthenextstaffdevelopment

day.“Insteadofkidsjustreadingandwritinganswersonapieceofpaper,it’smore

interacting…moretalkingaboutit”(Int2:July11,2014).Paulafollowedthiswithan

exampleofthecomprehensionrequiredwithinamathsquestion.“Therewere37

peoplewalkingdownthestreet,theyeachboughtaniceblockfor$1.20,howmuch

didtheypayaltogether?Howmuchchangefrom$100?”Shefoundthestudent

responsewas“Ididn’tunderstandthequestion.”Paulaextrapolatedtheissuefor

thestudentswasalackofcomprehensionandidentifiedthelearningandteaching

approachwastobeappliedtocombatthis:

Theyreaditbutdidn’tunderstandit.Andthat’swhatwe’redoingnow,reciprocalnumeracy.Sotome,thisreadingstrategyislikereciprocalliteracy.‘Causethat’swhatthey’ve[theschool]foundthatthey’ve[thestudents]gonedowninNAPLAN.EventhoughNAPLANmeansnothing,itmeanssomething.(Int2:July11,2014)

ThedecisionatPaula’sschooltotrainteachersinanewstrategyinresponseto

NAPLANresultsdemonstratedthat“teachers’capacitytousethelearningpowerof

assessmenttoimprovetheoutcomesforallstudentsshouldbeenhanced”

(Klenowski,2010,p.11).Usingsuchinsightsinschools,however,“createsatension

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withthecurrentfragmentationofthesyllabusandtheincreasingfocusonhigh

stakestestingasameasureofeducationalsuccess”(Ewing,2010,p.10).Similarly,

theschoolatwhichDeanwasheadofmusic,alsorespondedtoNAPLANresultswith

teachingstrategies.BycontrasttoGina’sviewthatallteachersshould“makesure

thateveryclassthey[thestudents]gotohasarichvocabulary”,Dean’sschool

establishedanaction-learningproject.ItlookedattheimportanceofICTinthe

classroomandhowitcouldenhancelearningandteachingfocusedonliteracy.

CollectivelyinDean’sfaculty,themusicteachers“focusedonanareathatneeded

improvementthroughNAPLANwhichwasspelling”(Int1:November9,2013).Dean

describedtheprojectandhowthetechnologywasusedtoengagethestudentsin

learningvocabulary:

Weusedtechnologybasedonmeta-cognitionwordsinmusic,applyingthetopicofstudyingquestionsthatwouldbeaskedbyanonlinetestingsystemthathappenedeverytwoweeks.SothroughaprogramcalledEdmodo,whichislikeaFacebookforstudents,everykidinYear7orYear8,orYear9hadaseriesofquestionsthattheyhadtoanswerbasedontheirlearningexperiencesoverthelastfortnight.Thiswastestingtheirunderstandingofatermoradefinition,butalsorequiredthemtoanswerthatquestionwiththecorrectspelling.Soforexample:Whatdoyoucallthecombinationofshortandlongnotes?Theanswerwasrhythm.(Int1:November9,2013)

Atfirstglancethisaction-learningprojectimpliedenhancementofteachers’

capacitytousethe“learningpowerofassessment”asclaimedbyKlenowski(2010).

However,therote-learningofspellingthatresultedsawstudents“walk[ing]around

theschoolgoing,‘Ohno,r-h-y-t-h–m’astheydictatedtothemselvesthecorrect

spelling”.Deanreportedthatstudentshadtwoweekstoreflectonanyword

incorrectlyspeltastheonlinetestingsystemwouldsay,"No,thisisincorrect."He

maintained,“thisreallymotivatedstudents…thentheyhadtheopportunityto

answerthatquestionagain[twoweekslater]”(Int1:November9,2013).Year7

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spellingresultsimprovedfollowingthisaction-learningproject.Althoughthe

directivefromtheschoolleadershipwasforallteachersofYear7to“focuson

improvingtheirspellingacrosstheboard”,theinterventiontechniqueDean

describedwasuniquetoYear7music.Themusicteacherscollectively“participated

inimprovingthespellingresultofYear7.”Heconsideredthattheissueofspelling

wasaddressed“inapracticalwayandthewholeactionlearningprojectisvalue

added”(Int1:November9,2013),benefittingstudentslearningandengaging

teachersintheuseoftechnologyfordifferentlearningpurposes.Yet,Thompson

(2013)arguedthatthisfocusonvocabularyandspellingisa“directteaching

method”,“narrowingthecurriculumfocus”,both“unintendedconsequences”of

testing(Thompson,2013,p.64)reflectingEisner’s(2000)concernthat“whatis

testediswhatistaught.”Evidently,testitemsforNAPLANweredevelopedthrough

amethodicalprocess,whichdoesnotreplicateauthenticstudentlearningand,“after

exposuretotheNAPLANerror,studentsusedthemisspellingwhentryingtospell

theword”(Klenowski,2010,p.11).Bycontrast,theapplicationoftheICTapproach

overaperiodoftimeinDean’sschoolresultedinstudentslearningthecorrect

spelling.

TeachinginresponsetoNAPLANresults

AfurtherreactiontothisimprovementinYear7spelling,wasthatthemusic

teacherslookedattheir“formalapproachinspelling”andactuallycompared

studentachievementinresponsetoalternativeteachingmethods.Inadditiontothe

ICTmethod,theseincludeddictation,andwritingwordsontheboardtobecopied

bythestudentsintotheirbooks.Afterapplyingthesetwoothertraditionalteaching

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methods,andthestudentpreferredICT34approach,theteachersranspellingtests.

Deansummarisedtheirfindings:

WefoundthatthemostimprovedresultwasthroughthisICTprogramwherekidsactuallygotitwrong,andthentheywerefrustratedwiththefactthattheyspelleditincorrectlybyoneletter.Andthatinstilled[in]them[determination]togoandfindout[thecorrectspelling](Int1:November9,2013)

Theactualcomparisoncamebetweenthreedifferenttestingperiods.Ashetracked

theresults,Deanidentifiedasignificantimprovementinstudents’vocabularyand

spellinginmusic.HeconcludedthatitwasnotsolelyattributabletotheICT

application:

…it'sgettingkidswhentheylearnsomethingandlookatsomething,toactuallybeaccurate."SohowdoIactuallyreallyspellthatword,becausenexttimeifItypethatinandit'sincorrectI'mgoingtogetitwrongagain."…Itreallyforcedthemtothinkabouttheiranswerandtothinkabouttheirspelling,whichcouldtranslatetothempayingmoreattentiontodetailconsistentlyinthecontextoflearning.(Int1:November9,2013)

EvidentinDean’sdescriptionwasthatstudentsneededto“develophabitsofmind

andbehavioursintheirlearningincludingpersistenceandmetacognition”(Ewing,

2012,p.107),thatis,asDeanstated,“payingmoreattentiontodetailconsistently”.

TheprocessbehindtheapplicationofICTactuallychallengedthestudentsto

developaccuracyintheirspellinganddemonstrated“theuseofassessmenttofocus

onthequalityandsupportoflearning,ratherthanthesimplemeasurementofit”

(Klenowski,2010,p.13).Dean’sobservationshighlightedtheneedforlearnersto

“self-regulateandmonitortheirperformancewiththeapplicationofvarioustoolsto

34Balasubramanian,Jaykumar,andFukey(2014)foundthatstudentspreferredEdmodoasa“responsiblelearningplatform”p417

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makethelearningexplicit”(Birenbaumetal.,2011,p.36).Wherethelearningwas

‘explicit’forDean’sYear7students,bycomparisonCraig’sconcernthathisprimary

studentshadneitherdevelopedtheskillofpayingattentiontodetail,norhadthey

acquiredskillsinself-regulation.

WhilethestudentsatDean’sschoolwerelearningpersistenceandtopayattention

todetailthroughaccuratespellingofmusicalterms,Thompson(2013)arguedthat

theteacherswererevisingthecurriculumtosuitthetest.Iftheonlygoalwasthat

studentswouldattainabetterresultinspellinginthenextNAPLANtest,thenyes,

teacherswere‘teachingtothetest’.Alexander(2011)reportedthatintheUKa

directresponsetotheperceiveddemandsofthetestingregimewasthenarrowing

oftheprimarycurriculum.Infact,theBritishprimarycurriculumcontractedtosuch

anextentthat“inmanyschoolschildren’sstatutoryentitlementtoabroadand

balancedcurriculumwasseriouslycompromised”(p.270).SimilaryintheUS,“the

pressureofhighstakestestingclearlyresultsinanarrowingofthecurriculum”

(Berliner,2011,p.291).However,Deanfeltthathisstudents’developmentofskills

wasapositivesideeffectoftheaction-learningprojectforimprovingspelling.

Furthertothis,toensureequityforallstudentsinmusicexaminationand

assessmentinYear7,Deanadoptedconsistencyinallocationofteachingstaff:

Year7allhadthisparticularcompositionteacher,andtheywerealltaughtexactlythesamething.Sowhenitcametoreflectingonwhatthey'velearntattheendofthetopic,orwhatthey'velearntasaresultofseeingtheirresultsinanassessmentoranexamination,youknewthatnoonewasdisadvantaged,becausethatteacheractuallyhadtaughtit.(Int1:November9,2013)

Deanpointedoutthatthisallocationofteachersaccordingtotheirspecialitywithin

musicenabledteacherstoteachtotheirstrengths,andsimultaneouslycreated

equityforallYear7studentsinthelearningandteachingofthemusiccurriculum.

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Deanexplainedtheapproachtoschedulingutilisedtheteachers’specialisationsin

thekeycomponentstobetaughtinmusic:

Composition,listening,performingareactuallydividedbetweenthreedifferentteachers.SoifyouwereinYear7orYear8orYear9,youwon'tjusthaveonemusicteacherthatyear.Weactuallyhavethreedifferentteachersinthoseareasofspecialisation.(Int1:November9,2013)

Herecognisedthat“someteachersaremorepopularwithsomestudentsandothers

aren't.”Thisallocationofteachingstaffaccordingtospecialtyensuredthatstudents

wouldworkwitheachteacherand“haveaconsistentapproach”forlearningin

music.The“improvedcoordinationandcollaboration”(Thompson,2013,p.19)of

teachingstrategiesatDean’sschoolinresponsetotheNAPLANresultsforliteracy

andnumeracyenabledconsistencyandopportunityforstudents.The“inquisitive

dispositionofstaffembracingnewinstructionalmaterialsandapproaches”

combinedwithschoolclimateandprofessionallearningcontributedtopositive

classroomassessmentculture(Birenbaumetal.,2011,p.43).Thecollaborationand

positiveinfluenceoftheapproachesadoptedbyDean’sschoolremovedthe

perceivedthreatoftheexternaltestingandcomplementedthepracticeofteachers

andthelearningbystudents(Birenbaumetal.,2011).However,Ewing(2012)

claimedthattesting,suchasNAPLAN,“ishighlycontentious”arguingthat

potentiallyaschool’swholeeducationprogram“canbereducedtoliteracyand

numeracytestresults”(p.103).Berliner(2011)maintainedthat“underpressures

fromhighstakestesting,educatorsmakedecisionsthatreflectcompromisedethics,

ifnotacompletelossoftheirhumanity.” (p.291).Dean’srecollectiondoesnot

suggestthefocusonimprovingstudents’spellinginYear7demonstrateda

reductiveeffectuponthewholeschool’seducationprogram.TheNAPLANdiagnosis

createdafocusonimprovinggeneralliteracythroughmusic,andacrossthe

curriculum,athisschool.

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TheArtshavebecomeatoolforthe“tested”learningareas

Inthiseraofhigh-stakestesting,primaryvisualartsteacher,Sarahstressedthe

importanceofvisualartsforallprimarystudents.“Ithinkit'sreallybeneficialinthe

classroomsespeciallyforchildrenwhoarenothighachieversbecauseyou’renot

‘wrong’,nothing’swrong.”(Int1:October1,2013).TheArtsprovideaviablestarting

pointforengagingandeducating,especiallyforunder-achievingstudents(M.

Andersonetal.,2016)enablingthedevelopmentoflearning,selfesteemand

confidence(Martinetal.,2013).Sarahfeltthatstudentswerealways“seeingthings

asrightorwrong”possiblyduetotheirexperienceoftestingandanoutcomes-

focusedcurriculum(asdiscussedintheprevioussectiononstandards).Shefound

therewaslimitedtimeforvisualartsintheclassroom,soshewould,“tieMathsinto

craft…becauseIhadtomeasurethingsandcountstitches”andalso“language,like

forwards,doublestitch,andthingslikethat.Itrytointegrateitasmuchaspossible”

(Int1:October1,2013).

SchoolsallocatemoretimetoEnglishandmathematics“inthehopeofhavingtheir

testscoresgoup”(Berliner,2011,p.289),whichresultsinreducedallocationof

timeforother“lessacademic”subjects.Althoughartseducationinandofitself,is

regardedas“animportantpartofaholisticeducation”(Garvis&Prederghast,2010,

p.8),timepressureseesprimaryteacherslikeSarahintegratingtheArtswithother

curriculumcontent.Infact“schoolactivitiesthatmightfostercitizenshiphavebeen

cutbecauseoftheneedformoretimeinreadingandmathematics”(Berliner,2011,

p.290).Enjoyingschoolisreportedlyanacademicbenefitforstudentsconsidered

“academicallylow-achieving”accordingtotheirNAPLANresults,andthesestudents

tendto“benefitmorefromartsengagementthanhigh-achievingstudents”

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(Mansour,Martin,&Liem,2016,p.97).Asshereflectedonherexperiencecasual

teachinginprimaryschools,Marynotedtheimportanceofenjoymentforprimary

students:

Ithinkalsoforprimary,it'stheenjoymentfactoraswell.Ifkidsarejustdoingthoseassessmentbodiesofworkthattheteacherwouldsetforthem,Ithinkoneofthereasonsthatyouwoulddothat,isit'skindofsugarcoatingmaths.Oryou'remakingsciencemorefuninawaybythrowingincreatingadiorama(Int1:April12,2013)

Marywaswellawareofthe“integrativecapacityoftheartsforteachingother

learningareas”(Garvis&Prederghast,2010,p.8),evidentintheexperiences

recountedbyDean,PaulaandSarah.However, teachers were hindered teaching the

Arts “by pressures to cover the prescribed curriculum and to prepare students to

undertake standardized tests” (Russell-Bowie,2012,p.61),asSarahpointedout.

Literacyandnumeracy“sortoftakepriority…that’sthetragedyofitall”(Int1:

October1,2013).SecondarydramateacherErrol,likeGina,wasdismissiveofthe

focusonliteracyandnumeracycausedbyNAPLANtesting,“Idon’tthinkinadrama

reportIneedtobecommentingonliteracyornumeracy.”(Int2:April29,2014)

Highstakestestscreateanxiety:TheHSCandATAR

InNSWsecondaryschools,dance,drama,musicandvisualartsareincludedas

curriculumlearningareasfortheHSCthatareassessedandtestedalongsidethe

apparently“moreacademic”subjectssuchasmathematicsandscience.Secondary

dramaspecialist,Melwasacutelyawareofassessmentdemandstofulfillpre-

specifiedoutcomesfortheHSC.Theextremeanxietystudentsfelttoachieveagainst

theprescribedcriteriawasevident.“Studentsalwayswanttorehearseextra,so

187

you'reconstantlyspendingfreetimewiththemrehearsingforassessmenttasks”

(Mel,Int1:August14,2013).Similarly,secondarydramateacherErrolnotedthe

importanceofmeasurementforHSCdramainthat“acertainnumberofhours”was

requiredtobegiventoeachofthesyllabusoutcomeswith“weightingsinthe

assessment”(Int2:April29,2014).InfactErrolwasfrustratedbytheneedtobe:

…alwaysmindfulwhenteachingandplanningthecoursestocoverallthat[weightingandtimerequirements],andIguessitgetsinthewayofmyteachingsometimes,Ithink,becauseyoudohavetomakesurethatthere’saweightingofthispercentageforperformingandformaking(Int2:April29,2014).

Theanxietyteachersfeltinresponsetotestingandassessmentalsoaccountedfor

“test-inducedstress”amongstudents(Alexander,2011,p.270)demonstratedby

Mel’sstudentswhowantedtoconstantlyrehearse.Furthermore,evaluationand

standardizedtestinglimitteachers’autonomyand“influenceteachers’motivation”

(Firestone,2014).InmusicatDean’sschool,thestrategyofallocatingthesame

teacherstoteachthespecificcomponentsinmusiccreatedequityforstudentsand

alleviatedtheassociatedanxietyofassessmentandtestingfeltbythosestudents.It

alsohelpedreduceteacheranxiety,byenablingtheteachertoteachtotheir

particularspecializationorstrength,thusreducingteacheranxiety.

Reflectingupontheanxietyexperiencedbystudentsandteachersaroundthehigh-

stakesHSC,regionalteacherGinaremarked“Icanseeitinthemedia.Thingslikewe

shouldbemakingmathscompulsorytotheendofYear12”(Int1:June27,2013).

Ginawasannoyedthatstudentswerepressuredtostudysubjectsconsideredtobe

more“academic”.“Ithinkit’sterriblethatmathsandsciencestillseemtodominate”.

Gina’spointreiteratedEisner’s(2000)fifthinfluenceonartseducationpolicythat

theArtswereseldomconceptualizedasafundamentalpartofpreparationfor

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tertiarystudy.RatherEnglish,science,mathematics,historyorsocialscienceswere

perceivedasessentialforentranceintotertiarystudy(Eisner,2000).Ginareflected

uponherownchildren’sachievementsintheHSC:

I’vegottwochildren,neitherofwhomdidmathsorsciencefortheHSC.Bothofwhomgot[anATAR]over90.Theybothdiddramaandmusic…mysonwastenthinmusic,…andhismatecamefirstinMusic1…tohavetwokidsintheoneschoolinthebushcomingfirst[inthestate]…whatareNewtown[PerformingArtsHighSchool]doingwiththeirmusic?What’sHunter[PerformingArtsHighSchool]doingwiththeirmusic?Whyaren’ttheycomingfirstandtenth?Whyisacountryschoollikethismanagingtogetthosekidsuptothatlevel…(Int1:June27,2013)

Ginaquestionedtheacademicstatusgiventothesetwoselectiveperformingarts

highschools,consideringthattheydidnotproducethetoprankingstudentsin

music.ThepublicjudgmentofeducationbasedontheHSChasresultedingreater

emphasisplaceduponeachschool’sacademicachievementsintheHSCand

associatedATARs.Keddie(2017)claimedthat“theseexternalformsof

accountabilityhavebecomeincreasingly‘highstakes’giventhataschool’s

reputationandeffectivenessarebasedonitsperformanceonthesemeasures”(p.3).

Fleming(2016)reportedthatasasteptowardsincreasinganindependentschool’s

rankingandacademicachievement,theschoolprincipalraisedtheprofileofarts

educationwithintheschool’sculture.Yet,bycomparison,artseducationwas

alreadywellestablishedatGina’sregionalgovernmentschool,asreflectedinthe

achievementsofitsstudentsintheHSCandassociatedATAR.LikeGina,Hanley

(2003)questionedtheprioritygiventostandardizedtestingandclaimedthatwhen

itcomestotesting,“studentsarelastonthelistofbeneficiaries”,clarifyingthat“it

comesdowntowhatpoliticiansthinkthevoters(readparentsandevenmoreso,

corporateinterests)want”(p.35).However,asEwing(2010)explaineditisnear

impossibletocompareaffectiveoutcomesacrossarts-basedprogramsbecausethis

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requireslongitudinaltestswhicharecostlyandthereforerarelyreceivefunding.

Consequentlythequalitativeevidencethatpresentsthebenefitsofqualityarts

learningremainsoflessinteresttopoliticianswho,viathemedia,continuetostir

publicjudgmentofschooleducationonthebasisofstandardizedtestresults,such

asNAPLANandtheHSC.

Ginamaintainedafocusonthechallengesforstudentsandteachersinregional

areassuchaslimitedresourcesandaccesstoliveperformances.However,the

benefitsoflearningandteachinginregionalschoolsincludedsmallerclasses,better

teacher-studentrelationshipsandmoreleadershipopportunitiesforteachers

(Jenkinsetal.,2011).Ginacontinuedtohighlighttheachievementsofherown

childrenasregionalstudentsstudyingdrama:

Bothmykidsdiddrama,absolutelyloveddrama.Ithinktheirfirstloveaffairswerewiththeirdramastudents,andtheybothdidincrediblywellatwhattheydid.AndIthinkthatitdidn’thurtthemonebitnotdoingmathsandscience.They’vegoneontouniversitywherethey’vehadtodocourseswheretheyusemathsandscienceandtheygoandfindsomeonetohelpthemdothingsandthey’vemanagedtodothat.BecauseIwasn’tgoingtomakethemdoitathighschoolwhentheyabsolutelyhateditandwheretheteaching,particularlymaths,atourschool,wasprettymediocre.(Int1:June27,2013)

Gina’sownchildrenwerebothacceptedintouniversity,evenwithdramaasa

subjectintheirATARscore.Gina’sviewwasthatherchildrenshouldenjoyschool

andgrowasindividuals,ratherthanendurethestudyofthemore‘academic’

subjectsperceivedtobeessentialtoauniversityentrancerankorATAR.She

recalledonestudentatherregionalsecondaryschool,whoexcelledintheschool

dramaproduction,buthatedmathematicsandscience,whichhewascompelledto

studyfortheHSC:

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Hesayshehatedyearelevenandtwelve‘causeitwasonlyaboutmathsandscienceandthesavinggracewasthefactthathewasofferedtheroleinDeathofaSalesman,whichistheonethingeveryoneremembershimforbecausehedidsuchagreatjob.(Int1:June27,2013)

Asanartteacher,Ginarecognisedthepriorityaffordedlearningareasof

mathematics,scienceandEnglish,evencommenting“youcanseeitinthemedia”.

Furthertothis,Goreetal.(2017)reportedthatstudentswerefullyawarethatfor

certaincareerstheyneededtobe‘smart’:

…whenweighedalongsidestandardisedtestscoresandtheentrancescoresforsomedegrees,areclearlyhavinganimpactonstudentinterests.Indeed,inteaching,scienceandmedicine,students’perceptionsoftheirrelativeacademicperformancewasanimportantpredictorofoccupationalinterest.(p.16)

Ginadisagreedwiththeperceptionthatscienceandmathematicswereessentialfor

astudents’ATARforacceptanceintouniversity.Shealsochallengedhowsubjects

suchasmathematicsandsciencearetaughtinschools:

Wellifyou’regoingtomakeitcompulsorytotheendofYear12teachitinadifferentmanner.Don’tjusthandkidsatextbookandexpectthentofinishtheexercises,that’swhykidshateit.YouknowifitwasenlightenedteachingI’msuretheywouldadoreitjustasmuchastheyadorelotsofotherthings(Int1:June27,2013)

Reflectinguponherownaltruisticapproachtoteaching,Ginasuggestedthateven

thesemore“academic”subjectscouldbemademoreinterestingperhapscreative

forstudents?

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Conclusion

Theparticipantteachersreportedthattestingdidimpacttheircapacitytoteachthe

ArtsasclaimedbyEisner(2000)inhisfourthinfluenceonartseducationpolicy.In

fact,heclaimedthatstandardisedtestsdrivecurriculum.Participantteachers

describedthefocusedactivitiesappliedtolearningandteachingacrosscurriculum

toaddressparticularaspectsofliteracyornumeracyasidentifiedbytestresults.

TeachingtheArtswasoftenusedtosupporttheteachingofotherprioritised

learningareasparticularlythroughanintegratedapproachinprimaryschool.This,

tosomedegree,suggestedsupportforEisner’scontentionthatwhatistested

determineswhatistaught.Although,oneteacherwasadamantthattheschool

leadershipshouldnotdictateparticularfocusesonliteracyandnumeracytobe

appliedacrosslearningandteachingonthebasisofNAPLANresults.Inschools

wheretheNAPLANtestresultswerebeingusedasadiagnostictool,theteachers

reporteddevelopmentofstudents’skillssuchasattentiontodetailandreadingfor

understandingthroughincorporatingapproachestoaddressareasforimprovement

identifiedbythetest.

Eisner‘s(2000)furtherclaimthatwhatisnottestedisnottaughtpertainedtothe

Artsmoregenerally.PrimaryschoolteachersreportedintegratingtheArtswith

otherlearningareasasameansofassistingstudentsinthoseprioritised‘more

academic’learningareas,i.e.mathematicsandscience,whilealsoengaging‘less

academic’studentsastheycoveredcurriculumandrespondedtotestfindingsin

limitedtime.Theparticipantsecondaryteachers,beingartsspecialistsreported

uponNAPLANandHSCexpectationsintermsoftheirArtssubject.Moreover,I

foundevidencethathighstakestests,suchastheHSC,createdanxietyforboth

teachersandstudents.Thiswasevidentinteachers’referencestosubject

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prioritization,weightingsandtimeallocationand,whereinpreparationfortheHSC,

studentsofdramasoughtextrarehearsalwiththeteacher.Achallengeinferredby

theteachersinthisstudywasthatthedemandsofaccountabilityestablishedby

highstakestestslimitedteachercapacitytocultivatethelearninganddevelopment

oftheindividualstudentthroughtheArtsand,createdanxietyamongteachersand

studentsexacerbatedbypublicjudgmentofeducationbaseduponreported

performanceinhigh-stakestests.

Forstudentscompletingsecondaryschool,theirHSCresultbecomestheiruniversity

entrancerank(ATAR).Eisner’s(2000)fifthclaimwasthatuniversityadmission

criteriadidnotacknowledgetheArtsbutfocusedonmore‘solid’subjectslike

mathematics,science,historyandsocialsciences.Oneteacherprovidedevidence

thatstudentswhostudiedArtssubjects,suchasdramaandmusic,includedintheir

HSCcouldattainahighATARoruniversityentrancerankingandcommencetertiary

studywithouteithermathematicsorscience.However,theteacherdidacknowledge

thatmathematicsandsciencestillseemtodominateperceptionsofuniversity

entrancerequirements.

ThefollowingsectionexploresthesixthandfinalinfluenceraisedbyEisner,that

beingteachercompetencetoteachtheArts.

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Section5.5:Teachercompetence

Introduction

Inthelastsection,Idiscussedtheimpactoftestingandfoundthatthisdidaffect

whatwastaughtand,insomecases,increasedteacherandstudentanxiety.

AdditionallyIexploredsomeparticipantteachers’commentaryonuniversity

admissioncriteriaandfoundanecdotalevidencethatsomestudentsstudyingthe

ArtsfortheHSCattainedhighATARsenablinguniversityentry,althoughthereis

stillanassumptionthatthestudyofmathematicsandscienceincreasesthe

student’sATARandisthereforerequiredforuniversityentrance.Thesewere

Eisner’sfourthandfifthinfluencesonartseducationpolicy.

Impactsonteachercompetence

Eisner’s(2000)sixthinfluenceonartseducationpolicywasthelackofteacher

competencetoteachtheArts.Eisneridentifiedthatteachersoftenfeltoverwhelmed

withanalreadycrowdedcurriculumwhilesimultaneouslyreportingthattherewas

noartscurriculumtospeakofinprimaryschoolsinmanypartsoftheUnitedStates.

Additionally,henotedthattherewerelimitedartsteachersinmanyschoolsand/or

fewartsconsultantstosupportgeneralistteachers.Eisnerfurthermaintainedthat

therewasnotraininginartseducationinthemajorityofeducationprogramsfor

pre-serviceprimaryschoolteachers.Infact,threeyearsearlier,hehadidentified

thatprimarygeneralistteacherswereexpectedto“teachwhattheydidnotknow

anddidnotlove”(Eisner,1997,p.17).ApointreiteratedbyB.PowerandKlopper

(2011)whoreportedthatalargepercentageofprimarygeneralistteachershad

“limitedexperience”andwere“notpersonallyinterestedintheartforms”theywere

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requiredtoteach(p.21).Australianresearchers,Alteretal.(2009)alsofoundthat

forteachersalackofknowledgecoupledwithalackofconfidencetoteachtheArts

isa“substantialhindrance”toteachingtheArtsinprimaryschools(p.3).According

toAlteretal.(2009)fivefactorscompoundaprimaryteacher’sconfidencetoteach

theArts:timeandquantityofcurriculum;accountabilitytootherlearningareas;the

broadscopeoftheArtscurriculum;self-evaluationoftheteacher’sownknowledge,

skillsandconfidenceandthevalueandstatusattributedtotheArtsintheschool

anditscommunity.

Someyearsearlier,Eisner(1995a)explainedthat“competenceinteachingis

intimatelyconnectedwith”and“centralto…thekindofeducationthatwethink

studentsshouldreceive”(p.99).Hereasonedthatteachercompetenceisactually

developedinthelong-termcontextoftheschoolwheretheteachergrowsand

reflectsupontheirpractice.Althoughuniversityteachereducationprograms

“certifycompetence,thestateissuesthelicense”toteachinschools(p.103).Eisner

(1995a)furtherclaimedthat“togetbetteratthecomplexandsubtleartofteaching,

oneneedstohaveconstructivefeedbackonone'swork”(p.104).Hesurmisesthat

“artistryandintuitionareenormouslyimportantaspectsofallformsofteachingand

teachersneedthespaceandencouragementtousebothintheirwork”(p.103).

Eisner’sconcernsseemuniversalwhenexaminingWesterneducationalsystemsand

thereforerelevantinthecontextofteachersinAustralia.

Overview

ThroughoutthisfinalsectionofChapter5,Iexploretheparticipantteachers’

backgroundsandinterestintheArts,aswellastheuniversitytrainingthey

undertooktobecomeateacher.Theseexperiencesareconsideredinlightof

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concernsthatEisnerclaimedimpactteachercompetencetoteachtheArts.The

teachersinthisstudyreportedtrainingintheArtsduringtheiruniversitystudies,

additionalartstrainingundertakenforpersonalinterest,andprofessionallearning

thatcontributedtotheirartsknowledgeandskills,confidenceandcompetence35.

Theprimaryteachersrecognisedtheyworkedwithanovercrowdedcurriculum

whichimpactshowtheyteachtheArts.However,thecurriculumtheyusedoes

includetheArts.Eisner’sconcern,morethanadecadeago,wasthattherewasno

artscurriculum,limitedartsteachersorconsultants,andnoartstraininginteacher

educationprograms,whichallimpactedateacher’scompetencetoteachtheArts.

Issuesofcurriculum

Likemanyartsresearchers,Eisner(2000)contendedthattheprimarycurriculum

wasovercrowdedand,atthattimetherewasnoartscurriculum.Bycontrast,the

participantprimaryteachersinthisstudyhadbeenworkingwiththeexistingstate

curriculumintheArts,firstpublishedin2000.Theywerenowlookingtowardsa

transitiontothenationalartscurriculum(asdiscussedinsection5.1).

Withmorethanthirtyyearsexperience,primaryteacherSarahrecognisedthe

limitationsonteachingtheArtsinaprimaryschool.Throughnecessity,she

incorporatedvisualartsintootherlearningareas,butultimatelyfeltoverwhelmed

bythedemandsofthecurrentcurriculum:

You’vegotsomanythingsonyourplate.Yougetusedtoonething.It’sjusteasytousethesamewayofthinkingforsomethingdifferent.…Thisisthethingthere’snotenoughtimeormoney.(Int2:April17,2014)

35Often‘confidenceandcompetence’arediscussedtogetherasidentifiedbyAlteretal.(2009).Inthisstudy,Iusethesetwotermsconsciousofthefactthattheyarenotthesamebutoftenconnected.RefertoDefinitionsoftermsspecifictothisstudy(seep14).

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Sarahwasfrustratedbythelackoftimeshecouldallocatetothelearningand

teachingprocessinclass,asshewouldhavepreferredtoprepareaunitfocused

solelyonvisualartsmaterial.Areasonableconsideration“inaworldthatis

becomingincreasinglymorevisual,thereisagreaterneedtoeducatechildrento

betterunderstandimages” (Pavlou&Athanasiou,2014,p.1).YetSarahreasoned,

”It'shardtofititinbecauseyouknowyou'vegottogetthroughallthisotherstuff”

(Int1:October1,2013).LikeEisner,Alteretal.(2009)alsofoundthatteachers

believedthatthecurriculumwas“over-crowded”andthey“feltoverwhelmedbythe

demandsplaceduponthemtoteachanextensivelistofcurriculumsubjects”(p.10).

Sarahintegratedvisualartsasameansofmanagingtheovercrowdedcurriculum.In

sodoing,shedemonstratedthatteacherswho“havestrongself-efficacyforarts

education…aremorelikelytoincludeintegratedartsintheclassroom”(Lemon&

Garvis,2013,p.2).Inteachingvisualarts,Sarahsetgoals,anticipatedoutcomes,

consideredherownactionsasshetaught,andreflectedonherpersonal

effectivenessinteachingtheartform(Garvis&Pendergast,2011).However,while

shewasconfidentinhervisualartsknowledgeandskills,andhaddeveloped

competencethroughmanyyearsteachingvisualartstoprimarystudents,Sarah

acknowledgedthatteachinganotherartformsuchasdance“wouldscare”her(Int2:

April14,2014).Shedidnothaveanyexperienceortrainingindanceeitherfromher

universitytrainingorprofessionallearningfollowinggraduation.Likewise,Sarah

knewthatotherprimarygeneralistteacherswhowere“reallyfrightenedofdoing

visualarts…becausetheydon’tknowwhattodoandthey’retooscaredandthey,

liketheYear6kids,don’tknowifthey’redoingitright”(Int1:October1,2013).

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Teachers

SarahhighlightedEisner’spointthattheprimarygeneralistteacherwasexpectedto

teachallcurriculumcontentincludingtheArts,whichtheteacher“maynotknowor

love.”In2000,Eisnerarguedthattherewerelimitedartsconsultantsavailableand

therewasnopreparationinartseducationincludedinteachertraining.Nearly

twentyyearssinceEisner’sobservation,thesituationhasprogressedinthe

Australiancontext.ManyteacherswhoteachtheArtshave“personalconfidenceand

professionalcompetenceinartseducation”(Russell-Bowie,2012,p.71).Although

thereisstillaneedtoprovidea“professionallearningcommunity”sothatpre-

serviceandnewteachers“canlearnfrommoreexperiencedin-service”teachers

(Wong,2014,p.210).FurthermorethestatusaffordedtheArtsintheschool

accompaniedbytheteacher’sevaluationoftheirownknowledge,skillsand

confidenceclearlycontributetoateacher’scompetenceorlackthereof(Alteretal.,

2009).Eachoftheteachersinthisstudy,hadpersonalinterestinoneofmore

artformswhich,touseEisner’swords,“theyknowandlove”.

Intheirrespectiveinterviews,eachoftheteachersreportedpersonalexperiencesin

childhood,atschoolandduringuniversitystudiesthatestablishedtheirinterestin

anartformand,ultimatelyinfluencedtheirdecisiontobecomeateacher.Music

teacher,Deansummarizedtheimportanceoftheteacher’sownchildhood

experience:

Allthoselittlefragmentsofexperiencesasakidandopportunitieslateroninlife,presentthemselvesinadifferentform,andhaveactuallyallowedyoutobethepersonwhoyouare.(Int1:November9,2013)

Dean’scommentencapsulatestherecollectionsofeachteacher.Previous

experiencesdemonstratedtheirpersonaldiscoveryandsubsequentinterestinthe

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Arts,whichcontributedtotheirconfidenceanddevelopmentoftheknowledgeand

skillstoengagestudentsinartslearningandteaching.

Developmentofconfidence,knowledgeandskills

Craig,aprimaryclassroomteacherwithfiveyearsexperiencerevealed,“Ididn’t

thinkIhadtheconfidencetododramabecauseIwasn’tagoodreader”(Int1:

October1,2013).However,herecalledthathisdiscoveryofdramawasthrougha

teacherinhisownearlyyearsatprimaryschool:

MywholeinterestindramaticartsstartedinYear1.Andthat’swhenIhadateachernamedMr.Smith–he’sstillateacher–andhewasinterestedindrama,filmandthedramaticartsofShakespeare.Anditwaswithhim,inYear1,thatIstartedtodevelopthatsameinterest.(Int1:October1,2013)

The‘interests’ofhisteacherinspiredCraig’sconfidencetoparticipateindrama,

althoughhereportedearlyreadingdifficulties.Similarly,Gina,headofthecreative

artsfacultyinaregionalsecondaryschoolidentifiedalackofself-confidenceinher

artisticskillswhileathighschool.“IthinkwithvisualartsthedifficultiesIalways

hadwas[that]IneverreallyfeltasifIwasverygoodatpaintingordrawingorany

ofthosethingsbutIactuallywas”(Int1:June27,2013).LikeCraig,Ginalacked

confidenceinherownabilityalthoughsherecalledthebeginningsofherinterestin

theArtsasachildwitholderandyoungersiblings:

IwastheonlyonewhocoulddrawandIcouldmakethings....Ispentalotoftimebymyself.Ispentalotoftimemakingthings,makingcubbyhouses,dog’sclothing,inventinggames,writingplays,tellingstories,allthatsortofthing,andpaintinganddrawingandI’mveryhappyinmyowncompany.Ireallydon’tneedanyoneelsetoentertainme.(Int1:June27,2013)

199

Gina’sdescriptionofherchildhoodartsexperiencessuggestsshewasan

independentandself-containedlearner,althoughshelackedconfidenceinher

artisticability.Inherinterview,Ginaconnectedheraweofherhighschoolvisual

artsteacherstoherowndecisiontobecomeanartteacher:

…andso,initiallyIsetouttobeanartteacher,‘causeIthought,Ihadthesegreatartteachersathighschool.Ithought,wow,Ijustwantajoblikethat,togetpaidtodothat.(Int1:June27,2013)

GinaandCraigwerebothpositivelyinfluencedbytheartsteachersthey

encounteredintheirownschooling.B.PowerandKlopper(2011)identifiedthat

educatorsinmanycasesentertheirteachereducationdegreeswithaninitiallackof

backgroundexperiencesandcontentknowledgeinoneormoreareasofarts

education.Theyreportedthat93.9%ofparticipantsintheirstudybelievedthata

“teacher’spersonalexperienceinanartform”(p.19)impactedtheirteachingof

it.BothCraigandGinaidentifiedexperiencesintheirownchildhoodandschooling

thatinspiredtheirinterestintheArtsandcontributedtotheirdesiretobecomea

teacher.

Alsoidentifyinganinterestindramafromearlyon,wasErrol,asecondaryschool

dramaspecialistteacher,who“grewupinaverysmalltownincountryVictoria,

population8000”(Int1:September13,2013).Hereminiscedabouthisownschool

experienceinregionalVictoria:

…anyinterestintheArtswaslookeduponasyou’rebeingabitofapoofifyoudidn’thaveanyinterestinsport.Ididn’thaveanyinterestinsport.Iwasdreadfulatsports,butIexcelledindrama.AndthatwasavailableatschoolinthosedaysduetoaveryenthusiasticEnglishteacher,whomighthaveturnedlastperiodonaFridayintoadramaclass,whichwasalwaysoneofthehighlightsoftheweek.(Int1:September13,2013)

200

WhereasCraigandGinalackedconfidenceintheirartisticabilitiesinchildhood,

Errolwasconfident,claimingthathe“excelledindrama”.Herecalledstrong

memoriesofdramainhisearlyprimaryschoolyearsanddescribedhisrecognition

ofthepassiontobecomeanactor:

…wehadaclassonoccupations,“whatdoyouwanttobewhenyougrowup?”andkidsweredrawingastronautsandplumbersanddoctorsandfiremenandallthatsortofthing.AndIvividlyrememberthis,Idrewapictureofaclown.Iwantedtobeaclowninthecircus.Wherethatcamefrom?Whoknows,butthereyougo.SothatstayedwithmeandIalwayswantedtobeanactor.(Int1:September13,2013)

Errolrecognisedthathisinterestbeganinhischildhood.Goreetal.(2017)found

thatinYear3,manychildrenaspiredtohavingacareerasanArtsprofessional

albeitanactor,musician,writerorartist,thussupportingErrol’sclaimthatevenas

achildheknewhewantedtobecomeanactor.

Musicteacher,Dean,likeErrol,hadconsideredacareerasaprofessionalmusician

anddiscoveredhisloveoftheArtsinhischildhood.Deanrecountedhischildhood

artsexperiencesbeganbothathomeandinthecommunity.“Isupposecombining

mybackgroundinlearningpianofromtheageofsix,andthenattheageoften,I

pickedupthetrumpet“(Int1:November9,2013).Hecontinued,“MumandDad

werebothintotheirmusicandverycreativeindividualsactually.SoIthinkit

probablystemsalittlebitfromthatsortofenvironmentathome.”Bycontrastto

Ginawhodescribedplayingaloneasachild,andErrol,wholivedinacommunity

withacultureofsport,Deanrecognisedthathisparents’involvementinthelocal

churchinfluencedhismusicalexperienceandinterest.Familysupportinfluences

somepre-serviceteacherdecisions(Alteretal.,2009).Deannotedthathe“lovedto

draw”and“wasalwaysquitecreativewithcolour”.Heconcluded,“Soprobablymy

strengthsasastudentifyoulookbackatmyreportwouldhavebeen,‘Reallygoodat

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art,music,loveddramatics’.“(Int1:November9,2013)Reflectinguponhis

secondaryschooling,DeanrecalledbeinginthefirstyeartoundertakeYear11ata

newandgrowingschool.“LuckilyformealotofthosekidswhodidYear11and12

werearts-based.Sothatwasoffered...[if]itwaspredominantlymathematicsI

probablymightnothavehadthatsamesortofcreativeopportunity”(Int1:

November9,2013).

Inadditiontobeinganart-focussedyeargroup,whileatschoolDeanhadanearly

experienceofteaching,whichinfluencedhisdecisiontobecomeamusicteacher.

“ThatprobablystemsbacktoasakidinYear10,Istartedteachingprivatelyaswell,

andIgotarealbuzzoutofteachingtheselittlekidsaboutwhatIknewofthepiano”

(Int1:November9,2013).Bycontrast,Errolwhoasachildaspiredtobeanactor,

was“abitscaredaboutgoingtoabigcity”topursueacting.Heclaimed,“ifIcouldn’t

beanactorIguessIwantedtobeateacher”(Int1:September13,2013).Errol

completedaBachelororArtsinEnglishataVictorianregionalCollegeofAdvanced

EducationandtaughtEnglishandmediainaregionalindependentschoolforfive

years.DuringthistimeErrolreported:

Iwasparticipantinlocalamateurproductionsanddirectingtheschoolplayatschooleveryyearandallthatsortofthingand,itgottoastagewhenIwasabout25whenIthoughtIhavetodosomethingaboutthishobbybeforeitbecomestoolate.SoIauditionedforalloftheactingschools.Andwasluckyenoughtogetintoaleadingtertiaryacademyofperformingarts.(Int1:September13,2013)

Consequently,Errolcompletedthethreeyearstrainingattheperformingarts

academyandpursuedacareerinacting.Heclaimedthat,“youreallyhadtomoveto

theeastcoasttohaveacareerintheArtssoImovedtoSydney”(Int1:September

13,2013).Hesubsequentlydescribedactingasavery“tryingoccupation”andthat

he“keptfoodonthetable…whenIwasactingbecauseIworkedasacasualteacher

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inmanydifferentschoolsaroundSydney”(Int1:September13,2013).Asanactor,

Errol’ssituationwasnotunique.“Amongstallartists,actorsspenttheleasttimeon

creativework,theleasttimeontotalartswork,andthemosttimeonnon-arts

work”(Throsby&Zednik,2010,p.39).Although,accordingtoThrosbyandZednik

(2010),Errol’sworkingasacasualdramateacherqualifiesasworkingatanother

paidoccupationconnectedwiththeArts36.

WhereasErrolovercamehisinitialfearofleavingasmallregionaltowntomoveto

thecitytofollowhispassionandtrainasanactor,Deanhadtheoptiontopursue

graphicartsoracareerasaperformingmusician:

Ithoughtaboutitlongandhard,andactuallycamebacktotherootsofwhatIreally,reallywaspassionateabout.SoIchosetheBachelorofMusic/BachelorofEducationdegree,withtherealityof,"YeahIcandopureperformance."Butit'ssuchacut-throatindustryIknewthatIwasprobablybeingsensibleindoinganeducationaldegreeatthesametime.NottosaythatIwasn'taperformer,butIreally,reallydidenjoyteaching,thatwasthesimplethingaboutit.(Int1:November9,2013)

Deanknewhewaspassionateaboutteaching,whileforErrolactingwashispriority

andteachingwasapracticality.Incomparison,forprimaryteacherPaula,her

interestintheArtsdevelopedaftercompletingschool.Inherinterview,she

describedherownjourneyofstudyatuniversity.“Ididmydiplomaofeducation…

andIhadtomajorinsubjectssoImajoredinhistorybecauseIlovedhistory”(Int1:

36ThrosbyandZednik(2010)reportedthatpaidoccupationsconnectedwiththeArtsinvolve9%ofactorsmostofthetime,42%ofactorsworkintheirpreferredartisticoccupationmostofthetime.Bycomparison,51%ofvisualartists,41%ofdancersand47%ofmusiciansworkintheirpreferredartisticoccupationwith12%,28%and22%respectivelyworking,likeErrol,atanotherpaidoccupationconnectedwiththeArts.

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October1,2013).SoPaulabeganhertertiarydegreewithwhatshe“loved”.She

explainedthatshewasencouragednottotakeEnglishbuttostudydramainstead.

…IwasgoingtomajorinEnglishbutwhenIwenttothefirstday,thelecturersaid,“Oh,don’tdoEnglish,it’sreallyhard.Youhavetoreadnovelslikethis.Whydon’tyoudodrama?”Andatthetime,Iwent,likeanyoneelse,“Oh,youknow,whynot?Dramasoundsinteresting”.(Int1:October1,2013)

Paulawasconsistentlyenthusiasticaboutlearningandpositiveabouther

experiencesatuniversity.Assherecalledheruniversitystudies,Paulaexuded

enthusiasm:

Somyfirstyearatuniversity,wastheHistoryofDrama,youhavetogoback,doFrench,Shakespeare,everything.Thatwasgood.Thenthesecondyearitwasthedifferentstyles.Thedifferentgenresindrama,andthatwasreallyinteresting,butitwasn’tuntilthethirdyearwhenitwastotallyunexpected.Wehadpsychiatristscomein.It’slikeatherapistcameintellingusthattheworld’sastageandwe’reallactors,fine,andthenyou’vegotJames’TransactionalAnalysiswherepeoplerespondtootherpeopleinthreeways,asaparent,asanadult,asachild.Andthatblewmeaway!(Int1:October1,2013)

Herpassionfordramawasadirectresultofhertertiaryexperiencedemonstrating

thatateacher’sdeterminationtoteachtheArtsisoftenimpactedbytheirpersonal

experienceintheArts(B.Power&Klopper,2011).Similarly,Sarahwasfascinated

tolearnaboutvisualartsandtoteachit.Sheexplainedthatshetookartforher

leavingcertificate37:

IgotAlevelsinthatandIwasalwaysinterestedinvisualarts.ThenwhenIwenttouni,IdidasmuchvisualartsthereasIcould.I'vejustalwaysbeeninterestedinvisualartsandalwayskeentolearnsomethingdifferent.SoImadeitamissionofminetogotoasmanydifferentcraftgroupsandlearnas

37Leavingcertificate:thecertificationofcompletionofschoolinNewSouthWalesfrom1913to1966.In1967theleavingcertificatewasreplacedwiththeHighSchoolCertificate,stillinuseatthetimeofthisstudy.http://www.governmentschools.det.nsw.edu.au/examinations.shtm

204

manydifferentcraftsasIcould,…andtheonlyoneIthinkthatIhaven'tcoveredisleadlightwindows.I'vedoneeverything.IjustlovelearningtodoitandIloveteachingit.Ithinkit'sreallybeneficialintheclassroomsespeciallyforchildrenwhoarenothighachieversbecauseinvisualartsnothing’swrong.(Int1:October1,2013)

Sarah,likePaula,waspersonallyinterestedinherchosenartform,aswasMary,who

graduatedasasecondaryschoolvisualartsspecialistin2012.ShesharedSarah’s

loveofthevisualartform.Sheclearlyrecalledparticipatingincreativeand

performingarts,aswellaspianolessonsand,attendingspeechanddramalessonsin

herprimaryschooling.Shereported:

Ialwayslikedvisualarts,Iwasn'tthatfondoftheactualartmakingsideofthingsbecauseI’mnotaverygoodpainterordrawer,likethattechnicalcapability,but,Ireallyenjoyedlearningaboutartandresearchingart.Andthen,Iguess,whenIgotintotheupperlevelsofYear12,Irealizedartwasn'tjustaboutthat,paintinganddrawing,therewereothersortofaspectsandIfoundthatIreallymoreaccomplishedwith,youknow,3Dand4Dkindofthingswith,constructionandbuilding…(Int1:April12,2013)

Havingrealisedshedidnotwanttomakeart,aftercompletingsecondaryschool,

MarywasunsureofwhatshewantedtodosoundertookaBachelorofArtHistory

andTheory.Sheclaimed“Iabsolutelylovedthecourse.Ithoughtitwasfantastic...”.

Russell-Bowie(2012)hasreportedthatthepre-serviceteacher’senthusiasmforthe

artformcontributestotheircommitmenttoartseducation,asevidentinMary’s

enthusiasmforheruniversityexperienceinvisualarts.Furthermore,when

“prospectiveteachersdevelopanawarenessoftheirownresponsestoexperiences

intheArts,theycanbebetterpreparedfornoticingandcraftingtheirownaesthetic

teachingpractice”(E.Anderson,2016,p.1).ThisisdemonstratedbyPaula,Sarah

andMaryintheirenthusiasmfortheirtertiaryartsexperiencesand,byDeanand

Errolintheirconsiderationofbecomingprofessionalperformingartistsorteachers.

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Thecasestudyteachers’recollectionsofenteringtheteachingprofession

demonstratedtheinfluenceofothersorpersonalpassionforthearform.The

teacherswereinfluencedbyfamilymemberswhowereteachersorhadparticipated

inartsexperiencesthemselves(Alteretal.,2009).Familysupportinthearts

contributedtoDean’spositiveartsexperiences,whileGinaandCraighadfamily

memberswhowereteachers.Parsons,Vaughn,Malloy,andPierczynski(2017)

arguethat“thebestteachersarepassionateaboutteaching,andtheyknowwhy

theyarepassionate”(p.23).MaryandSarahweredrivenbytheirloveofvisualarts,

aswereGinaandPaula,whohaddevelopedapassionfordrama,andcontinuedto

learnandacquireskillsaftercompletingtheirownteachertraining.

Eachoftheteachershadarangeofpreviousartsexperiences,whichpositively

impactedontheirconfidencetowardsteachingtheArts.Uponcompletingtheir

teachertraining,eachparticipantteacherrecalleddifferentjourneysintothe

classroom.Artsandcareerexperiencesalongthewaycontinuedtodeveloptheir

artsknowledgeandbuildconfidencethatcontributedtofutureteachercompetence.

Artsexperienceswhetherpositiveornegativefromchildhoodthroughtoadulthood,

havebeenfoundtoinfluencebothateacher’sknowledgeandtheiroverall

confidenceorlackthereof(Alteretal.,2009).Eisner(1995a)highlightsthat

teachingoccursin“highlycontextualsituations”wheretheteachermakesdecisions

mostappropriatetothe“particularcircumstanceatthatparticulartime”(p.103).A

competentteacherhastheabilitytoapplyknowledgeandskillsintheclassroomfor

effectivelearningandteachingtooccur.

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Aftergraduating,Paulacontinuedtoexpandherknowledgeandskillsby

undertakingpracticalvisualartscoursesthroughTAFE.38Sherevealedthat“Ihadto

waitthreeyearsforajobandthen,well,sixmonthsbeforeIgotmy[fulltime]job,I

gotajobasacasualeverywhere…”(Int1:October1,2013).Similarly,Ginadidnot

beginteachingimmediately.Sheexplainedthattheuniversitycoursesheundertook

“atthattimehadnopracticalcomponent“bywhichtolearntheskillsand

techniquesofvisualartsandthereforehowtoteachit.Infact,manyAustralian

universityteachereducationcoursescontainlimitedpracticallearningactivities

(Alteretal.,2009),whichledGinatostudyatTeachers’Collegeinordertoacquire

practicalskills:

…wewalkedin,allgraduatesfromSydneyUniversitywhen,theguysaid“right,yougirlsneedtoknowhowtopackakiln,youneedtoknowhowtodothis,howtodothat”,andwediddoubleartmethod,andtheytaughtuseverything.Theytaughtussurvivalskillsinanartclassroom.(Int1:June27,2013)

Aftergainingthesepracticalvisualartsskills,Ginatravelled,taughthistoryatTAFE

inSydneyand“wenttoSydneyCollegeoftheArtsforayear,butIranoutofmoney”

(Int1:June27,2013).ThroughacontactshemadewhileteachingatTAFE,Gina

securedateachingroleinanindependentgirls’school,whereshereported“itwas

actuallyaverygoodlearningexperience,tolearnyourcraftwithtworeallygood

practitionersinaplacewheretherewerenobehaviourproblems.Noclassroom

behaviourproblems”(Int1:June27,2013).Ginawasabletodevelopbothher

confidenceandcompetenceinteachingvisualartsunderthementorshipof

experiencedteachers.Thesecollegialinteractionsandcollaborationinprofessional

38TAFE:TechnicalandFurtherEducation:TAFEisjustonepartofVET(VocationalEducationandTraining).VETcoversallvocationaltraininginAustralia.https://www.tafecourses.com.au/resources/what-is-tafe/

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communitiesareessentialtoateacher’sprofessionaldevelopment(Driel&Berry,

2012).PaulaandMary,bothworkedascasualteachers,whichdevelopedtheir

confidenceandcompetenceintheclassroom.Inthesesituationseachteacherwas

beingmentored,thatis,anotherteacherwasobservingandcritiquinghowthey

teachinthelivecontextoftheschool(Eisner,1995a),seenasessentialto

developingtheteacher’scompetence.

Mary,likeGina,alsostudiedataspecialisedvisualartscollege,andin2008,armed

withherdegree,Maryaspiredtoworkinartcuration.“Ireallywantedtogetinto

somesortofmuseumworkorcuratorialtypethings”(Int1:April12,2013).

However,shequicklydiscoveredsuchroleswererareandextremelydifficultto

attain:

butallthosepositions…it'snotentrylevel.Youneedtobedoingsomethingforavery,verylongtime.But,atthatstage,IreallywantedtopossiblyendupworkingattheMCA[MuseumofContemporaryArt]or,Iwaslookingatgettingworkatoneofthesmallergalleries…(Int1:April12,2013)

Asaresult,intheshortterm,Maryworkedincafesandundertooksomefreelance

artwritingbeforeshetravelledoverseas.Returningafterfivemonths,shedecided

toretrainandin2009beganaBachelorofArtEducationatthesameteritary

institutionshehadattendedpreviously.Attainingthisseconddegreein2013,Mary

disclosedthatshehadundertakenthirteenweeksofpracticalteachingand,like

Paula,whileunabletofindapermanentteachingposition,foundcasualteachingin

primaryschools.Primaryschoolsfrequentlyemployedheras:

theywantedsomeonethatwashighschooltrainedbecausetheyweremorewillingtoteachyearfiveandsixandpossiblymaybegotalongwiththem[thestudents]abitbetteror...Andyouhadclassroommanagementalittlebitbetterbecauseitwasliketakingonayearsevenclassratherthan,youknow,ayeartwoclass(Int1:April12,2013)

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Mary’strainingasasecondaryteacherwiththirteenweekspracticalexperiencehad

developedhercompetence,andwasseenasbeneficialintermsofherclassroom

managementstrategieswithupperprimaryclasses.

Sarahalsobeganherteachingcareerinanalternativerole,asarelieffromface-to-

face39(RFF)teacheratagovernmentprimaryschool.Sheexplainedthatshehada

certificateinteachingswimming,whichwasseenasanadvantage,andthis

inadvertentlyledtoavisualartsrole:

TheygotmeouttheretoruntheirswimmingteambutwhentheyfoundoutIwasgoodatvisualarts,theyputmeinchargeofthevisualartsaswellandthenIdidvisualartsforalotoftheteachersaswellaspartoftheRFFprogram.(Int1:October1,2013)

SarahheldtheRFFpositionforfiveorsixyears.Thelowstatusofartseducationin

manyschoolsmeansthat“artseducationisrandomlygiventoanyteacher”(Delport

&Browne,2015,p.366).InSarah’ssituation,shetaughttheunusualcombinationof

swimmingandvisualarts.However,throughthisRFFposition,shewasabletofocus

uponanddevelopherpedagogicalcontentknowledgeinvisualarts,which

developedherunderstandingof“howstudentslearn,orfailtolearn”(Driel&Berry,

2012,p.26).Shemaintainedastrongviewthatvisualartsenableseverystudentto

haveapositiveexperienceasthereisnodefiniterightorwrong.Aviewreiterated

byprimaryartteacher,HarrietSmithwhoclaimsthat“becausewiththeArts…

there’snofailure”(Gibson,2016,p.140).Teachers,throughvisualarts,engageand

39RFF(relieffromfacetoface):InNSWgovernmentschools,full-timeprimaryclassroomteachersareentitledto2hours(0.084FTE)[1]ofrelieffromfacetofaceeachweek.Forregularclassroomteachers0.042FTEofthisentitlementisderivedfromtheRFFformulaeallocationandtheremaining0.042FTEisderivedfromthePart-timeandTeacherLibrarianallocations.http://www.teach.nsw.edu.au/documents/staffingformulaeguidelines.pdfp5

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challengetheirstudentstoremainontaskforasustainedperiodoftime,enabling

studentstolearnhowtoovercomefrustration,suchasperceivederrors,and

continuetodevelop/refinetheirartwork(Hetland,Winner,Veenema,&Sheridan,

2013).Eisner(2004)surmised:

Theartsteachstudentstoactandtojudgeintheabsenceofrule,torelyonfeel,topayattentiontonuance,toactandappraisetheconsequencesofone’schoicesandtoreviseandthentomakeotherchoices.(p.5)

Sarahemphasisedthatinvisualarts“nothing’swrong”whichenabledherstudents

tomakechoices,reviseandchangetheirdevelopingartwork.Herpositionalso

highlightedthatvisualartswasapointofaccessandbeneficialtostudentswholack

confidence,havelearningdifficultiesoraredisengaged.

Bycontrast,Craig,whorecognisedhisownlearningdifficultiesasaschoolstudent,

reported,“IgottoastagethatIhatedschoolandIdon’tknowwhy.Ijustwantedto

leave.”(Int1:October1,2013)Althoughheattendedaperformingartshighschool

andcontinuedtoparticipateindramaoutsideofschool,Craigleftsecondaryschool

atYear10and“becameacabinetmaker”(Int1:October1,2013).After14months,

Craigleftcabinetmaking,determinedtobecomeaprimaryschoolteacher.Hissister

wasateacherandCraigthought,“Well,maybeIcoulddothataswell.” Hecompleted

Year11and12inninemonthsthroughTAFEandjoinedalocaltheatregroup.

AlthoughhedidnotachievetherequiredHSCmarkstoattaintheATARtostudy

primaryteachingatuniversity,Craig’sback-upplanwas“children’sservices…a

childcareworker.SoIdid2yearsofthat,excelledinthatbecauseIwantedtobea

primaryschoolteacher.IjustwantedtogettheresoIcompletedthatintwoyears.”

(Int1:October1,2013)Craigthenundertookhisuniversitydegreetobecomea

qualifiedprimaryschoolteacher.

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Craigknewthat“discoveringartisticstrengthscanleadtoself-confidenceandwell-

being”(Winneretal.,2013,p.265).Inhisinterviewforateachingpositionwiththe

NSWDepartmentofEducation,Craigrecalledbeingastudentwithlearning

difficultiesandthebenefitdramahadbeentohim.“[I]talkedaboutdrama,talked

aboutsportandhow…it[drama]canincreasechildren’sparticipationinschoolin

alllearningareas”(Int1:October1,2013).Researchsuggeststhatartsintegration

thatexplicitlyemploysdramacanimprovestudents’behaviouralengagementas

wellastheircreativeandcriticalthinkingskills(A.Anderson&Berry,2014).Craig

expanded:

IpushedhowIhadthisinterestwithdramaandyoucouldseethebenefitsandhowchildrencanreactandbringoutchildrenwhohavelearningdifficulties.BecauseallthroughprimaryschoolIcouldn’tread…Anditwasn’ttillaboutmaybeYear8thatitallclickedandIthinkthekeyformewasthescripts,learningthelines.SoIrememberedwords…probablycan’tspellthembutIjustrememberthewaytheylook.Sothat’sprobably…whyI’veexcelledinthatway.It’sbecauseofdrama.(Int1:October1,2013)

SubsequentlyCraigwas‘targeted40’bytheEducationDepartmentandbeganhis

primaryteachingcareerwithadeterminationtousedramainhisclassroom.Like

Craig,eachteacherinthisstudyheldpersonalviewsaboutartseducationinschools.

Thesedirectlycontributedtotheteachers’confidenceandcompetenceintheir

classroompractice.

Teachervisionsandexamplesofcompetence

40InNSWgraduatesmaybe“targeted’forpositionsinschoolsintheDepartmentofEducation(thegovernmentschoolsystem),“thegraduaterecruitmentlist(asthetopmatchorpartoftheinterestedpool)”fromhttp://www.teach.nsw.edu.au/grp/orientation/eo-permanent_appoint.htm

211

Sarahexplainedher‘vision’(Parsonsetal.,2017)forherprimarystudents.“Ilike

originality,Idon’tlikethemtocopy.”By‘copy’Sarahwasemphaticthatthestudents

mustnotreplicatetheartworkshepresentedasastimulus,butcreatetheirown

appropriationorinterpretationofit.Sheexplained:

IshowthemsomethingthatI’vefoundonPinterest…[andsay],“Iwanttodosomethinglikethis.Idon’twanttodothis,Iwanttodosomethinglikethis.Thisisthatperson’sinterpretation,let’sdoourown.”Sometimesyou’rereallyopeningacanofworms,yougeteverythingandyouthink“OhwhathaveIdone”.Sometimesyougetsomereallycreativeideasandthenyoucanshow[thestudents’artworks],yousay,“Welllookatthis.”(Int1:October1,2013)

Sarahcreatedadynamiclearningenvironmentinwhichtheteacherusednarrative

andconnectednesstoenablestudentstodeveloptheirimaginations,explorecontext

anddevelopunderstandinginvisualarts(Gibson,2016).Sarahencouragedstudents

tovieweachother’sworkandtoshare“constructivecriticism”:

It’sagoodpracticeforthekidstostandupandgoonandhavealookaroundeveryoneelse’sworkandweonlytalkaboutconstructivecriticism,wedon’tbageachother’swork.(Int1:October1,2013)

Shemaintainedapositiveclassroomenvironmentandsupportedthedevelopment

ofstudents’non-academicskills(Parsonsetal.,2017)enablingless-confident

studentstogainconfidence:

Thekidsthatarereallystrugglingorhavelearningdifficultiesseeotherpeople’sworkandthink“mine’sasgoodasthat”.Justtoseetheirfaces,“lookwhatI’vedone”.Isn’tthatlovely?That’sgivingthemself-confidence.(Int1:October1,2013)

Shepaidparticularattentiontobuildingtheself-confidenceofnon-academic

students.Paulaalsoreportedonthebenefitsofvisualartsforsomestudents.She

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said,“everythingisEnglish,maths,science.Wedon’tthinkaboutanythingelse.

They’rethemostimportantthings”(Int1:October1,2013).Paulaexplained:

…I’vegotaboyinmyclasswho’snotverygoodacademicallybutinthevisualarts,he’sdefinitelysmarthere.AndItoldhim,“Iknowyoucan’ttellsomeonetothinkoutsidethebox”but,heandanothergirldothinkoutsidetheboxanditmakestheotherkidsthinkoutsidetheboxandnotseethingsasonly2Dbutso…youknowwhat,[hesaid]“Idon’twanttousethatcolour.Oh,I’llmakeanicecolour,”…“ah,youmadeyourowncolour,fabulous”.Youknow,Iwantthem…tokeepgoingwiththat.Notjusttoberigidandhavethesame[aseveryoneelse](Int1:October1,2013)

Paularecognisedthatthisstudenthadaninterestandshowedabilityinvisualarts,

beginningwiththisexampleofmixinghisowncolours.Shesawtheimportancein

enablinghisinterestinvisualarts,regardlessofthe‘moreimportant’curriculum

learningareas.Thisconsiderationofthe‘less-academic’studentwasevidentin

Craig’spractice.Herecalled:

Ialwaystryanddevelopaplaywiththekids.SoitcouldbelinkedtoHSIE41.InYear3wehadtheCaptainCookplay…wewatchedalotofdocumentariesandthendevelopedourownplaybasedonthat.AndwhatIfound,it’sparticularlythechildrenwhogetmoreinvolvedaretheoneswhoarenotgoodatsportor…they’renotacademic.They’rethechildrenwho…usetheleftsideofthebrainmore.They’remoreoftheartistic…they’reabitmorehyperactive.…theymightbeonthespectrum.Theymightbe,someonewhogoestosomeonein[learning]support.(Int1:October1,2013)

Craigconsciouslydrewonhisownlearningexperiencesasaprimaryschoolstudent

inhisapproachtointegratingdramawithHSIE.Heknewfromhisownexperience

thatdramawouldhelptheless-academicstudentslearnandgainself-confidence.

Hereported,“It’sthosechildrenwhoyouseethebiggestimpactwith”.Craigwas

“abletotransferintoqualityartsinstructionintheclassroom”,the“positivearts

experiences”thathadcontributedtohis“acquisitionofskills,knowledgeand

41HSIE:HumanSocietyanditsEnvironmentistheKeyLearningAreaintheNewSouthWalescurriculum,whichincludestheHistoryK–10SyllabusandGeographyK–10Syllabus

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confidence”(Alteretal.,2009,pp.16-17).Moreoverherecognisedthedifferent

capabilitiesofhisstudentsanduseddramatoexploreandnavigatecollaboratively

withtheminthelearningprocess(Gallagher,2016).InfactCraigclaimedthatthe

less-academicstudents“getthescript,theyrememberthelines,theydon’tknow

howtospellanyofthewordsbuttheycanrememberthem,andthen…that’stheir

timetoshineonstage”(Int1:October1,2013).

Sarah,PaulaandCraigdemonstratedconfidenceintheirsubjectknowledge,were

self-assuredintheirteachingand,believedintheirstudents’capacitytolearn

(Hayes,2011).Theirknowledgeofcontentandsuitablepedagogywiththeabilityto

organisemeaningfullearning(Delport&Browne,2015)confirmedtheir

competence.

Teacherprofessionallearning–theimportanceofongoing

development

Sarahacknowledgedthattherewasalwaysmoreforhertolearn.“There’snot

enoughin-servicing.There’snotenoughtime.”(Int1:October1,2013)Ever-

passionateaboutdoingandteachingvisualarts,Sarahexpressedher

disappointmentatmissingoutoncontributingtothedevelopmentofthenew

nationalcurriculum,demonstratinghercommitmenttothesubject:

…twoorthreeteachersfromherewentintohelpwriteitandIwasabitpeevedoffbecauseIwasawaythedaythattheytherewereasked.IthoughtIshouldhavebeenintherebecauseIhadalltheideas(Int1:October1,2013)

Sarah’sconfidenceinherideasandapproachtovisualartsistestamenttoher

pedagogicalartistry,whichalongwithprofessionaldevelopmentandcurriculum

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leadershipdefinesareasforateacher’songoingself-evaluationanddevelopment

(Henderson&Slattery,2008).Similarly,asHeadofcreativeartsinaregional

secondaryschool,Ginaexplainedthatshewas“forcingthem[herstaff]togoand

lookattheirprograms.I’vebeentellingthemtheyhavetomodifythingsandget

kidsexcitedaboutthings,buttheydothesamethingeveryyear.”(Int1:June27,

2013)Ginamaintainedthebenefitofprofessionallearningopportunitiestochange

thepracticeofthevisualartsteachersinherschool:

….thisnationalpartnershipsmoneythatwe’vebeengivenatourschoolhasmeantthatoneoftheartteachershasstartedtoreallyreflectonwhatshe’sdoing.She’sactuallygoingtoleadachangeinthatarea(Int1:June27,2013)

Shefoundthatenablingprofessionaldevelopmentforteachingstaffcontributed

substantiallytoteachers’competencewhenitactivelyengagesteachersin

“collaborationwithcolleagues”(Broome,2016,p.70);“challengesteachers

intellectually”(Firestone,2014,p.103)and“thatprovidingteacherswith

specificinputcancontributetothedevelopmentoftheirPCK[pedagogicalcontent

knowledge]”(Driel&Berry,2012,p.27).Professionallearningalsoreinforces

learningthroughpracticeandcreatesopportunitiesforteacherstoreviewand

resolveinstructionalconcerns(Firestone,2014,p.103).Eachcasestudyteacher’s

confidenceandcompetencetoteachtheArtsgrewfromtheirowninterestandprior

experienceintheArts.Beyondtheirteachereducationtraining,teachers’confidence

andcompetencewasenhancedbytheirongoingclassroompractice,self-reflection

andprofessionallearning.

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Conclusion

Thefindingsofthisstudyindicatethatmanyoftheconcernsimpactingteacher

competencetoteachtheArts,raisedbyEisneralmosttwentyyearsago,remain.

However,someofthefindingsrevealthatprogressincurriculumandschoolshas

beenmadewithinclusionofartseducation,andasaresult,thereareteacherswho

arecompetenttoteachtheArtswithinourschools.

ThecommentaryoftheprimaryteacherssupportEisner’sclaimofanovercrowded

curriculumintheprimaryyears.WhilstEisner(2000)purportedtherewasnoarts

curriculumatall,theprimaryteachersinthisstudyaccessandusethestatearts

curricula,firstpublishedin2000.

Eisner’sfurtherconcernimpactingteachercompetencetoteachtheArtswasthat

therewasnoartstraininginteachertrainingprogramsatuniversity.Allthe

participatingteachersdevelopedknowledgeandskillsintheirchosenartforms

throughouttheirschoolanduniversitystudies.Manyoftheteachersalsorecounted

earlyexperiencesoftheArtsfromtheirownchildhood.Moreoverthey

acknowledgedtheimportanceofdevelopingteacherconfidenceandcompetenceto

teachtheArtsthroughteachingexperience,ongoingskillsdevelopment,personal

reflectionandmentorship.

Theparticipatingprimaryteachersalllovedtheirparticularartformcontradicting

Eisner’sconcernthatprimaryteachers“maynotknoworlovewhattheymust

teach”.Itshouldhoweverbenotedthattheprimaryteacherswhovolunteeredto

participateinthiscasestudyalldidsobecausetheyloveandvaluetheArts.

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Thefollowingandfinalchapterunpacksthesefindingsinrelationtoissues

facingartsteachersinAustraliaandinternationally.Hence,Chapter6presentsan

argumentthatwhenartsteachersinterpretcurriculumthroughpedagogythenthe

effectsofcurriculumreformmaybebettersupportedandunderstood.The

argumentisunderpinnedbyunderstandingEisner’s(2000)sixinfluencesonarts

educationpolicyinthecontextoftwenty-firstcenturyartseducationinschools.It

alsoconsidersthetensionbetweentheteacher’sdesireforopen-endedlearningand

thedemandsofexternaltestingforaccountability,andpresentsimplicationsfor

futureresearchtoconsidercurriculumpolicyandteacherpracticeintheArts.

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Chapter6Discussionandconclusions

Introduction

Thepreviouschaptergavethereaderaninsightintotheparticipantteachers’

perceptionsofcurriculumchangethroughcategoriesderivedfromEisner’s(2000)

sixinfluencesonartseducationpolicy.Italsoreflecteduponthewayseachteacher’s

ownexperiencesandinterestsintheArtscontributedtotheirinterpretationof

curriculumandtheirresultingteachingpractice.Thesewereconsideredinrelation

tothecurrentNSWsyllabusandtheincomingnationalartscurriculum.

Thisfinalchapterexploresthesefindingsinrelationtocurriculumreformandthe

resultingissuesfacedbyartsteachersinNSWschools.Itarguesthatwhenarts

teachersinterpretcurriculumthroughpedagogythentheeffectsofcurriculum

changemaybebettersupportedandunderstood.Itfurthercontendsthatarts

teachersneedtobegivenscopetopresentopen-endedlearningandteaching

opportunitiestoenablestudentstodiscovertheirowncreativecapacityaswellas

theabilitytolearnauthentically.

Theteachers’responsesinthefirstinterview(seeAppendix7)contextualisedeach

teacher’ssituationandintroducedtheirpersonalbackgroundsandinterestsinthe

Arts.Inthesecondinterview(seeAppendix8)teachersrevealedhowtheir

approachtocurriculumwasinterpretedthroughthelensofpedagogy.Asthe

researcher,Ifoundthattheparticipantteachersregardedthecurriculumitselfasa

lessimportantinfluenceontheirabilitytoteachtheArtsthanassociatedfactors

relatedtotheircontext,i.e.theattitudesoftheschool’sleadershipandcommunity

218

towardstheArts,accountabilityrequirementsandtheindividualteacher’s

competenceandconfidence.

Thefocusofthisstudywasonteachers’perceptionsofcurriculumchange.Tothis

end,thisresearchaskedanoverarchingquestion:WhatareNSWartsteachers’

perceptionsofchangeintheartscurriculumintheAustraliancontext?

Itfurtherexploredtwoadditionalquestions:Whatevidencefromthedatawill

identifytheseperceptions?Whatfactorsmayaccountfortheseperceptions?

Thesequestionsshapedandasaresultcreatedthenewknowledgeproposedbythis

study.Theteachers’answersandanecdotesfromtheinterviewswereintegraltothe

investigation.However,thischapterisnotananalysisofthosecommentaries,

althoughtheydoformpartofthediscussionrespondingtotheoverarchingresearch

question:WhatareNSWArtsteachers’perceptionsofchangeintheArtscurriculum

intheAustraliancontext?MystudytakesaccountofteachersinNSWtodaywho

havesometrainingintheArtsandworkwithanartscurriculum,instarkcontrastto

thetimeofEisner’sseminalpaper,Artseducationpolicy?(2000)whichidentified

thatteachersinCaliforniahadneitherartstrainingnoranartscurriculum.To

exploretheteachers’perceptions,InowreturntothesixinfluencesraisedbyEisner

(2000),astheseconcernsareuniversaltoexaminationofWesterneducational

systems,andthereforerelevantinthecontextofteachersinAustralia.

Thecategoriesforthisstudy

Eisner’spropositionswerepennedalmosttwodecadesagoandmuchhaschanged

intheeducationspacesincethattime.Inhispaper,Artseducationpolicy?,Eisner

(2000)identifiedsixconcernsthatlimitedartseducationinschools:

219

1. Policyistoodifficulttodisentanglefromaimsofeducationorconceptionsof

appropriatepractice;

2. Forcesinfluencingartseducationaremostoftenfromoutsideitratherthan

withinit;

3. Nationalandstatestandardsenforceorleadtouniformity;

4. Testscoresdrivecurriculumbecausewhatistestediswhatistaught;

5. Artsareconsideredas‘elective’bytertiaryinstitutions;and

6. AbsenceofteachercompetencytoteachtheArts.

AsIexploredEisner’s(2000)sixinfluencesonartseducationpolicy,Idiscovered

thattheyneededtotakeaccountofmorerecentresearch.Thisincludesthe

Australianstudyoftheimpactofartsparticipationonstudents’academicandnon-

academicoutcomes(Martinetal.,2013),aswellasteachers’conceptualisationsof

twenty-firstcenturyskills(vandeOudeweetering&Voogt,2017)andtheirself-

confidencetoteachtheArts(deVries,2017).Thisledtosomevariationinthe

criteriachosenbyEisner.Myrevisedlistisasfollows:

1. Readingandrespondingtocurricula;

2. OutsideforcesaffectingtheArtsinschools;

3. Theimpactofnationalandstatestandards;

4. Theimpactoftestingandtertiaryentranceranking;

5. Teachercompetence.

ThefirstofEisner’s(2000)influenceswasthat“policyistoodifficulttodisentangle

fromaimsofeducationorconceptionsofappropriatepractice”(p.4).HereImoved

tothebroaderpositionofreadingandrespondingtocurricula.Inthefirstinterview,

theparticipantteachersassociatedtheircurriculumknowledgewiththeexisting

220

statesyllabusandinitiallyinterpretedtheincomingAustralianartscurriculum

againstthisbackground.Inthesecondinterview,teachersgavemorespecific

considerationtohowtheyreadandinterpretedtheincomingAustralianarts

curriculumintheircurrentschoolcontext,althoughthecurriculumwasyettobe

implemented.

Thesecondinfluencewasthat“forcesinfluencingartseducationaremostoften

fromoutsideitratherthanwithinit”(Eisner,2000,p.4).AtthetimeofEisner’s

paper,USartseducationpolicywaslimited,andexistingpolicywas“formulatedby

peopleoutsidethefield toinfluenceschools”(2000,p.4).Theprocessofcurriculum

developmentintheAustraliancontextin2012differedmarkedlytothatintheUSas

reportedbyEisner(2000).Australiancurriculumdevelopmentoccurredwithina

documentedandtransparentcurriculumdevelopmentprocess(ACARA,2012b)and

includedconsultationwithstateandterritoryeducationauthorities,artsteachers,

artseducationacademics,artseducationpolicy-makersandotherartsspecialists.As

aresult,Irevisedtheconceptof‘outside’forcestofocusuponoutsideforceswithin

theschoolaffectingtheteacher’scapacitytoteachtheArts.Inthefirstinterview,

teacherswereaskedtotalkaboutthe“majorinfluencesandlimitationsontheir

currentpracticesinteachingtheArts”(seeAppendix7).Intheirresponsesteachers

identifiedthosefactorswithintheschool,butoutsidetheArts,thatimpactedtheir

teachingpractice.

Eisner’s(2000)thirdinfluencewasthat“nationalandstatestandardsenforceor

leadtouniformity”(p.4).HereIretainedthegistofEisner’sassertionaboutthe

impactofnationalandstatestandards.WithintheAustraliancontext,althoughthe

adoptionofnationalstatementsandprofileswasrejectedintheearly1990s(Ewing,

2013a),eachoftheStatesandTerritoriesincorporatedthesenationalstatements

221

andprofilesintoexistingcurricula(Piper,1997;Yates,2008).Consequently,

comparisonoftheincomingnationalartscurriculumwiththecurrentNSWstate

syllabiforcreativeartsrevealedmanysimilarities,butsomedifferences.Ofnote,the

incomingnationalcurriculumdescribedachievement‘standards’incontrasttothe

prescribed‘outcomes’inthecurrentstatesyllabus.Hereteachersidentifieda

distinctionbetweentheopen-endedlearningapproachenabledbytheAustralian

artscurriculumincontrasttotheproduct-orientedoutcomesfocusoftheexisting

NSWCreativeArtssyllabi.

ThefourthinfluenceproposedbyEisner(2000)wasthat“testscoresdrive

curriculum,becausewhatistestediswhatistaught”(p.4).Australiaisoneofmany

countriesusingresultsinstandardisedandhigh-stakedtestingfromPISA(Program

forInternationalStudentAssessment)resultsandOECD(OrganisationforEconomic

Co-operationandDevelopment)rankingtomeasureitsinternationaleducational

standing.WithinAustralia,literacyandnumeracytesting(NAPLAN)wasintroduced

nationallyin2009.PriortothisinNSW,theHigherSchoolCertificate(HSC)wasthe

existinghigh-stakestestfortheendofschoolcertificationandtheBasicSkillsTest

(BST)totesttheliteracyandnumeracyofyear6studentsacrossthestateagainsta

commonscale42hadbeenintroducedin1989.NAPLANjoinedtheseexistingtests.

ForNSWstudents,completingsecondaryschool,theHSCisconvertedintothe

AustralianTertiaryAdmissionRank,ATAR.Perceptionsofsubjectrankingand

weightingintheHSCandsubsequentATARwereevidentwhentheparticipant

secondaryteachers’describedstudents’experiencesinsubjectchoicesfortheirfinal

yearofschooling.Theteachersconveyedhowmuchorhowlittlethestudents

42https://www.records.nsw.gov.au/series/18928

222

enjoyedthefinaltwoyearsoftheirschooling,andhowthissubjectselection

contributedtotheireligibilityforuniversitystudy.Eisner’sfifthinfluencewasthat

the“Artsareconsideredas‘elective’bytertiaryinstitutions”(2000,p.5).Reflective

oftheparticipantteachers’commentary,Iconnectedhigh-stakestestingand

universityentrancerankingtocreateacombinedlens:theimpactoftestingandthe

Artsfortertiaryentrance.

ThesixthandfinalinfluenceEisner(2000)identifiedwasan“absenceofteacher

competencetoteachtheArts”(p.6).Atthetime,Eisner’sfocuswasonprimary

schoolteachersinthestateofCalifornia,USA.MystudytookplaceintheAustralian

stateofNewSouthWales,whereprimarygeneralistteachersareexpectedtoteach

alloftheArts.Researchhasidentifiedthatmanyoftheseteachersdonothavethe

knowledge,skillsorconfidencetoteachmusic(deVries,2017;Petrova,2012b).A

situationwhichhasnotimprovedinmorethanfifteenyears,“…teachereducationin

musicneedstobeimproved”(Temmerman,1997,p.32). Fewprimaryteachers

havetheconfidence,knowledgeorskillstoteachdanceordrama(Lemon&Garvis,

2013).OfalloftheArts,primaryteachersweremorelikelytoteachvisualartsthan

anyotherartform(Alteretal.,2009;B.Power&Klopper,2011).Historically

teachershavehadmoreaccesstounitsonvisualartsthroughtheirtertiarytraining,

althoughtheirvisualartsknowledgemaybeatorbelowthelevelofaYear8student

(Dinham,2007).Ifounddisparityacrosstheparticipantteacher’sreportedself-

confidencetoteachdifferentartformsreflectiveofeachteachers’“self-imageas

artisticindividualswhorecognisethevalueoftheartsinchildren’seducation”

(Davies,2010,p.635).However,eachoftheteachersrecountedhowtheyaddressed

theirownperceiveddeficitknowledgeorskillsbyseekingassistancefromamore

experiencedcolleagueorassociate,orbyundertakingadditionaltraining.

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ThefindingsofthestudyunderthefivecategoriesdevelopedfromEisner’s(2000)

sixinfluencesonartseducationpolicy,hasinformedtheassertionsinthefollowing

conclusionsofthestudy.

Conclusions

Thegeneralconclusionisthatitistheteachers’interpretationandapplicationofthe

curriculumthatisthekeytoitssuccessorfailure.Thefollowingdiscussionexplores

theprominentfindingsofthestudy.

Finding1:Artsteachershaveapreferenceforcurriculathat

enablesopen-endedlearning

Theparticipantteacherssawthepotentialforauthenticopen-endedlearning

throughtheAustralianartscurriculum.Eisner’sviewthat“educationisaprocessof

learninghowtobecomethearchitectofourowneducation”(p.9)wasconfirmedby

the‘visions’(Parsonsetal.,2017)forstudentlearningheldbythecasestudy

teachers.TheycarefullyconsideredhowtheywouldapplytheAustralianarts

curriculumintheclassroomwiththeirstudents.However,theteachersidentifieda

distinctionbetweenthepre-determinedoutcomesintheNSWsyllabus,andthe

open-endedlearningopportunitiesintheforeshadowedAustralianartscurriculum.

TheyreportedasenseofrestrictioninworkingwiththecurrentNSWcreativearts

syllabi.Thismaywellhavebeenbecausetheyhadbecomeconditionedtofulfilling

pre-determinedoutcomesintheNSWsyllabi,byadheringtostandardisedlearning

approaches,suchassetunitsofworkinprimaryschool,orrepeatedprogramsof

lessonplansinsecondaryschool.ThiswasaconcernraisedbyEisner(2004)inthat

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“weplaceamuchgreateremphasisonpredictionandcontrolthanonexploration

anddiscovery”(p.6).Accountabilitydemandsofteninhibitteachers’useofcreative,

open-endedexplorationsandin-depthprojects(Costantino,2011;Oreck,2006).Itis

possiblethatevenworkingwiththeperceived‘open-endedness’oftheAustralian

artscurriculum,afteraperiodoftime,teachersmaybuildarepertoireof

standardisedoruniformapproachestolearningandteaching.Thedanger,as

teachersstrivetofulfilaccountabilityrequirements,isthatthesepreviously

innovativeapproachesbecomeroutineandevenstale.

Quality arts learningprovides flexibility (Gibson,2016) and involves collaborative

learning by the student and teacher (E. Anderson, 2016). However, collaborative

and student-centred approaches to learning and teaching (Eisner, 2000; Ewing,

2012) are frequently limited by expectations to fulfil the requirements of pre-

determined outcomes. The primary teachers in my study were not completely

restricted by the pre-determined outcomes in the current NSW state syllabus, as

they reported backward mapping their learning and teaching activities to fit the

prescribed outcomes in the NSW creative arts syllabi. Nevertheless, they saw

something even better in the Australian arts curriculum; the vision of an open-

endedartisticprocess,whichwasnotattachedtoapredeterminedend-product.In

allowing students tomake their own choices aboutwhat and how theywill learn

(Thomson & Sefton-Green, 2011) teachers challenge existing knowledge, and

learningbecomesstudent-focused(Ewing,2010).Often,both thestudentsand the

teachers enjoy the learning experience when students ‘own’ their learning

supportingEisner’s (2004)view that the student is empoweredwhen theydesign

theirownlearning.

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Curriculumisunderstoodtobewhatcanbetaughttowhom,whenandhow(Eisner,

2004,2008;Yates,2009).TheteachersinthisstudyfoundthenewAustralianarts

curriculumeasytoreadandinterpret.Thatsaid,theAustraliancurriculumhas

remainedstructuredintodisciplineswhich“interfereswithmorecreativeviewson

howcurriculacanbeselectedandorganisedforstudentstoenablelearning”

(Eisner,2008,p.15).ThroughthedigitalfunctionalityoftheAustraliancurriculum,

primaryteacherswereabletoexplorepossibilitiesforintegrationofartssubjects

withothercurriculumlearningareasbyusingthecolumnviewoption.This

presentedthreesubjectsacrossonescreen,andcouldbescrolledacrosstodisplay

uptofivesubjectsinoneview.SeeFigure5.2(p104).Iftheteachersoughtfurther

explanationofthecontentdescription,the‘definitions’wereaccessedbytheclickof

themouse,revealingapop-upwindowcontainingtheglossarydefinitionofthe

artformspecificterminthecontentdescription.SeeFigure5.3(p105).Thedigital

curriculumalsoprovidedexamplesoflearningandteaching,referredtoas

‘elaborations’,foreachcontentdescription.Elaborationswereaccessedbyclicking

thehyperlinkedcontentdescriptioncode,producinganewwindowcontainingthe

elaborationsandlinkstorelatedonlinelearningandteachingresources.SeeFigure

5.4(p107).

ThedigitalfunctionalityoftheAustraliancurriculumprovidedteacherswith

immediateoptionsnotavailableintheexistingprintedNSWsyllabiforthecreative

arts.Aseparatepublication,CreativeartsKto6unitsofwork,accompaniedthe

existingNSWcreativeartssyllabus,providingsamplelessons,whichsometeachers

usedverbatim.Reflectinguponhowshereadandrespondedtocurriculum,primary

teacherSarahobserved,“Yougetusedtoonething.It’sjusteasytousethesame

wayofthinkingforsomethingdifferent”(Int2:April17,2014).Participantteachers

soughttosimultaneouslyengagestudentsandefficientlypresentrequired

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curriculumcontent.Whentheyidentifiedanapproachthatworkeditwasoften

repeatedyeartoyear.However,Eisner(2004)argued,“asexperiencedteachers

wellknow,thesurestroadtohellinaclassroomistosticktothelessonplanno

matterwhat”(p.6). Theparticipantteachersrecognisedopportunitiestodevelop

uniqueandopen-endedartslearningexperiencesintheAustralianartscurriculum,

notingthattheycouldwork“flexiblyandpurposively”(Eisner,2004,p.10)withthe

newcurriculum.

Inadditiontodevelopingthestudent’sknowledgeandskillsineachcurriculum

learningarea,teachersalsonurturedthestudent’sunderstandingofhowtolearn,

andthestudent’sdevelopingtalents,skills,abilitiesanddispositions(Print,1987;

Seddon,1983)thatevolvethroughtheirdaytodayexperienceatschool.These

otherabilities,dispositions,skillsandtalentscomprisethe‘hidden’curriculum,now

consideredtobetwenty-firstcenturyskills(Trilling&Fadel,2009;Winneretal.,

2013).Eisner(2004)maintainedthatthestudentmanagestheirownlearningofthe

officialcurriculumalongsidetheiracquisitionofthehiddencurriculum.The

participantprimaryteachers,inparticular,reportedusingtheArtstoidentifyand

developthetalentsandinterestsofstudentswhowerefrequentlyconsideredless-

academic.PrimaryteachersalsousedtheArtstoengagestudentswithadiversityof

learningstyles(Oreck,2006),cultivatingeachstudent’sindividuality(Eisner,2000)

andinstillingintheirstudentsaloveoflearning.Bycontrast,theappointed

reviewersoftheAustralianartscurriculumandtheAustralianPrimaryPrincipals

Association(APPA)believedthatprimaryteachersdonothavetheknowledge,

skills,experienceorcapacitytoteachtheArtsinanintegratedmanner(Donnelly&

Wiltshire,2014a).Conversely,theprimaryteacherswhoparticipatedinthisstudy,

readandinterpretedthenewartscurriculumthroughtheirownpedagogical

approaches,eventhoughcurriculumcontributors“wereforbiddentoconsider

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pedagogy”(O'Toole,2015,p.190).Theparticipatingprimaryteachersutilisedthe

Artstounlockthevarioustalentsandabilitiestheynoticedintheirstudents.

Primaryteacher,Craigrecalledastudentinhisclasswhowantedtobeadancer.

“She’snotverygoodatit,butifyouseeheronstage,she’stheonewhostandsout

becauseshereallyenjoysit”(Int1:October1,2013).Teacherssoughtopportunities

forstudentstoparticipatethroughtheArts,whichdevelopedthestudent’sself-

confidenceandpositivelyinfluencedtheiracademicmotivation(Martinetal.,2013).

TheteachersinthisstudyalsousedtheArtsasaneffectivepedagogicaltoolfor

somestudents.Again,primaryteacher,Craig,useddramawithhisstudentstoco-

createaplayforHSIE43.Hefoundthisapproachinvolvedthestudentswhowereless

confidentastheywere“notgoodatsport”and“werenotacademic”(Int1:Oct1,

2013).ByengagingandinvolvingthesestudentsthroughdramaforHSIElearning,

Craigwasbuildingtheirself-confidenceandacademicmotivation(Martinetal.,

2013)ashecultivatedeachindividual’spotential.Throughincreasingthestudent’s

self-confidencewitharts-basedpedagogies,theteacherfoundthestudentswere

willingtotrylearninginothercurriculumareaswhichtheysometimesfound

difficultorchallenging.

Inthisstudy,theparticipantteachersconveyedself-confidenceandweresuitably

experiencedandcompetentintheirartsspecialty.Theseteachersreadthenew

nationalartscurriculumthroughtheirpedagogyandidentifiedthebenefitsand

opportunitiesitprovided.Theyparticularlylikedtheopportunitiesforopen-ended

learningintheAustralianartscurriculuminpreferencetotheoutcomesfocusinthe

currentNSWcreativeartssyllabus.But,isthisblue-skydreaming?Sincetheadvent

oftheAustraliancurriculum,mandatoryreportingofstudentachievementonafive-

43HumanSocietyandItsEnvironmenthttps://syllabus.nesa.nsw.edu.au/hsie/

228

pointscalerequiredbytheCommonwealthanddefinedbythestateeducation

authorityhasbeenadoptedbystatessuchasSouthAustraliaandVictoria.Thestyle

ofreportingisdeterminedbytheschool“inconsultationwithparentsand

communities”(ACARA,2013,p.16).Inanefforttoreducetheperceiveddemandsof

theartscurriculum,APPArecommendedagenericlearningareaachievement

standardfortheartscurriculumintheprimaryyears(Donnelly&Wiltshire,2014a).

Teacherscouldthenreportononelearningarearatherthanuptofiveindividual

artssubjects.Liketheircounterpartsinotherstates,NSWteacherswillcontinueto

berequiredtoaccountforlearningachievements,evenwithanewcurriculumthat

promotesopen-endedlearning.Itremainstobeseen,butthiscompulsoryreporting

asdeterminedbytheNSWeducationauthoritymayrepeatthestyleofreportingin

thecurrentStatesyllabus,forcingteacherstoadoptanoutcomes-orientedapproach

tolearningandteachingtofulfilreportingrequirements.

Finding2:Artsteachersbelievethatoutsideforceswithinthe

schoolhavealargerimpactonArtsteachingthancurriculum

policy

SchoolattitudetowardstheArts

Participantteachersclaimedthattheschool’sattitudetotheArtswasthemain

influenceontheircapacitytoteachtheArts.However,theparticipantprimary

teachers’personalandprofessionalrelationshiptoartseducationalsocontributed

totheplaceandvalueoftheArtswithintheschool(Lemon&Garvis,2013).

Primaryschoolsidentifyandhonetheartisticinterestsandabilitiesoftheir

teachers,aswasevidentintheexperiencesoftheparticipantprimaryteachers.For

example,Sarah’sfirstschoolcombinedhercertificationtoteachswimmingwithher

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personalinterestinvisualarts,whileCraigwasgiventheresponsibilityoftheschool

productionbasedonhisownexperiencewithdrama.TeacherslikeCraigandSarah

are“resourceful,demonstrateagencyanddeveloppositivemanagementstrategies”

to“overcomeadversity”(Bowles&Arnup,2016,p.16)withintheschool.These

primaryteachers’ownbeliefsinthevalueoftheArtscontributedtotheirschool’s

attitudetowardstheArts.So,insomesituations,theschool’sattitudetotheArts,

stemmedfromwithinthebroaderschoolcommunityratherthanbeingderived

solelyfromtheviewsheldbytheschoolleadership.

InmanyschoolsthewaytheArtsareviewedwithintheschoolmostfrequently

derivesfromtheprincipal(Cutcher,2014).Insomeinstancestheviewsofother

staffandthebroaderschoolcommunityalsocontributetothemannertheArtsare

perceivedintheschool.Theteacher’scapacitytoeffectivelyteachinandthrough

theArtsissupportedordeterredbytheschool’sattitudetotheArts.Itwasevident

thattheprincipal’sleadershipstyleinfluencedhowparticipantteachersfeltabout

theirroleasartsspecialistswithintheschool.TeachersfeltvaluedwhentheArts

werevaluedacrosstheirschools.

Intwocases,theteachersreportedtheArtsweremarginalisedintheirschools.Arts

activitieswereheldoutsideofschooltimeandstudents’artworkswerenotbeing

sharedwiththeschoolcommunity.Theseteachersconsideredthattheirschool

executivesdidnotvaluetheArts,andconsequentlytheArtswerenotvaluedby

theirschools.Bycontrast,productiveschoolleadershipwasevidentatDean’s

school.Theprincipal’scollaborativeapproachtorethinkingteachingresponsibilities

andhowcurriculumwasinterpretedintheschool,deepenedthedemocracyin

educationandempoweredtheteachers(Hayesetal.,2004).Primaryteachers,Sarah

andCraigreportedfeelingoverwhelmedbymanagerialdemands,which

230

underminedanddevaluedtheirteachingexpertise.Theyfeltthey“couldn’tcope”.

Clearly,theirprincipal’sautocraticleadershipstyledepletedteacherenthusiasmfor

theircraftanddiminishedtheteacher’swillingnesstoutilisethestudent-centred

potentialoftheopen-endedlearningavailableintheAustralianartscurriculum.

RegulatorylanguageinNSWcurricula

TheAustralianartscurriculumavoidstheuseoftermssuchas‘mandatory’and

‘elective’andbecauseofthisisatoddswiththeregulatorylanguageoftheNSW

syllabus.Musicandvisualartsare‘mandated’inYears7and8.Consequently,school

leadershipandthebroaderschoolcommunityperceivedmusicandvisualartstobe

moreimportantthantheotherartssubjects–dramaanddance(mediaartsisnot

includedintheNSWcreativeartssyllabi).Thisperceivedhierarchyofartssubjects

wasalsoevidentinthe2014ReviewoftheAustraliancurriculumthatprioritised

musicandvisualartsinthesamewaythattheseartssubjectsareprioritisedinthe

currentNSWcreativeartssyllabus.Theschool’sresponsetothisregulationwas

evidentinresourcingandtimetablingwhichdirectlyimpactedartslearningand

teaching.Time,materialsandfacilitiesalsoinfluencedstudents’perceptionsofthe

valueofthedifferentArtssubjects.

InschoolswheretheArtswerenotstronglyvaluedArts,teacherssoughtacademic

justificationoftheArts(Gallagher,2016).Intheseschools,teachersalsopresented

out-of-schoolactivities,particularlyindrama,toengageandsupportstudents.

Furthermore,secondaryteacherspreferredcontinuityoflearningandteaching

enabledbycommencingtheArtssubjectinYear7withintheschooltimetable.Yet,

inprimaryschools,theallocationofrequiredtimeforprioritisedsubjects(i.e.

mathematicsandEnglish)limitedthetimeteacherscouldallocatetoteachtheArts.

LackoftimeoftenresultedintheintegrationoftheArtsinlearningandteaching,

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butthisthenimpactedhowprimaryteacherstaughttheArtsandoftenmadethem

feelpressured(Alteretal.,2009).Thisalsochallengedprimaryteacherstointegrate

theArtsindifferingwaysforthebenefitofstudents’engagementandlearning.

Notwithstanding,theparticipantteacherswereconfidentandabletoadjusttheir

useofcurriulumtosuitthelearningneedsoftheirstudentsandtherebyfulfillthe

intendedartisticgoalsoftheArtscurriculum(Dunn&Stinson,2011;O'Neill,2006).

Howevertheschool’sattitudetotheArtswasalsoinfluencedbyaccountability

throughmeasureableoutcomes(Alexander,2011)andcompulsoryhigh-stakes

testing(Berliner,2011)(seeFindings3and4following).

Finding3:Artsteachersbelievethatstandardsandtestingcause

anxietyamongteachersandfearoffailureinstudents

AsthenationalartscurriculumwasanewpolicyforartseducationinAustralian

schools,Eisner’s(2000)positionthatpolicyrepresentsacollectionofideas

“designedtoguidepractice”(p.4)providedalogicalstartingpointforthisstudy.

TheprioritygiventomathematicsandscienceintheAustraliancurriculum

maintainsthescientific-positivistviewthatonlymathematicalandverbalreasoning

compriseintelligence,andissuggestiveofthebeliefthatonlysomestudentswill

havetheemotionalcapacityfortheArts(Eisner&Vallance,1974).Thisviewharks

backtothedemandsoftheindustrialrevolutionandtheemphasisontrainingfor

jobs.Twenty-firstcenturycurriculachallengethispositivistposition,andreturnus

toDewey’sviewthatchildrenlearnexperientially;thatthroughexperiencethechild

developsthecapacitytolearn(Eisner,2004;O'Tooleetal.,2009).Theregulationof

twenty-firstcenturycurriculumhasincreasedthedemandsofaccountability

throughcurriculumstandardsandtheadditionaldemandsofhigh-stakestesting

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(Alexander,2010;Ewing,2012;Hall&Ozerk,2010).Furthermore,thehierarchyof

priorityattachedtospecificlearningareasrestrictswhatteacherscandowith

curriculum.Deweyaspiredtoanintegratedcurriculumthatmadeeducation

relevanttoallchildren.Inthetwenty-firstcentury,althoughtheadherenceto

positivistapproachesformathematicsandscienceremains,anewviewonarts

curriculainternationallypositionstheArtsascentraltocurriculumandpromotes

thestudentasart-maker,audience,criticandhistorian(M.Anderson,2014).Thisis

afeatureofthenewnationalartscurriculuminAustralia.

Thedemandsofoutcomesandstandards

Eisner(2000)predictedthatcurriculumdevelopedinconjunctionwithstandards

andtestingwouldholdteachersandstudents“accountablefortherealisationofpre-

specifiedoutcomes”(p.5).Thisisevidentinthemostrecentdevelopmentof

nationalcurriculumandtestingintheUS,theUKandAustralia.JustifyingtheArtsas

“bootstrapsforescalatingacademicperformance”inotherlearningareas(Eisner,

2000,p.4),artseducatorshavebroughtthisaccountabilityuponthemselves.

Whileartseducationresearchfrequentlyreportsthe“transferableskills”(Crossick

&Kaszynsky,2016)thattheArtscontributetootherlearningareas(forexample,

learningamusicalinstrumentimprovesmathematicallearning),boththeprimary

andsecondaryteachersinmystudyrecognisedthebenefitsoflearningintheArts

foritsownsake.Thatsaid,boththeprimaryandsecondaryparticipantteachers

werealsoacutelyawareofreportingrequirementsforaccountabilityincore

subjectssuchasmathematics.Consequently,asameansofmeasuringstudent

achievementintheArts,teachersapplysimilarreportingstrategiesfortheArtsas

forotherkeylearningareaslikemathematics,inaccordancewiththepre-specified

outcomesinthecurrentNSWcreativeartssyllabi.Similarly,‘achievement

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standards’havebeendevelopedforeachoftheartssubjectsintheAustralianarts

curriculum.Standardsoroutcomesare“predicatedonassumptionsofuniformity

andpredictability”(Eisner,2000,p.4)anddonotenablethecultivationofthe

individualstudent’screativelearningandthinking.Thefocusisonattainmentofthe

outcomenotthestudent’slearningexperiencedduringthecreativeprocess.

Therefore,prescribedoutcomesorstandardsoftenleadto‘uniformity’inthe

approachtolearningandteaching,andultimatelyrestrictdeeperexplorationofthe

Arts.Teachersinterviewedinmystudynotedthatthefocusontheprocessesof

‘making’and‘responding’intheAustralianartscurriculumwereincontrasttothe

NSWsyllabus,andbetterenabledstudentstoexplorecreativeprocesses.

Expectationsfuelafearoffailure

Itemergedfrommyinterviewswithbothprimaryandsecondaryteachersthat

studentsfearedmakingmistakesintheArts,andthatprimarystudentsinparticular

learnedearlythattheywererequiredtofulfilexpectations.Studentsapproached

artslearningactivitieswithatendencyto‘copy’or‘replicate’whattheyperceivedto

betherequiredoutcome,notwithanaturalcuriositytoexploretheartform.In

drama,studentsmimickedavocalstyle,andinvisualarts,studentsliterally

reproducedanartefact,ratherthanusinganideaasastimulusforindividual

explorationofformusingmaterialsandtechniques.Primaryandsecondaryarts

teachersrecognisedthatchildrenlearntthroughexperience(Cutcher,2014),but

theyalsoknewthatexpectationsaboutmeasurableoutcomesdrovetheir

interpretationsofthecurriculum,andpromotedrote-learningbystudents(O'Toole,

2015).

Participantsecondaryteachersalsoreportedthatbecausestudentsfearedmaking

mistakestheyavoidedrisk-takingorexperimentation,particularlyinvisualartsand

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drama.Dramastudentsinaspecialistperformingartsschool,revealeda

“heightenedsensitivitytocriticism”abouttheirperformances,butwerenot

perturbedbyfeedbackontheirwrittenwork.Bycontrast,dramastudentsinanon-

specialistschoolcombinedcriticismoftheirperformancesandwrittenworkwith

theirunderstandingofthesyllabusoutcomes,usingthistoreviseandimprovetheir

performance.Althoughinbothsituations,theteachershadpreparedtheirstudents

forthetaskthroughexplorationofthesyllabusoutcomes.Theteacherfromthe

performingartsschoolstressedthestudents’sensitivitytocriticism,wasbecause

“there’ssomuchofthemselvesinthework”(ErrolInt1:September13,2013).These

studentswerepressuredbypersonalandschoolexpectationstoachievehighgrades

inactualperformance.Thiswasinfactthepriorityoftheschool,andhowtheschool

aimedtobeperceivedbythepublic(Gaztambide-Fernándezetal.,2016).Inthis

situation,theschool’sattitudetotheArtswasdrivenbypublicexpectationsofthe

schoolandfuelledstudents’anxiety.

TheguidingdocumentforthedevelopmentoftheAustralianCurriculum,The

MelbourneDeclarationonEducationalGoalsforYoungAustralians(2008)islimited

inthatitdoesnotacknowledgethatmakingmistakesisanessentialpartoflearning.

TheMelbourneDeclarationstatesthecurriculumaimstodevelop“successful”

learners(MinisterialCouncilonEducation,2008,p.8).YetPISAexamineshow

studentsextrapolateandapplytheirknowledge.Surelythatinvolvesstudents

takingrisksandworkingoutresultingproblems.Acurriculumthatprioritises

assessmentdoesnotenablestudentstoexperiencefailureandtheresolutionof

mistakes(Ross,1986).Infact,suchacurriculumdevelopsarelianceonreplicable

dataandreducesmeaningfullearning(Dufficy,2005),whichresultsinthe

uniformityfearedbyEisner(2000).Suchacurriculumencouragesteachersto

developandrelyuponrepeatablelearningexperiencesthatcovercurriculum

235

contentandfulfiloutcomes.Italsopromotesaccountabilitythatdemandsandmay

eveninhibitteachers’competencetoteachtheArtsinmoreflexibleandcreative

ways.

Competentteachersstrivetoinspirestudentstoacuriosityandloveoflearning

whichreachesbeyondmerelyfulfillingpre-determinedoutcomes.Althoughthe

teachersinthisstudyrecognisedandwerepleasedbytheforward-thinkingand

twenty-firstcenturyapproachesinthenewAustralianartscurriculum,once

accountabilityrequirementsareapplied,thiscurriculumdoesnotexplicitlyaddress

theaboveconcernsinequippingstudentstobecomesuccessfullearners.Soinan

ageofaccountabilityandmeasurement,theAustraliancurriculum,liketheNSW

syllabus,hasthepotentialtosetstudentsupfordisappointmentandfearoffailure.

Learningthroughmakingandovercomingerrorswasrecognisedbytheparticipant

teachersthemselves,“there’snomistakesinart”(Sarah,Int1:October1,2013).

Overcrowdedcurriculum

AfurthercomplicationoftheAustraliancurriculumistheapparentovercrowdingin

theprimaryyears.Eisner(2000)raisedthisconcernnearlytwentyyearsago.APPA

voicedthisconcernonbehalfofprimaryduringtheAustraliancurriculum

developmentconsultationof2012andagainintheAustraliancurriculumreviewof

2014.Thecomplaintwasairedmostparticularlyduringthesecondandthirdphases

ofcurriculumdevelopment.Additionally,policyidentifiedahierarchyofprioritised

disciplines,wherebythelearningareaswere“notofequalimportanceatallyear

levels.Englishandmathematicsareoffundamentalimportanceinallyearsof

schooling”(MinisterialCouncilonEducation,2008,p.14).Asaresult,English,

mathematics,scienceandhistorygainedmorespaceinthenewcurriculumandthe

Arts,followingafterthem,wasconsideredtoneedreduction.

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Teachersweresensitivetothehierarchyofdisciplines,whichcontinuestobe

maintainedthroughthereportingrequirementsandreflectedinthedemandsof

standardizedliteracyandnumeracytesting(seeFinding4following).English,

mathematics,scienceandhistorywereprioritisedincurriculumdevelopment,

comprisingthefirstphase.Thesecondphaseofcurriculumdevelopmentincluded

geography,languagesandtheArts.Phasethreecomprisedhealthandphysical

education(HPE),informationandcommunicationtechnology(ICT),designand

technology(D&T),economics,business,andcivicsandcitizenship(ACARA,2010).

Thishierarchicalorderingoflearningareasfordevelopmentwasinterpretedto

indicatethevalueattributedtoeach,withthosedevelopedfirstconsideredmore

important.Furthermore,thecontinuedemergenceofmoredraftcurriculumfor

consultationledto‘consultationfatigue’acrosstheeducationsector.Thegeneral

beliefthattheprimarycurriculumwasovercrowdedfuelledteacheranxietyin

responsetoreportingrequirementstofulfilaccountabilitydemands.Duringmy

timeworkingonthenationalcurriculumdevelopmentIwasaskedifIwouldhave

doneanythingdifferently.IrepliedthatIwouldhavedevelopedtheprimary

curriculumasawholefirst,beforecontemplatingthesecondarycurriculum.

Primaryteachersteachthewholestudent,secondaryteachersteachtheindividual

subject.Thesearetwodistinctphilosophicalapproachesthatshouldhavebeen

consideredseparatelyandtheassociatedreportingshouldalsoreflectthis

consideration.

Governmentscontinuetoholdschools,andthereforeteachersandstudents,

accountablethroughstandardsandtesting(Alexander,2011;Keddie,2017),

althoughtwenty-firstcenturycurriculumpolicyincorporatesdesiredcompetencies

orcapabilities,consideredtobeinnovativeskills,alongsidediscipline-based

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content.Thefunctionofschoolsismorethanteachingstudentstotakeatest

(Eisner,2008).Eisner(2000)determinedtheteacher’sfocusshouldbeon

cultivatingtheindividualstudentratherthanontheaccountabilityoffulfillingpre-

specifiedoutcomes,thatis,thestudent’sacquisitionoftheofficialcurriculum.A

premisesupportedbythecasestudyteachers.However,whileteacherspreferredto

cultivateeachstudent’sindividualdevelopment,theywerecompelledbydemands

ofaccountabilitytofulfiltocurriculumoutcomesandensurestudents’academicand

artsperformanceliveduptoexpectationsdeterminedbytheirrespectiveschool.

AccountabilitytoreportingagainstsetoutcomesintheArtslimitedthestudents’

enjoymentoflearningandrestrictedtheteacher’scapacitytocultivatethelearning

anddevelopmentoftheindividualstudent.

Finding4:Artsteachersbelievethatadjustingtohigh-stakes

testingnarrowsthecurriculum

Eisner(2000)claimedtheArtswerenotconsideredinuniversityentrancecriteria,

limitingacceptanceofthevaluablecontributionoftheArtstothestudent’s

development.ButinNSW,studentscanundertakeartssubjectsfortheHSCand

theseareconsideredpartoftheiruniversityentrance.Althoughteachersinthis

studyinsistedthattheArtscontributedtotheirstudents’developmentacademically

andholistically,thepublicmisperceptionremainedthatonly‘academic’disciplines,

suchasmathematicsandscience,enabledhighHSCscores.ThereisabeliefthatHSC

scoresare‘scaled’accordingtoasubjecthierarchyforATARranking.But,

secondaryvisualartsanddramateacher,Gina,wasadamantthatstudentswereable

toattainhighresultsthroughartssubjects,citingmusicanddrama,inherstudents’

HSCandsubsequentATARscores.

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InNSW,theHigherSchoolCertificate(HSC)signifiestheendofsecondaryschool.

Thestudent’sHSCresultsarescaledtobecomethestudent’sAustralianTertiary

AdmissionRankorATAR.Dance,drama,musicandvisualartsarecurriculum

subjectsassessedandtestedalongside‘moreacademic’subjects,suchas

mathematicsandscience.PublicjudgmentofeducationbasedontheHSChas

resultedingreateremphasisplaceduponeachschool’sacademicachievementsin

theHSCandassociatedATARs(Klenowski,2010).Threeofthesecondaryspecialist

teachersinmystudyreporteddifferentexamplesofstudents’subjectselectionfor

theHSC.Oneteacherclaimedthatthestudentswhooptedtostudydramaand

music,whichtheyliked,ratherthanundertakingmathematicsorscienceforthe

HSC,enjoyedtheirfinalyearsofschool,attainedhighATARscoresandhadno

difficultywithentrancetouniversity.Asecondteacherrecalledastudentwho

intentionallystudiedmathematicsandsciencetofulfiluniversityentrance

requirements,butdislikedtheseacademicclassesinhisfinalyearsofschool.Infact,

histeacherclaimedthatthisstudent’smostpositiveexperienceinYear12was

performingaroleinthenon-curriculaschoolplay.Theschoolcommunity

rememberedhimforhisperformanceintheplaynotforhisHSCscore.Thethird

teacherdescribedagroupofstudentsstudyingdramafortheHSCwho,anxious

aboutfulfillingtherequiredoutcomes,soughtadditionalrehearsaltimewiththe

teacher.Onlythestudentsreportedbythefirstteacher‘enjoyed‘theirlearning.In

theothersituations,thestudents’activeengagementoflearningwasinhibitedby

accountabilitydemandsforcingafocusonfulfillingpre-specifiedoutcomesforthe

high-stakesendofschoolcertification.

TheNSWHSC,andsimilarhigh-stakestests,suchasNAPLAN,promotetheteaching

of‘testwiseness’(Klenowski,2010).Thenationalstandardisedtestinliteracyand

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numeracy,NAPLAN,wasintroducedin2009beforetheAustralianartscurriculum

wasdeveloped.Alllearningareasareexpectedtoteachliteracyandnumeracy.In

mystudy,theartsteachersreportedthattheleadershipintheirschoolsdirected

themtospecificallyaddress‘areasforimprovement’inliteracyasidentifiedbythe

school’sNAPLANresults.Participantteachersfollowedschooldirectivesand

incorporatedtheliteracyconcernsidentifiedbytheNAPLANtestresultsintotheir

artslessons.Thatteacherswereexpectedtoexplicitlyincorporateliteracyand

numeracyintotheirlearningandteaching,inresponsetotheschools’NAPLAN

results,iscontentious.Oneteacherinmystudywasadamantthateverysubject

shouldbeaddressingliteracyandnumeracyconcernsidentifiedbyNAPLAN,

“becauseallthoseotherclassesarewhat’sgoingtoinformthekids’understanding

andknowledgeandskills”(Gina,Int2:June3,2014).

Otherteachersinthestudyincludedaspectsofliteracy,spellingandcomprehension

withintheirartsteaching.Oneschooladoptedcollaborativeapproachesto

developingliteracyinresponsetoNAPLANresults,butthistendedtodetractfrom

thetrueintentionoftheartscurriculum.Studentslostinterestwhenartslearning

andteachingbecamefocussedon‘teachingtothetest’(Eisner,2000).Intheseways

aschool’swholeeducationprogramcouldbenarrowedbyfocussingonliteracyand

numeracytestresults(Ewing,2012),somethingthatrancountertotheidealsofarts

educationheldbyteachersinmycasestudy.Artseducation“hasbeenchallengedto

proveitself”tobe“worthyofinclusionintheacademicday”(BakerJr.,2012,p.23)

becauseofthefocusontestingandmeasuring.Partofthis‘worthiness’isthatthe

Artshaveagainbecomethe‘bootstraps’forteachingothercurriculumareas.

Whenteachersincorporatedvocabularydevelopmentintotheirartsteaching,they

reportedimprovementinstudents’self-confidencetoundertaketheexternal

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literacyandnumeracytest,NAPLAN.Thiswasamoreproductiveandpositive

approachforthestudents,thanthepracticeofschoolsholding‘NAPLANpractice

days’thatfocussedpurelyonstudentslearninghowtotakethetest,or

‘testwiseness’(Klenowski,2010).Publicjudgementofeducational‘quality’basedon

schoolperformancesinstandardisedtestscompromisesteachers‘visions’(Parsons

etal.,2017)fortheirstudents.Standardisedtestsoriginatedinthescientific

psychologyofThorndike(Eisner,2000)andalthoughpsychometricshasbecomea

“highlysophisticatedfield”(Eisner,2000,p.5),psychometrictests,suchasNAPLAN

donottrulymeasurequality.Infact,Eisnerclaimedsuchtestsdrivecurriculum,to

theextentthatwhatistestedbecomeswhatistaught.Ultimatelythislimitsthe

teacher’sabilitytocultivatetheindividualstudentanddrives‘uniformity’inschool

education.

Schoolisamicrocosmofsocietyandisaplacewherestudentslearntooperate

withinacommunity.Asstudentsimbibecurriculumcontent,theylearnhowto

functionasindividualsbeforetheymoveintotherealworldbeyondtheboundaries

ofschool.Whilestudentsacquireknowledgeandskillsdefinedbythe‘official

curriculum’,theyalsodevelopthebehavioursorcapabilitiesformerlyconsidered

the‘hiddencurriculum’(Eisner&Vallance,1974;Print,1987)andnowreferredto

as‘twenty-firstcenturyskills’(Trilling&Fadel,2009).Theseincludedcriticaland

creativethinkingandareidentifiedas‘generalcapabilities’intheAustralian

curriculum(ACARA,2017).Itisthesecapabilitiesortwenty-firstcenturyskills

beyondthe‘officialcurriculum’thatenableastudenttofunctioninsociety,nottheir

NAPLANorHSCscore.But,theincessantdemandsofpubliclyreportedhigh-stakes

testingforcesstudentsandteacherstofocusonsuchtests,thusreducingthe

attentiongiventotheholisticdevelopmentoftheindividualstudent.

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ItisworthrecallingtheguidingdocumentforthenationalcurriculuminAustralia,

TheMelbourneDeclaration.Thisclaimedthatitistheaimofthecurriculumthat

studentsbecome“successfullearners,confidentandcreativeindividuals,andactive

andinformedcitizens”(MinisterialCouncilonEducation,2008,p.7).Sucha

statementanticipatesthattheschoolexperiencemustinvolvemorethanfulfilling

high-stakestestrequirements.Teachersinmystudyexploredthenewarts

curriculumthroughpedagogy,andwithreflectionupontheirownexperiencesand

thoseoftheirstudents,ratherthanthroughapplicationofstandardisedtesting.This

wastestamenttotheirfocusonthecultivationoftheindividualstudentthrough,

andalsobeyondlearningandteachingintheArts.

Finding5:Artsteachershavesufficientpassionandmotivationto

comfortablyadjusttochange

ThesituationinAustralia,twentyyearssinceEisner’sclaims,isthatprimary

generalistteachersarestillexpectedtoteachallcurriculum,includingtheArts,

althoughmostprimaryteachershavelimitedexperienceoftheArts(Alteretal.,

2009;deVries,2017;Dinham,2007).Thissituationcreatesanxietyandoftenlimits

teachers’willingnesstoteachtheArts.But,theteacherswhovolunteeredto

participateinmystudydidsobecausethey‘love’andusetheArtsintheireveryday

practice.Althoughtheyarenotnecessarilyrepresentativeofthewiderteacher

population,theirreflectionsontheirpracticetestifytotheircompetencetoteach

theArts.Theirexperiencesalsodemonstratedthatateacher’sinterestinand

approachtoteachingtheArtsisaverypersonalchoice.“Competenceinteachingis

intimatelyconnectedwith”and“centralto…thekindofeducationthatwethink

studentsshouldreceive”(Eisner,1995a,p.99).

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ThepersonalexperiencesoftheArtsthatteachersbringwiththemfromtheirown

childhoods,schoolandtertiarystudiescontributedtotheirknowledge,skillsand

ultimatelytheircompetence(Buldu&Shaban,2010;deVries,2017)tointerpret

curriculumandteachtheArts.“Artistryandintuitionareenormouslyimportant

aspectsofallformsofteachingandteachersneedthespaceandencouragementto

usebothintheirwork”(Eisner,1995a,p.103).However,theknowledgeandskills

teacherspossesswhentheyentertheprofessiondonotremainconstantforthe

durationoftheirteachingcareer.Teacherslearnandgrowwiththeirstudents.

Teachers,who‘lovelearning’andarethemselves,‘lifelonglearners’,arethepeople

wewantteachingourchildren.Ongoingprofessionaldevelopmentthroughouta

teacher’scareer,particularlythroughin-schoolmentoringisvitaltotheteacher’s

developmentandpractice(Broome,2016).Ongoingconstructivefeedbackonthe

teacher’sworkenablestheteacher“togetbetteratthecomplexandsubtleartof

teaching”(Eisner,1995a,p.104).Eisner(1995a)reasonedthatalthoughuniversity

teachereducationprograms“certifycompetence,thestateissuesthelicense”(p.

103)toteachinschools,teachercompetenceisactuallydevelopedinthelong-term

contextoftheschoolwheretheteacherdevelopsandreflectsupontheirpractice.

Iwasimpressedbytheextenttowhichtheteacherssurveyedwereexcitedand

motivatedbythenewAustralianartscurriculum.Thiswasincontrasttothe

negativeviewsexpressedbysomeNSWteachers,someprofessionalassociations,

andthestate’seducationauthorityinthecurriculumconsultationreportspublished

byACARA.Eisner(2000)claimsthatteachersoftenhavedifficultyadjustingtonew

curriculum.Butmystudyfoundthattheparticipantteachersweresopassionate

andmotivatedtoteachtheArtsthatthenoveltyofanewcurriculumwasnota

problemforthem;ratheritwasaninspiration.Furthermore,thecasestudy

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teachers’reflectionsontheirpracticesinschoolsrevealedtheircompetenceand

theirdeterminationtoeffectivelyteachtheArts.

Theprimaryteachers’strongestmotivationtousetheArtsintheirteaching“was

theirawarenessofthediversityoflearningstylesandneedsamongtheirstudents”

(Oreck,2006,p.1).Secondaryartsspecialistteacherssoughttocultivatestudents’

individuality(Eisner,2000)beyondpredeterminedcurriculumoutcomes.The

participantteachers’ownchildhoodandschoolexperiencesintheArtsinfluenced

theirsupportforthebroaderlearningbenefitsenabledbytheArts,suchas

developingstudents’self-confidenceandacademicmotivation(Martinetal.,2013).

Furthertothis,thecasestudyteachersweredeterminedtoinstilaloveoflearning

intheirstudents.Teachersknewthatartsparticipation(Martinetal.,2013)and

flexibleapproachestolearningandteaching(Gibson,2016)wereessentialto

encouragingstudentachievement(Catterall,2009)andfosteringaninterestin‘life-

longlearning’intheirstudents.

Astheyreadthenewcurriculum,participantteacherscametorealisethatthe

“student-centredmodel”(O'Toole,2015,p.191)oflearningandteachingthatit

containedwasdifferentfromtheteacher-centredmodeltheyhadbeenusedtoin

theNSWsyllabus.Theywereattractedbyachangeininstructionalfocusfromstatic

memorisation,or“learningbyrote”(O'Toole,2015,p.191),tocriticalandcreative

thinkingandwelcomedthefactthatthiswouldenablestudentsto‘own’and

potentiallydesigntheirlearningforthemselves.Theteacher’sownartsexperiences

andconsequententhusiasmfortheartformcontributedtotheircommitmenttoarts

education.Asteachersbecomeawareofanddeveloptheirownresponsestoarts

experiencestheycanbecome“betterpreparedfornoticingandcraftingtheirown

aestheticteachingpractice”(E.Anderson,2016,p.1)andthusenhancetheartistic

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experienceoftheirstudents.WhenteachersenjoytheirownlearningintheArts

theyimpartthisenthusiasmandexcitementtotheirstudents.

Finalconclusions

Eisner’s(2000)articleonartseducationpolicywasalandmarkstatementandI’ve

useditasaframeworkformystudyofhowagroupofartsteachersinNSWhave

respondedtothenewnationalartscurriculuminAustralia.Mystudyisoneabout

teacherstodaywhohaveartstrainingandanartscurriculum.BycontrastEisner

(2000)wroteaboutasituationinCalifornianearlytwentyyearsago,whereteachers

lackedanyartstrainingandtherewasnoartscurriculumtospeakof.Mystudy

suggeststhatwhenitcomestointerpretingcurriculum,teachersaresuitably

qualifiedandexperiencedtoholdparticularviewsaboutwhatworksandwhatdoes

notwork.Theyhavedevelopedandrefinedtheirviewsofcurriculumthroughtheir

ownpractices.Onthebasisofmystudy,itissuggestedthatwhatmakesforgood

artslearningteachingare:student-centredmodelsofopen-endedlearning;school

attitudesthatvaluetheArtsasdemonstratedthroughcollaborativeschool

leadership(Henderson&Slattery,2008);adequateresourcing(Alteretal.,2009),

timeallocation(Lemon&Garvis,2013),andinterestedstudents(Zoss&Smith,

2011).Theteacherswerepassionate,well-motivated,andhadareadyacceptanceof

thenewcurriculum.Theywereespeciallywelcomingoftheemphasisonopen-

endedlearninginthenewartscurriculum.

Theteachersinthisstudyidentifiedthatitisnotthecurriculumitself,butrather

otherfactorswithintheschool,butoutsideoftheArts,thatdeterminehowwellthe

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Artsmaybetaught.SchoolattitudestotheArts,leadershipstyles,resourcingand

timeallocationimpactedteachers’capacitytoteachtheArts,asdidthedemandsof

externaltesting.High-stakestestingintheformoftheHSChasexistedfordecadesin

NSW,movingfromexternalexaminationtoacombinationofschool-based

assessmentandexternalexaminationin1986.FollowingtheBSTintroducedin

1989,NAPLANwasintroducednationallyin2009,beforetheAustralianarts

curriculumhadbeendeveloped.Thisexternalliteracyandnumeracytestingwasa

separateentitytothecurriculumbeingtaughtinschools.Howaschoolrespondsto

suchtestsimpactshowteachersworkwiththeArtscurriculum.Atthetimeofthis

study,governmentsdemandincreasingaccountabilityfromeducatorsthrough

externalliteracyandnumeracytestinginadditiontotestingincoresubjectareas

(Alexander,2011;Berliner,2011).Artsteachersarenotimmunetodemandsof

accountability.Intheschoolswheretheteachersinmystudytaught,itisclearthat

“whatistestediswhatistaught”(Eisner,2000,p.5).AlthoughEisner(2000)argued

as“theartsarenottested,theycanbeneglectedwithgreaterimmunity”(p.5),I

arguethattheArtsarenotimmune.Infact,theArtsaresubjecttocompromiseas

theybecomeavehiclefor‘testwiseness’(Klenowski,2010).InAustralianschools

ArtsteachersareexpectedtousetheArtstoteachthenumeracyandliteracy

componentsrequiredbythehigh-stakestesting.Byteachinginandthroughthe

Arts,teachersengagestudentsintheactoflearning,whichoftenmotivateslearning

inotheracademicsubjects(Martinetal.,2013).EffectiveparticipationintheArts

contributestostudentachievementinother‘moreacademic’learningareas(Baker

Jr.,2012).But,inschoolsthatseektodevelop“successfullearners,confidentand

creativeindividuals,andactiveandinformedcitizens”(MinisterialCouncilon

Education,2008,p.7),surely,thefacilityofartslearningandteachingdevelops

students’abilitiestoencompasscommunicationthatotherwisecannotbeputinto

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words(Dewey,1934)shouldtakepreferenceoveraccountabilitytostand-alone

literacyandnumeracytests.

Thefindingsofthisstudyquestiontheexpectationsofcurriculuminanageof

standardisedtesting,andaretestamenttotheresilienceofartsteacherswhowork

increativewayswithallmannerofobstaclesandintrusions.Theyupholdthevalue

oftheArtstocultivatethepotentialoftheindividualstudentandtoinspirestudents

toaloveoflearning.

Implications for future research considering curriculum policy and teacher practice in the Arts

Thefindingsandlimitationsofthepresentstudysuggestthatfutureresearchinthe

areaofteachers’responsestocurriculuminpracticeshouldbeexploredasthenew

curriculumisimplementedinNSW.Astudyofalargercohortofteachersisrequired

toestablishifthedistinctionsidentifiedbyteachersinthiscasestudyareuniversal

tothestateofNSWorevennationally.

WhileIacknowledgethattheteachersparticipatedinthisstudyvolunteeredoutof

interest,itisworthconsideringwhetherteacherswhodidnotparticipatewould

haveheldvastlydifferentresponsestotheAustralianartscurriculum.Eisnerargued

thatprimarygeneralistteacherswereexpectedto“teachwhattheydidnotknow

anddidnotlove”(1997,p.17).ThemajorityofprimarygeneralistteachersinNSW

havelimitedexperienceinanyoftheArts,andoftenhavelowgeneralconfidenceto

teachtheArts.Thisstemsfromlimitedexperiencesinchildhoodcoupledwith

limitedornospecialisedtraining(deVries,2017)toteachtheArts.Itistherefore

reasonabletoassumethattheymaylackabilityandinclinationtoteachtheArts.

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CompoundedbyrestrictionsontimeandresourcesavailablefortheArtswithinthe

school,ateacherwhodoesnothaveknowledge,skillsandcompetenceintheArts

teachtheArts“sporadically”,treatthemasan“addon”toothercurriculumactivities

(deVries,2017,p.4)ormaynotteachtheArtsatall.Bycontrastacompetent

teacher,asevidentintheparticipantteachers,cannegotiatetheirwayaround

limitationsandrestrictionstheyfaceintheirschool.

Threedistinctionsofparticularnoteforfurtherresearchconsiderationhaveevolved

fromthisstudy.

1. Isitlikelytheopen-endedlearningopportunitiesforeshadowedinthe

Australianartscurriculumwillevolveintorepeatablesetsoflessons

withpredictableoutcomes?

Thecreativeprocessthroughwhichanartistexplores,devises,responds,revises

anddevelopstheirartworkuntilitevolvesisevidentintheopen-endedapproachof

thecontentdescriptionsintheAustralianartscurriculum.Bycontrast,theNSW

creativeartssyllabuspresentsastep-by-stepoutcomes-orientedapproachto

learningandteachingintheArts.Theproblemisthatmanyschoolsdonothavethe

timeandresourcestoallowstudentstoexploreandexperimentintheArtsinthe

mannerpromotedbytheopen-endedapproachtolearningandteachinginthe

Australianartscurriculum.Acomparativestudyofschoolsthatfacilitatethis

‘student-centred’approachtolearningandteachingincontrasttoschoolsthat

adheretoastep-by-stepoutcomes-orientedapproachisoneoptionforfuture

research.Additionally,alongitudinalobservationofartspracticeinasampleof

schoolsimplementingtheAustralianartscurriculumcouldexplorewhetherthe

248

teachersmaintaintheopen-endedapproachtotheArtsorwhetherteachersdevelop

arepeatableseriesoflessonsthatevolveintoastep-by-stepoutcomes-oriented

approach.Suchstudieswouldcontributetofutureartscurriculumpolicy

development.

2. Willteacher-studentcollaborativelearningintheArtsbedeveloped

througheffectiveapplicationoftheAustralianartscurriculum?

Teachersarethefacilitatorsoflearninginthetwenty-firstcenturyclassroom.They

maybesubjectmatterexperts,butarenolongerexpectedtobethesinglesourceof

knowledge.Primaryteacher,Paula,discoveredthischangeinperceptionofthe

teacher’srolewhenshecollaboratedwithherstudentsindrama.Through

contributingtheirownideastothescript,thestudentsweremoreenthusiasticand

involvedinthelearningthantheywereifacompletedscripthadbeenwrittenand

providedbytheteacher.Thestudentswereproudofthedramatheydeveloped

togetherwiththeirteacher.Co-createdworksintheArtsenhancethestudents’

interestandmotivation(Martinetal.,2013;Zoss&Smith,2011).Paulacultivated

herstudents’individualcuriosityandthroughthecollaborativeprocessindrama

inspiredthemtoexploredifferentwaystocombinetheirknowledgeandskills,

enablingsustainedengagementandmeaningfulenquiry-basedlearning(LunaScott,

2015).Secondaryteacher,Ginachallengedteachersofmathematicsandscience,“if

itwasenlightenedteachingI’msurethey[thestudents]wouldadoreitjustasmuch

astheyadorelotsofotherthings”(Int1:June27,2013),ratherthanresortingto

repeatedtextbooklearningexercises.Collaborativelearningandteaching(Zoss&

Smith,2011)givesboththeteacherandthestudentsconfidencetoexplorethe

unknownandtoshareideas.Adoptionofacollaborativeapproachtolearningand

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teachingacrosscurriculumlearningareasinaschoolhasthepotentialtochange

teachingpractice,motivatestudentstowanttolearnthusinstillingaloveoflearning

inmorestudents.

3. Regardlessofthecurriculum,willschoolscontinuetorespondtohigh-

stakestestingshouldby‘teachingtothetest’?

Teachingtothetestor‘testwiseness’(Klenowski,2010)hasbeenalong-heldhabit

inNSWschools.Asasecondaryteacher,Irecallupper-secondaryschoolstudentsof

Englishanddramaaskingfortheexaminationquestioninadvance,sotheycould

prepareandmemorisetheirresponsesinordertoregurgitatetheminthe

examinationroom.Thestudentssawtheprocessofwritingaresponseinthe

examinationasnothingmorethanrecallinginformation.Therewasno

considerationgiventothethinking,planningandrespondingprocess.Similarly,

teachingstudentstotaketheNAPLANtest,whichsitsoutsideoftheartscurriculum,

perpetuatesthedisconnectednessoftestingandalsolimitsthetimeavailablefor

teachingtheactualcurriculum.Thebenefitsofteacher-studentcollaborative

learningandtheopen-endedlearninginspiredthroughtheAustralianarts

curriculumarelikelytoberenderedimpossibleifteacherscontinuetofeel

pressuredbyaccountabilitytoexternaltesting.

Onaninternationalscale,Australianeducationpolicy-makersupholdtheOECD

ProgrammeforInternationalStudentAssessment,orPISA,rankingasakey

benchmarkagainstwhichtomeasureAustralianschooleducation.However,PISA

assessestheextenttowhich15-year-oldstudents,have“acquiredkeyknowledge

andskillsthatareessentialforfullparticipationinmodernsocieties”(OECD,

250

2018a).Bycontrasttomyformerstudentswhoplannedtomemoriseand

regurgitateessayanswersinanexamination,PISAexploreshowwellstudentscan

usewhattheyknowtofindoutwhattheydon’tknow.Thisexaminationofhow

studentsextrapolateandapplytheirknowledgeencompassesthestudents’

experiencebothwithinandoutsideofschool.Thistestofhowstudentsapply

knowledgeextendsbeyondthePISAassessmentthatfocusesonscience,reading

andmathematics,consideredtobecoreschoolsubjects.PISAreplicatesthefactthat

“moderneconomiesrewardindividualsnotforwhattheyknow,butforwhatthey

candowithwhattheyknow”(OECD,2018a).

Finland’sPISArankingwasidentifiedastheidealtowhichAustralianeducation

shouldaspire,duringthe2014reviewoftheAustralianCurriculum(Donnelly,

2014).The2015PISAresultsindicatethatSingaporeandHongKongmaintaina

higherrankingacrossmathematics,scienceandreadingthanFinland.Thesetwo

countries,likeFinland,occupyasmallgeographicfootprintandpresentsmaller

populationsthanthatofAustralia.SingaporeandHongKonghavelower

proportionsofimmigrantsanddisadvantagedstudentsthanfoundinother

countries,suchasAustralia.Therefore,policymakersneedtotakeintoconsideration

theeducationalcontextsofsuchcountries,includinghowthelearningandteaching

occursintheirschools,beforeproclaimingthemthebenchmarkforeducational

achievementinAustralia.PolicyborrowingfromFinlandoranyothercountrymust

takeaccountofthecontextualfactorsofthecountry’seducationsystem.InFinland,

“thecorrelationsbetweenstudents’engagement,selfefficacyandreadinghabits

withtheircognitiveoutcomesarehigherthananyothercountry”(Välijärvi&

Sulkunen,2016).Finland’sPISAsuccessisrootedinthecountry’shistorical,

cultural,societal,andpoliticalcontext(Chung,2010).UnlikesomeAustralian

schoolsthatschedulepracticedaysaheadoftheannualNAPLANtests(seeSection

251

5.4,Teachingtothetest,p174),Finlanddoesnotuseaprocessofrecurrenttesting

accompaniedbyteachingthetest.Infact,suchanapproachisnotusedinthe

educationapproachesofanyoftheothertop-rankingcountries.Furthermore,

teachersinFinlandteachnearly300hourslessperyearthanAustralianteachersin

primaryandsecondaryschools(OECD,2017).So,theapproachtolearningand

teachingandhowstudenteducationalachievementismeasureddemands

consideration.

LearningandteachinginAustraliashouldbeapproachedmoreeffectivelyand

efficiently,asisdemonstratedinthePISAmeasuresforFinland.Removingthefocus

onhigh-stakestesting,alteringschoolleadershipperceptionsoftestpreparation

andactivelyenactingtheAustralianartscurriculumwillultimatelyimprove

Australianstudents’academicmotivation,self-confidenceandaptitudeinPISAand

otherhigh-stakestesting.SchoolinginFinlandinvolvesplay-basedlearning.The

Australianartscurriculumisfoundedinthecreativeprocess,whichis‘play-based’

learning.Artsparticipationhaspositiveeffectsonlearning,rememberingand

problem-solvingprocesses(Crossick&Kaszynsky,2016;Mansouretal.,2016;

Martinetal.,2013).Primaryteacher,Paula’sconcernthatherstudentscouldread,

butdidnotunderstandtheNAPLANquestionwhichcombinedlanguage,context

andmathematics(seeSection5.4,Teachingtothetest,p174)isevidencethather

studentscouldnotextrapolateknowledgeandapplyitinanunfamiliarcontext.

However,theAustraliancurriculumintentionallyhonestwenty-firstcenturyskills

(Trilling&Fadel,2009)intheformof‘generalcapabilities’acrossalllearningareas

(ACARA,2017),whichincludedevelopmentofcommunicationskillsandsocial

competencyskills.Aspreviouslymentioned,suchpersonalcompetencieshavemuch

greaterimpactonthelifeoftheindividualthanwithin“thenarrowerareaofformal

attainmentinstandardisedtests”(Crossick&Kaszynsky,2016,p.116).

252

Australianteachersandpolicymakersneedtolookfurtherthanannualhigh–stakes

testsandrequiredcurriculumcontentinmathematics,scienceandEnglish

(literature),todevelopthecapabilitiesofAustralianstudentsforthefuture.

PISAreportsthat“amathematicallyliteratestudentrecognisestherolethat

mathematicsplaysintheworldinordertomakewell-foundedjudgmentsand

decisionsneededbyconstructive,engagedandreflectivecitizens”(OECD,2018b).

Paula’sstudentsstruggledtorecognisethemathematicsinaquestionthatdescribed

astorycontainingthemathematicalproblem.Theycouldnotunderstand,useand

reflectuponthetextinthequestion.Paula’sstudents’limitationsareaddressedin

thePISAreportthatReadingperformance“measuresthecapacitytounderstand,

useandreflectonwrittentextsinordertoachievegoals,developknowledgeand

potential,andparticipateinsociety”(OECD,2018c).Similarly,PISAreportsthat

scientificperformance“measuresthescientificliteracyofa15year-oldintheuseof

scientificknowledgetoidentifyquestions,acquirenewknowledge,explainscientific

phenomena,anddrawevidence-basedconclusionsaboutscience-relatedissues”

(OECD,2018d).

EachofthethreecoreareasassessedthroughPISAdemandstudentscomprehend,

extrapolateandapplyknowledgeinnewsituations.NAPLANalsoexpectsstudents

tocomprehendandapplyknowledge.But,notallschoolsenablelearningand

teachingsuitabletothisrequirement.Wedonotknowthejobsthattoday’slearners

willundertakeinthefuture.Enablingthedevelopmentofskillsanddispositionsfor

thetwenty-firstcentury(LunaScott,2015)isthemostlogicalpreparationforthese

unknownjobs.Approachestolearningandteachingthatnurturestudents’self-

confidenceandacademicmotivationaremoreeffectiveanddeservegreater

recognitionforthebroaderbenefitstheyprovidetheindividualstudentsandthe

253

broadercommunity.Pedagogyneedstofacilitatedevelopmentofskillssuchas

criticalandcreativethinking,effectivecommunication,innovationandcollaborative

problemsolving(LunaScott,2015).Researchtoconsidertheeducationaleffectsof

thesepedagogicalapproaches,willenablepolicymakerstorecognisethebroader

benefitsofartslearningandteachingforholisticachievementandthebettermentof

society.Policy-makersshouldreconsiderthecurrentbeliefthattestingistheonly

optionformeasuringstudentachievement.Inadditiontotheacquisitionofthese

competencies,theincreasingawarenessofSTEAM44ratherthanSTEMhighlightsthe

importantcontributionofcreativeskillstostudentlearningandsocietal

development.CurrentlythestateeducationauthorityinNSWpromotesSTEMalong

withitsexistingoutcomes-basedcreativeartssyllabi.Bycontrast,otherstatesthat

haveimplementedthenationalartscurriculumhavemovedtoSTEAM.

TheAustralianCurriculumwasfullyendorsedbyallstatesandterritories,justthree

monthsafterIleftACARAinmid-2015,evenafterthesudden(andsomewhat

superfluous)nationalreviewcalledbythenMinisterforEducation,Christopher

Pyne.Yet,asIcompletethisthesis,NSWhasnotyetcommencedtoworkwiththe

Australianartscurriculum.Astatenotoriouslyslowtochangecurriculum,the

currentcreativeartssyllabiarenearingtwentyyearsofage,lastrevisedattheturn

ofthecentury.Thein-fightingacrosssecondaryartsteachers’associations

continues:NSWvisualartsfactionsargueforafocusoncriticismandhistorywhile

the‘newer’artssubjects,danceanddramamaintainaneedfor‘play-basedlearning’,

thatistheexperientiallearninginspiredbyDeweylastcentury.Thesecondary

musicfactionsaretornacrossbothphilosophies.Amongstitall,primaryteachers

44 STEAM:science,technology,engineering,arts,mathematicsSTEM:science,technology,engineering,mathematics

254

continuetobearthebruntofteachingeverything.Thereishopeforchange,on14

May2018,theNSWPremierGladysBerejiklianandEducationMinisterRobStokes

announcedareviewoftheNSWschoolcurriculumfromKindergartentoYear1245.

ThefuturelooksbrighterfortheprimaryteachersofNSW.

45 https://www.nsw.gov.au/your-government/the-premier/media-releases-from-the-premier/nsw-launches-school-curriculum-review/

255

EpilogueNowwhat?

Fiveyearssincecommencingthisstudy,IhavereturnedtotheArtsindustry,to

music.IamnowadirectorwiththeSydneySymphonyOrchestra.Inowdevise

professionallearningtosupportprimaryteachersinthepracticalteachingofmusic.

Childrenshouldmake,listentoandenjoymusic,astheyshouldeveryartform.They

shouldbeencouragedtousewhattheyknowtofindoutwhattheydon’tknow.This

ishowchildrenplayandlearnbeforetheybeginformalschooling.Thislearning

shouldcontinuethroughoutschoolingandlife.Afterall,whenyoutraveltoanother

countryisitthecurriculumyouseekout?No,itisthemusic,theArts,thedanceand

theatre;thecultureofitspeople.Weexploreitbeforeschool,weshouldcontinueto

learnitwithinschool,butalsoinouryearsbeyondschool.

Withtheclosingofthisthesis,IwillcontinuetosupporttheArtsinourschools,

althoughIamexcitedtoreturntomyownmusic-making.Idesirenothingmorethan

toopenthepianoandreinvigoratemyvoicetonowexplorethejazzIwasinvitedto

discover,beyondBrahmsbackin1986.IwillusewhatIknowtodiscoverwhatI

don’tknow!

256

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282

APPENDIX1Interview1Schedule

Pseudonym LearningArea/role Years Interview1 Venue

Gina

HTCreativeandPerformingArts Years7-12 June27,2013 skype

Dean CoordinatorofMusic YearsK-12 November9,2013 home

Errol HeadofActing/Drama Years7-12 September13,2013 home

Mel Drama Years7-12August14,2013,September3,2013(splitduetotimeconstraints)

school

Paula PrimaryVisArts,Drama Year3-4 October1,2013 school

Craig PrimaryDrama Years5-6 October1,2013 school

Sarah PrimaryVisualArts Year1 October1,2013 school

MarySecondary,PrimaryVisualArts

Years5to10 April12,2013 home

283

APPENDIX2Interview2Schedule

Pseudonym LearningArea/role Years Interview2 Venue

Gina

HTCreativeandPerformingArts Years7-12 June3,2014 skype

Dean CoordinatorofMusic YearsK-12 N/A home

Errol HeadofActing/Drama Years7-12 April29,2014 home

Mel Drama Years7-12 April23,2014 school

Paula PrimaryVisArts,Drama Year3-4 July11,2014 school

Craig PrimaryDrama Years5-6 April17,2014 school

Sarah PrimaryVisualArts Year1 April17,2014 school

MarySecondary,PrimaryVisualArts

Years5to10 June9,2014 home

284

APPENDIX3EthicApproval

Research Integrity Research Portfolio Level 6, Jane Foss Russell The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia

T +61 2 8627 8111 F +61 2 8627 8177 E ro.humanethics@sydney.edu.au sydney.edu.au

ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS 00026A

Research Integrity Human Research Ethics Committee Wednesday, 27 February 2013 Dr Michael Anderson Fac Ed & Soc Wk - Research; Faculty of Education & Social Work Email: michael.anderson@sydney.edu.au Dear Michael Your request to modify the above project submitted on 12 February 2013 was considered by the Executive of the Human Research Ethics Committee at its meeting on 20 February 2013. The Committee had no ethical objections to the modification/s and has approved the project to proceed. Details of the approval are as follows: Project No.: 2012/1149 Project Title.: What are NSW Arts teachers perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts? Approved Documents: Date Uploaded Type Document Name 11/02/2013 Advertisements/Flyer Cover letter to ASME PDF 11/02/2013 Advertisements/Flyer Cover letter to Association of Primary Principals PDF 11/02/2013 Advertisements/Flyer Cover letter to ATOM PDF 11/02/2013 Advertisements/Flyer Cover letter to Drama NSW PDF 11/02/2013 Advertisements/Flyer Cover Letter to individual teacher PDF 11/02/2013 Advertisements/Flyer COver letter to VADEA PDF 11/02/2013 Questionnaires/Surveys Outline of questions V1 UNCHANGED 11/02/2013 Participant Info Statement Participant Information Statement V2 PDF 11/02/2013 Participant Info Statement Participant Information Statement V2 TRACKED

Please do not hesitate to contact Research Integrity (Human Ethics) should you require further information or clarification. Yours sincerely

Dr Stephen Assinder Chair Human Research Ethics Committee

This HREC is constituted and operates in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research

(2007), NHMRC and Universities Australia Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2007) and the CPMP/ICH Note for Guidance on Good Clinical Practice.

285

APPENDIX4Letterstoteacherassociations

Michael Anderson Associate Professor Associate Dean, Strategic Communications Faculty of Education and Social Work 21 September 2012

Faculty of Education and Social Work 808, Education Building (A 35) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia

T +61 2 9351 7810 F +61 2 9351 4580 E michael.anderson@sydney.edu.au

ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS 00026A

Dear Primary Principals Association NSW The Australian Arts curriculum is under development. We are undertaking a study to explore NSW primary teachers’ and secondary Arts teachers’ perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts. Please find attached information about the research which we invite you to post on your association’s website for interested teachers. Teachers are invited to nominate themselves if they would like to take part in the study.

Yours sincerely,

286

Michael Anderson Associate Professor Associate Dean, Strategic Communications Faculty of Education and Social Work 21 September 2012

Faculty of Education and Social Work 808, Education Building (A 35) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia

T +61 2 9351 7810 F +61 2 9351 4580 E michael.anderson@sydney.edu.au

ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS 00026A

Dear ATOM NSW The Australian Arts curriculum is under development. We are undertaking a study to explore NSW Arts teachers’ perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts. Please find attached information about the research which we invite you to post on your association’s website for interested teachers. Teachers are invited to nominate themselves if they would like to take part in the study.

Yours sincerely,

287

Michael Anderson Associate Professor Associate Dean, Strategic Communications Faculty of Education and Social Work 21 September 2012

Faculty of Education and Social Work 808, Education Building (A 35) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia

T +61 2 9351 7810 F +61 2 9351 4580 E michael.anderson@sydney.edu.au

ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS 00026A

Dear VADEA The Australian Arts curriculum is under development. We are undertaking a study to explore NSW Arts teachers’ perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts. Please find attached information about the research which we invite you to post on your association’s website for interested teachers. Teachers are invited to nominate themselves if they would like to take part in the study.

Yours sincerely,

288

Michael Anderson Associate Professor Associate Dean, Strategic Communications Faculty of Education and Social Work 21 September 2012

Faculty of Education and Social Work 808, Education Building (A 35) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia

T +61 2 9351 7810 F +61 2 9351 4580 E michael.anderson@sydney.edu.au

ABN 15 211 513 464CRICOS 00026A

Dear ASME NSW The Australian Arts curriculum is under development. We are undertaking a study to explore NSW Arts teachers’ perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts. Please find attached information about the research which we invite you to post on your association’s website for interested teachers. Teachers are invited to nominate themselves if they would like to take part in the study.  

Yours sincerely, 

   

 

289

Michael Anderson Associate Professor Associate Dean, Strategic Communications Faculty of Education and Social Work 21 September 2012

Faculty of Education and Social Work 808, Education Building (A 35) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia

T +61 2 9351 7810 F +61 2 9351 4580 E michael.anderson@sydney.edu.au

ABN 15 211 513 464CRICOS 00026A

Dear Drama NSW The Australian Arts curriculum is under development. We are undertaking a study to explore NSW Arts teachers’ perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts. Please find attached information about the research which we invite you to post on your association’s website for interested teachers. Teachers are invited to nominate themselves if they would like to take part in the study.  

Yours sincerely, 

   

 

290

APPENDIX5Coverlettertoindividualteacher

Michael Anderson Associate Professor Associate Dean, Strategic Communications Faculty of Education and Social Work 21 September 2012

Faculty of Education and Social Work 808, Education Building (A 35) The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia

T +61 2 9351 7810 F +61 2 9351 4580 E michael.anderson@sydney.edu.au

ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS 00026A

Dear teacher You are invited to participate in a study of Arts teachers in NSW. This is case study research that will contribute to a PhD. With the Australian Curriculum for the Arts under development this is an ideal time to explore the views of teachers in NSW. We are interested to hear your thoughts about your training, experiences and current practice as an Arts teacher in NSW in one or more of the following areas: dance, drama, media, arts, music and visual arts. Please review the attached Participant Information Statement and complete the Participant Consent form to nominate to take part in this study. The study seeks to explore teachers’ perceptions through up to 8 case studies. Teachers who self-nominate will be contacted and selection will be by receipt of application.

Yours sincerely,

291

APPENDIX6Participantinformationandconsent

What are NSW teachers perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts in Australia? Version 1 21 September 2012

Page 1 of 2

ABN 15 211 513 464

. Associate Professor Michael Anderson Chief Investigator I Associate Professor, Drama Teaching and Learning, Associate Dean for Strategic Communications

Web:

Faculty of Education & Social Work

Room 808 Building A35

Faculty of Education & Social Work The University of Sydney NSW 2006 AUSTRALIA

Telephone: +61 2 9351 7810 Facsimile: +61 2 9351 4580

Email: michael.anderson@sydney.edu.au

http://'www.sydney.edu.au/education_social_workl

What are NSW Arts teachers' perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts in Australia?

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION STATEMENT

(1) What is the study about?

/

You are invited to participate in a study of Arts teachers in NSW. It will explore your understandings and perceptions of change to the state curriculum as the draft Australian Arts curriculum is made available for public. consultation in 2012. This study has evolved as a means by which teachers' understandings of curriculum change in the Arts could be explored.

(2) Who is carrying out the study? .

The study is being conducted by Linda Lorenza and will form the basis for the degree of PhD at The University of Sydney under the supervision of Associate Professor Michael Anderson.

(3) What does the study involve?

The study will involve two face to face interviews.

• The first interview will ask 'respondents to discuss their background, their current curriculum and current perceptions of what a national Arts curriculum will mean to their practice.

• The second interview will explore their understanding and perception of the draft Australian

curriculum: The Arts, some time ·after it has been released for public consultation in the middle of 2012.

• Each interview will take 90 to 120 mins.

• Interviews will take place at the University of Sydney at times mutually convenient to the participant

and the researcher in the period July to October 2012.

• Each interview will be audio/video recorded for transcription purposes and recordings will not be published or made publically available.

• Participants will remain anonymous being identified by pseudonyms and not by their real names in

the transcripts and final report for the study.

292

What are NSW teachers perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts in Australia? Version 1 21 September 2012

Page 1 of 2

ABN 15 211 513 464

. Associate Professor Michael Anderson Chief Investigator I Associate Professor, Drama Teaching and Learning, Associate Dean for Strategic Communications

Web:

Faculty of Education & Social Work

Room 808 Building A35

Faculty of Education & Social Work The University of Sydney NSW 2006 AUSTRALIA

Telephone: +61 2 9351 7810 Facsimile: +61 2 9351 4580

Email: michael.anderson@sydney.edu.au

http://'www.sydney.edu.au/education_social_workl

What are NSW Arts teachers' perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts in Australia?

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION STATEMENT

(1) What is the study about?

/

You are invited to participate in a study of Arts teachers in NSW. It will explore your understandings and perceptions of change to the state curriculum as the draft Australian Arts curriculum is made available for public. consultation in 2012. This study has evolved as a means by which teachers' understandings of curriculum change in the Arts could be explored.

(2) Who is carrying out the study? .

The study is being conducted by Linda Lorenza and will form the basis for the degree of PhD at The University of Sydney under the supervision of Associate Professor Michael Anderson.

(3) What does the study involve?

The study will involve two face to face interviews.

• The first interview will ask 'respondents to discuss their background, their current curriculum and current perceptions of what a national Arts curriculum will mean to their practice.

• The second interview will explore their understanding and perception of the draft Australian

curriculum: The Arts, some time ·after it has been released for public consultation in the middle of 2012.

• Each interview will take 90 to 120 mins.

• Interviews will take place at the University of Sydney at times mutually convenient to the participant

and the researcher in the period July to October 2012.

• Each interview will be audio/video recorded for transcription purposes and recordings will not be published or made publically available.

• Participants will remain anonymous being identified by pseudonyms and not by their real names in

the transcripts and final report for the study.

293

APPENDIX7Outlineofquestions:Interview1

What are NSW teachers perceptions of curriculum change in the Arts in Australia? Version 1 21 September 2012

Outline of questions to be asked at interview

Using the model for semi-structured questioning from Buldu and Shaban (2010), teachers will be asked to talk about:

(1) their educational and professional background including their own education and interest in the Arts. (i.e., degree, key learning areas and subject matter knowledge, pedagogical and professional content knowledge, years of teaching experience);

(2) their perceptions of the value of the arts in education of school students;

(3) their arts teaching practices (i.e., current Arts teaching in NSW, how they work with the current syllabus, how the arts are taught, teaching styles, resources available, parent/family and community involvement);

(4) the major influences on and limitations of their current practices in teaching the arts; and

(5) what they know about the Australian Arts curriculum including talking about related documents they have read or heard about .

294

APPENDIX8Outlineofquestions:Interview21. After looking through the curriculum online, tell me about your initial

response to it a. digital presentation b. curriculum content c. what in particular appeals to you? (can you tell me more about

this) d. What is similar or different to the NSW syllabus? (organisation and

the way you read it, language, intention?)

2. Thinking about your class (subject), look at the art/s subject in that band: a. Tell me about what you see and think of in relation to your class

and your teaching

3. In the last interview I asked you about your thoughts on the value of arts in education and to describe your practice, how you use the syllabus resources and what you do with your students.

a. Tell me about ideas you have for your teaching when you look at the AC.

4. What do you think is beneficial for teachers and for students in this curriculum? (Less/more prescriptive; autonomy; integration opportunities; breadth/

depth)

a. What is similar or different to the NSW syllabus? (organisation and the way you read it, language, intention?)

5. In your view, as a NSW teacher, a. what has influenced the development of the Australian Arts

curriculum? b. What is the source for teachers to receive updates and information

about curriculum? c. how do you share their thoughts on curriculum development?

6. Have you heard of or read the Melbourne declaration?

a. Do you think the Australian Arts curriculum will help: All young Australians become:

1. successful learners 2. confident and creative individuals 3. active and informed citizens

295

APPENDIX9Exampleofinterviewtranscript

LINDA Sarah,whatI'minterestedtoknowaboutisyourbackground.Whatwasyoureducationalbackgroundandwhathasledyoutowhereyouaretodayasaprimaryteacherwhoisalsoavisualartsspecialist.

SARAH Okay,soIwenttohighschoolandIdidelectiveartinhighschool.LINDA Yeah.SARAH Itookthatuntilyear12.WhichissixforminthosedaysandIgotA

levelsinthatandIwasalwaysinterestedinvisualarts.ThenwhenIwenttoUni,IdidasmuchvisualartsthereasIcould.I'vejustalwaysbeeninterestedinvisualartsandalwayskeentolearnsomethingdifferent.SoImadeitamissionofminetogoasmanydifferentcraftgroups.

LINDA Yeah.SARAH ..andthingsandlearnasmanydifferentcraftsasIcould..andthe

onlyoneIthinkthatIhaven'tcoveredisleadlightwindows[00:01:04].

LINDA Ohwow.SARAH I'vedoneeverything.LINDA Wow.SARAH IjustlovelearningtodoitandIloveteachingit.Ithinkit'sreally

beneficialintheclassroomsespeciallyforchildrenwhoarenothighachieversbecauseyou’renotthis,nothing’swrong.

LINDA Yeah.SARAH DoyouknowwhatImean?LINDA Yep.SARAH Nothing’swrongandiftheydosomethingthattheydon'tlike,wecan

alwaysfixitandIusealotoflanguageinmyvisualartsandIthinkthechildrenthinkthatthey'renotlearninganything…‘ohwhatdidyoudotoday?’wejustdidpaintingbutinactualfactthey'velearnedwordslikethedifferentcolorsandreflect,puttingthingsintothedistance,inforeground,background,andallthosesortsofterms.Ithinktheyhaven'tlearnedanything,they'djusthavefun…

LINDA ..butthey’veactuallylearnedvisualartsterminology.SARAH ..Visualartsterminology,yeahandthat'swhyIlovevisualarts

becauseanyonecandoit.LINDA AndsoifwegobacktowhenyouwereatUni,wereyouintentionally

doinganeducationqualificationor..SARAH ..yes..LINDA ..wereyoudoingsomethingelse?SARAH No,Iwasdoingthe...Whatwasitcalled?Itwascalledgeneral

primary,that’swhatitwascalled.IwenttoSydneyanditwascalledgeneralprimary,wejustdidallthesubjectsbutwehadachancetodovisualartsaswell.

LINDA Okay.SARAH Ireallyenjoyeddoingthatbutthatalsoinvolvedthingslikesewing.LINDA Yeah.SARAH WhichIlikedoing,oranycraftorany...Ijustlovedoing.It'sjustmy

favoritething.

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LINDA Howdoyoufindthatwithalloftheotherthingsasaprimaryteacherthatyouhavetoteach?

SARAH Well,atfirstIthoughtit'sabitofadragbutum[laughter]...becauseIenjoyitbecauseyouhavelike...Idon'tknow.Itwasall...WhenIhavedifficultclasses,Ialwaysusetowritedownontheboard.“Right.We'vegottodothis,we'vegottodothat,andgottodothat.Thenatthebottomhere,we'vegotsomevisualarts.Ifyouwanttogetthroughall,ifyouwanttogettothevisualarts,you'vegottogetthroughalloftheseandwe'vegottodoitproperly”.

LINDA Itwasalmostarewardsystem.SARAH Itwasarewardsystemforthosechildren.ItrytotieMathsintocraft

aswellbecauseIhadtomeasurethingsandcountstitchesandlanguagelikeforwards,doublestitch,andthingslikethat.Itrytointegrateitasmuchaspossible.

LINDA Okay.SARAH OnlybecauseIjustloveitandit'sjustIwouldteach…Intheolden

days,weusedtodoEnglishunitsandeverythingwouldcomeoutofthat.AlltheotherKLAswouldcomeoutofthatandIlovedoingthataswell…

LINDA YeahSARAH …andIthoughtwouldn'titbegreatifyoucoulddovisualartsand

haveitallcominginatvisualartsorthelanguageandtheMath’sandeverythingcomingoutofthat.

LINDA HaveyoufoundawaytodothatwiththeNSWsyllabus?SARAH No,it'sverysadbecausethere'sjusttoomuchinthecurriculumat

themomentandvisualartsisjustshovedunderthecarpet.LINDA Okay.SARAH Youfeelthatyousortof"Ican'treallytieitinunlesswe'vegota

reallygoodtopicinHSIEand,orScience."AsIgooutofmywaytomakeaunitonvisualartsdoingfamousartistandVanGoghandlookingatthingslikethat.Orbeinginvolvedwithnotjustabrushorsomethinglikethat,otherwiseit’sreallyhardtofitvisualartsinthesedays.

LINDA Okay.SARAH Eventhoughalotdoingit.LINDA Yeah.SARAH It'shardtofititinbecauseyouknowyou'vegottogetthroughall

theseotherstuff.LINDA Yeah.SARAH Itsortoftakespriority.LINDA Yeah.SARAH That'sthetragedyofitall.LINDA Howlonghaveyoubeenworkingasaprim-...Iassumeasaprimary

teacherand...visualartsSARAH thirtyfouryears.LINDA Wow.SARAH Yeah,IwasanRFFteacheratPeakhurstWestforaboutfiveorsix

years.Theyactuallyemployedme,theyhaveaswimmingpooloverthereandIhavea...certificateinteachingswimming.TheygotmeoutoftheretoruntheirswimmingteambutwhentheyfoundoutIwasgoodatvisualarts,theyputmeinchargeofthevisualartsaswellandthenIdidvisualartsforalotoftheteachersaswellaspart

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oftheRFFprogram.WhichIfoundwasenjoyablebutveryhard.Preparationalonewas...

LINDA TodoitasanRFF...SARAH Itkilledyou.LINDA Becauseyoujustgotsomanydifferentclassesthatyou'vegottobe

readyforallthetime.SARAH EventhoughIwasworkingthreedaysaweek,itwaslike5daysof

weekwork.LINDA Becauseyouactuallythatpreparation.SARAH Somuch…somuchpreparation.LINDA Okay,Ithinkthat'sworking.Yup.SARAH Okay.LINDA PerfectlyIneedquestiontwowhichiswhatareyourperceptions

withthevalueofartseducationinschool?Sothinkingofthestudentsthatyou'vetaught,whatyou'venoticedabouthowtheylearnedwiththedifferentartapproachesthatyouusedwiththem?

SARAH Well,Ithinkit'sreallyimportantbecauseIthinkalotofchildrenhavedifficultyintheacademic.TheymaynotbegoodatMaths,theymaynotbegoodatEnglishandtheymayespeciallytheolderkidstheymaynowstartfeelingselfconsciousaboutnotbeinggoodatthosethings.Ithinkthroughart,becausetheyletalltheir...They'rejustgood,what'stheword?Thatallthedefensesdowninart,thattheycanrelaxandtheyreallygetintoit.They'reactuallylearningastheygoalongandtheydon'tevenknowthey’relearning.Theygettoachievethingsand"Ohlook,Icandothis."Thereisnomistakesinartandtheystartto,involuntaryalmost,starttousethelanguageandthenputabitofMathsintherelikeperspectiveandstufflikethat.Theydon'tevenrealizethatthey'reusingalltheseotherskills.Theythinkthatthey'repainting…

LINDA Yeah.SARAH ..asceneandtheydon'tknowthatthey'replanningahead.They're

puttingthingsinsequence,they'reusingthelanguage,they'reusingtheMathsbyputtingthingsinthebackgroundmakingthemsmaller..Andastheygetolder,youcanusedifferentskillsbyactuallymeasuringoutallthedifferentthingsandusingtheequationstomeasureoutperspectiveandstufflikethat.It'skindoflikeincidentallearning.Ithinkit'sreallyexcitingbecauseum…theygettofeelgoodaboutthemselves‘causetheyhaveachievedsomething.

LINDA Right.SARAH YouknowIcan'tdomultiplicationbutyoulookatthesebeautiful

drawingthatI'vedone.ThisnicepieceofcraftthatI'vedonewhereIhadtomeasureoutthelengthsofthingstodo..andsotheydon'trealizethey'redoingit.

LINDA Yeah.SARAH That'swhyIlikeitsomuch.LINDA Yeah.Wow.SARAH Yeah.LINDA Doyoufindthen,thattheymakeconnectionsifthey'relearning

somethingelseinclassthattheymightapply?Iftheyhadthatideaofperspectiveandthenthey’reinMathstheymightmakethatconnectionorisitthatthekidsthatyouteach,they'rekindoftooyoungatthisstagetomakethat?

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SARAH No,ItaughtallthekeysandsometimesIthinktheymightmaketheconnectiongrowth.Actuallyalotofkidstheykindofputitinboxes.Theygo"OhthisisMath,that'sinthatbox,"and"ThisisEnglishandthat'sinthatbox,"and"Thisisvisualartsandthat'sinthatbox."Youdon'tsortofmixthemupandyoudon'twanttoputitawayontheshelf.Theboxawayontheshelf,youdon'tneedtousethatagain.

LINDA Yeah.SARAH Ithinktheyreallyrealizethatit'smoreincidentalunlessyoupointit

outtothem,youknow?LINDA Yeah.SARAH InyourMathslessonyousay,"Rememberwedidthis,wellit'sthe

samething,"andthatissortofrevelation."Ohyeah"andIdon'tseetoomanygetthat,puttingtheconnectiontogetherthemselves.

LINDA Yeah.Yeah.SARAH Withtheguide...LINDA Okay,sothinkingaboutyourteachingpracticeandhowyouusearts.

Artsandyourartandotherartformsinschool,howdoyouworkwiththecurrentNewSouthWalesSyllabus?Whatsortofresourcesareavailableandwhat'sthecommunityoftheschoollikeintermsofsupportingthat?

SARAH Allright,totellyouthetruthIdon'tknowthatmuchaboutthenewsyllabus.

LINDA No,no,nothecurrentNewSouthWalesSyllabus.SARAH Ohcurrentone.LINDA Thecurrentstatesyllabusthatyou'reusing.SARAH Well,Ikindof,Idon'treallyuseitthatmuch.Tobehonest.Isortof...

WellIknowit’sthereandIknowwhatIshouldbedoingbutIkindof...I’dprobablystartusingitasastartingoffpointandthenIsortofgooutnotonatangentbutIsortofexpandonit.

LINDA Yeah.SARAH Igettouseit,itdependsonwhatI’mdoingespeciallyinYeartwo,

wedon’treallydovisualartsasalesson.Weintegratedwitheverythingelse…

LINDA Okay..SARAH Sowedon’treallyhaveaseparatevisualartsprogram.Whenyou

lookaroundhereit’salltodowiththe...wedidPDHealthyeahsothatsortoflikeaKenDonekindofthing.Youjusttryandmixitin.Wedidseaanimalssowedidpointalism.WedidprintingandI’mmoreorlessteachingthemtheskillsofthedifferentthingsatthemomentandatwhereyou’vebeen,yousortoftalkabouttheartist,thatalsoworklikethatandyousaysortsofthings.Whatelsehaveagotaroundherewe’redoing3Dshapes(lookingaroundclassroom)seethat’sMaths,makingcylinders,.Thisoneherethewhirly-gigthingthat’sjust..Isaidwe’rejustgoingtodothatone,forfun.SoIdon’treallyhaveasetvisualartsprogrambutbecauseI’mfamiliarwithallthedifferentthings,Isortoftieintoalltheothersubjects.Intheseniorclasses,whatIusedtodoisIusedtopickanartistandIusedtodoalotofworkonthatparticularartistandthenwhenwedoexamplesofworkgoingwiththatartistanddifferentstyles.That’showIusedtowork...

LINDA Anyparticularartistthatseemtobereallyappealingtothekids?SARAH They’relikethebrightsortsof...youknowthePicasso’sandbright

works,Kandinsky,theyliketheKenDonebecauseit’sbright.Idida

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wholeunitonZentanglesIdon’tknowwhatartistusesthosebutdoyouknowwhattheyare?

LINDA No.SARAH WellifyoulookatthegirlthatwontheArchibald,thisyear.Ican’t

rememberhername,she’sdoneumartworkof...[LINDAthatwastheHugoWeavingwitthecat]Wellshe...yeah,Hugoholdingthecat.Inthebackgroundshe’sgotallthedotssothat’s...shesaidshewasn’tinfluencedbyAboriginalpeoplebutit’slikeanAboriginalkindofartworkbutallthatotherworkislikedonewithblackpenandit’salllines,soZentanglesarelikethat.

Youstartoffwithjustusingblacklinedrawingstomakepatternsandyoujustrepeatthepatterns.SoIdidawholeunitofworkwithyear4becauseIwashelpingsomeone,wedidwholeunitonZentanglesandwhenwefinishedthatIjustmovedontoanotherartist.IjustgetIdeas.

LINDA Yeah.SARAH Ijustexpandonthatbutthey’renotjustabrush.Thisyear,Igotan

ideafromBrettWhitely.[LINDAYeah].SARAH Hedidneedsome...arubberthongthatheturnedintoanowland

stuckitonapole.LINDA OhyesI’veseenthatasit’sdone.Yeah,yeah.SARAH Wellthey’reonlyexhibitionatthemomentandworkswiththeidea

forme.Bringingyourrubberthongsandwe’lldecoratethoseandputthemonatomatostake.Getideasyouknow?Likethatandyeah.

LINDA That’swonderful.Right.SARAH I’mnotreallyabookpersonsoIknowitsinthesyllabusbecauseI’ve

useditallthetimebutIdon’tkindofsticktoit.LINDA Yeah.SARAH Youknow.I’llprobablyverynaughtythatway.Justlikebevery

creative.LINDA Howwonderfulforthestudentsthough?Becausetheymustpickup

onyourenthusiasmandyourcuriosity.SARAH Yeah.IgetalotofideasfromthemtoosoifI’mstucktosomethingI’ll

say“oh,whatarewegoingtodowiththis?Iwanttoputitherebutitdoesn’tseemtobeworking”andthey’llsay“wellwhydon’twedothis?”“WellwecoulddothatIsuppose..noI’vegotabetteridea”,sortoftryingtogetabitofdiscussionoutofthemthatwayaswell.

LINDA Theycollaboratingandproblemsolvingtogether?SARAH YeahbutIdon’tknowthey’redoingthat.LINDA Yeah.Subliminallearning,it’sfabulousisn’tit[laughter].LINDA Wetouchedonthisalittlebit,whatwouldyousaythemajor

influencesonyourcurrentpracticethewayyou’reusingartintheclassroom?Andwhatdoyouthinkmightbethelimitationsonthat?

SARAH Wellmaterials,time,time’sabigconstraint.It’sashameyou’dhavetodoothersubjectsreally.Icoulddoitalldaylong…umandartmaterialsarejustsoexpensiveandit’snotlikeanothersubjectwhereEnglishyoucanbuyakitanditlastsforyearsandyears.Artmaterialsaredisposable,youjustgottokeepbuyingthemandthat’sthemainlimitationsIfind.

LINDA Whataretheinfluencesonwhatyoudo?Youweretalkingabouthowyoujustgetideasfromthingsaroundyou.Arethereinfluencesfromwithintheschool,fromtheschoolcommunityaswell?

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SARAH Notreally,Idon’tthinkso.Wedoour...atthebeginningoftheyearwedoourculturalsortoftimewhenwe’resortingatclasseswedothat,aunitontheChinesenewyearandthingslikethatsowemightdoalotofartworktodoaChineseartwork.OroneyearIwenttotheartgalleryandIsawalotofIslamicartsoIcamebackwithlotsofideasaboutIslamicart.WegotquiteafewofMoslemkidsheresoIdidabitorworkonthatbut…Isupposebecausetheschool’sneartheoceanwedo,oftenalotoftheclassesdoalotofthingsabouttheseaandthatisaunitofworkanywayinStageone,that’sapopularone.Ikindofliketodomyownthing...andifthere’ssomethingelseouttherethatfitsinwithwhatIwanttodoandthere’stheresourcestodoitthenyeahI’llgowiththat.

LINDA Yeah.SARAH Wegotagardendownthebackheresowewentandmadealittle

scarecrow,thingstoputinthegardentogetthebirdsoffourstrawberries.

LINDA Didtheywork?SARAH Ahwell.Yesandno.[laughter]LINDA IjustknowtheSydneymagpiesthesedaysandthey’repretty

determinedtheydon’tactuallyneedtobescaredofanything.SARAH Youknow,itjustdependsonwhatwe’redoing.That’sthewayI

work.LINDA Yeah,okay.It’swonderful.SARAH Idon’tlike...IrememberwhenIwasdoingstagetwo.Idon’tliketo

betoldwhatIhavetodo,likeforbookcoversforinstance.Everyonehadthisgenericbookcoversandtheywereboring,theyhadtheschoolemblemonthefrontandIwastheonlyteacherthatsaid,“I’mnotdoingit.Ijustwillnothavethosebooks“...Isaid“thisisanopportunitytodoreallyniceartworkandputitonyourbook.”EveryoneknowswhatI’mlikeandtheyjustsaid“okaySarahyougooffandyoudothat”.FortunatelyinStageonethat’swhatwedoanyway.Wemakeartworktoputonourbooksandthehorriblegenericbookcoversfizzledoutthankgoodness,butyeah,I’mabitlikethat.Iliketodomyownthing[00:18:42].

LINDA So,Iwonderwhatthestudentsarebeenpickingupinthattoo,aretheybecomingquiteindependentinthewaytheythinkandthewaytheyportraythemselves.

SARAH Yeah,andIlikeoriginality,Idon’tlikethemtocopy.IsaidwellifIshowthemsomethingthatI’vefoundsayonPinterestorsomethinglikethat,sowellallIwanttodosomethinglikethis.Idon’twanttodothis,Iwanttodosomethinglikethis.Thisisthatperson’sinterpretation,let’sdoourown.Sometimesyou’rereallyopeningacanofworms,yougeteverythingandyouthink“OhwhathaveIdone”.Sometimesyougetsomereallycreativeideasandthenyoucanshow,yousay,“Welllookatthis.”It’sagoodpracticeforthekidstostandupandgoonandhavealookaroundeveryoneelse’sworkandweonlytalkaboutconstructivecriticism,wedon’tbageachother’swork.Thekidsthatarereallystrugglingorhavelearningdifficulties,seeotherpeople’sworkandthink“mine’sasgoodasthat”.Justtoseetheirfaces,lookwhatI’vedone”.[LINDAIsn’tthatlovely?That’sgivingthemself-confidence][00:20:01]

SARAH Self-confidenceyeahandIthinkwhenthey’reyoungit’sgoodbecausetheyhaven’thaditdrummedintothemthisisright,thisis

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wrongsothey’restillcreative.Bythetimetheygetolder,they’reworried,“isthis,amIdoingitright,isthistherightthing?”They’reveryhungupaboutwhat’srightandwhat’swrongandIgivethemasheetofartpaper[00:20:27]andIsay“nowthat’sfivecents.That’swhatthat’sworth,ifyoumakeamistake,you’renotgettinganothersheet.Ifyoumakeamistakewe’regoingtofixitup,we’regoingtochangeit,becausethere’snomistakesinart”.IshowthemI’vegotabigposterofBluePolesandIputthemupthereandIgo“lookatthat“andtheygo,“That’sjustalotofblobs,”andIsaid,“That’sworthlotsofmoney.”[laughter]

Youcantellthemthenumberandwheneveryoutoo,Idon’tknowthedifferencebetween$5and$500and$5,000.Youtellthemthat’slikeworthalotofmoney,lookatthatandallwecandosomethingbetterthanthat.They’reliketheyhavetotheirbeautifulartworkandthey’vemadeamistake,wejustfixitup,wepaintoveritorwechangeitandmakeitfitinwithwhatwe’redoing.Whereaswhentheygetolder,“OhImadeamistake,”throwoutthepieceandstartagain.It’sgottoberightbecausethey’vegotthathangupaboutdoingtherightthing,wheretheycreativeandthisissortofthingisbeingsquashedoutofthem.

LINDA Yeah.SARAH That’swhat’ssad.LINDA Yeah.Wellthat’sinterestingthoughandit’ssorefreshingtohear.SARAH Good.LINDA That’slovely.Sothelastbigquestion.SARAH Ohdear.LINDA Thisistotallyfinebecauseitleadsintothesecondinterviewanyway.

WhatdoyouknoworwhathaveyouheardabouttheAustralianartscurriculumthat’sstillunpublished.You’renotexpectedtohavepreparedanythingsoit’sreallyjustwhatyou’veheardor...

SARAH TheonlythingIknowwaslastyear,twoorthreeteachesfromherewentintohelpwriteitandIwasabitpeevedoffbecauseIwasawaythedaythattheytherewereasked.IthoughtIshouldhavebeenintherebecauseIhadalltheideasandit’svirtuallyallIknow.

LINDA Okay.SARAH Yeah.LINDA Wecanchangethat.SARAH Ihopethisdoesn’tchangetoomuchbecauseyouknowhow

sometimestheycanbesoairyfairy.There’salotofteachers,they’rereallyfrightenedofdoingvisualartsbecausetheydon’tknowwhattodoandthey’retooscaredandtheyliketheYear6kids,theydon’tknowifthey’redoingitright.

LINDA Exactly.SARAH They’retooscaredtotryitandtheysay“OhSarah,you’resucha

natural”andit’smyfavoritesubject.Ijustgo,andIjustteachit.Iknowfromexperience,thefirstthingIdoisIshowthemhowtousethedifferenttypes...IteachIshowthem,thisisyourbrushandthisiswhatthispart’scalledandthisishowwaterbrushes,watercolourbrushesyouuseinadifferentwaytoyourotherbrushesthatwehave.Don’tstandthemuplikethis…andIteachthemalltherulesaboutpaintingandthenifwe’redoingfacesorbodiesthenIteachthemabouttheproportionsandsothisarecertainrulesinartandyoualwaysgetagoodfaceifyoudothisrule,theeyesarehalfway

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downthehead,thetopoftheeyeswiththeearandallthissortofthing.There’scertainrulesandifyouwanttomakeitreallystickandIteachthatsortofthingandIjustknowthat.JustcomesoutlikeverbaldiarrhoeabutalotofteachersarereallyhungupwiththatbecauseIsay,“WellIdon’treallyknowallthat.”They’refrightenedtoattemptitbecausetheythinkitwon’tworkoutandtheydon’tknowwhatelsetodo.

LINDA Yeah.SARAH IthinkIhopeit’sthe...it’sgoingtobeeasytoread,likeuser-friendly.

YouknowwhatImean?It’snotgoingtobetoodauntingandhavetoomanyexpectations.

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APPENDIX10Exampleofthemesthatarosefromthedatainthecodingprocess