Abstract:
This research acknowledges the difficulties experienced by teachers
presenting integrated arts curricula. Instructional support is offered by arts
organizations that provide arts partnerships with local schools boards. The study
focuses on the experiences of 8 teachers from a Catholic school board in southern
Ontario who participated in integrated arts programs offered by The Royal
Conservatory of Music's Learning Through the Arts™ (LTTATM) program and a
local art gallery's Art Based Integrated Learning (ABIL) program and examines
their responses to the programs and their perception of personal and professional
development through this association. Additionally, questions were posed to the
. "aftisfs"from-tneSe]Jfograrrrs;-and"they liiscus·sed·how"participating in-collaboration
with teachers in the development of in-school programs enabled them to
experience personal and professional development as well.
Seven themes emerged from the data. These themes included: teachers'
feelings of a lack of preparedness to teach the arts; the value of the arts and arts
partnerships in schools; the role of the artists in the education of teachers;
professional development for both teachers and artists; the development of
collegiality; perceptions of student engagement; and the benefits and obstacles of
integrating the arts into the curriculum. This document highlights the benefits to
both teachers and artists of arts partnerships between schools and outside arts
organizations.
