Arts as a Tool for Learning Across the Curriculum: A pilot projectSharmistha Das, Yvonne Dewhurst, Donald GraySchool of Education University of Aberdeen British Educational Research Association (BERA) 2009
STNE and ATLACTeacher for a New EraNew Learning EnvironmentSTNENew Professional CultureNew Framework for Continuous LearningATLACincreasing creativity learning in partnership inclusive approach interconnected learning
Policy ContextGlobalEuropeanUK  All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education. (1999)Creativity in Education (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2001)National Priorities (Scottish Executive, 2001)Determined to Succeed  (Scottish Executive, 2002)Curriculum for Excellence (Scottish Executive, 2004)Final Report of the Cultural Commission  (Scottish Executive, 2005)Emerging Good Practice in Promoting Creativity. (HMIE, 2006)How Good is our School? The Journey to Excellence (HMIE, 2006)Skills for Scotland :A Lifelong Skills Strategy (Scottish  Government 2007)Improving Enterprise in Education (HMIE, 2008)
Successful Learnerswith:enthusiasm and motivation for learningdetermination to reach high standards of achievementopenness to new thinking and ideas             and able to:use literacy, communication and numeracy skillsuse technology for learningthink creatively and independentlylearn independently and as part of a groupmake reasoned evaluationslink and apply different kinds of learning in new situations.Confident Individualswith:self-respecta sense of physical, mental and emotional well-beingsecure values and beliefsambition             and able to:relate to others and manage themselvespursue a healthy and active lifestylebe self-awaredevelop and communicate their own beliefs and view of  the worldlive as independently as they canassess risk and make informed decisions.Curriculum for ExcellenceResponsible Citizenswith:respect for otherscommitment to participate responsibly in political, economic, social and cultural life             and able to:develop knowledge and understanding of the world and Scotland's place in itunderstand different beliefs and culturesmake informed choices and decisionsevaluate environmental, scientific and technological issuesdevelop informed, ethical views of complex issues.Effective Contributorswith:an enterprising attituderesilienceself-reliance             and able to:communicate in different ways and in different settingswork in partnership and in teamstake the initiative and leadapply critical thinking in new contextscreate and developsolve problems.
PhilosophyInterdisciplinarity (e.g. Petrie, 1992;  Ivanitskaya et al, 2002; Klein, 2004)Creativity (e.g. Creativity in Education, 2001)‘Holistic education’
Pedagogy, cognition and creativityThe creative learner	- divergent and convergent thinkingThe role of interdisciplinary learning Understanding learning in three domains:- cognitive	- social 	- affectiveCreativity -thinking and feeling	Multiple Intelligence (Gardner, 1993) 	Emotional Intelligence (Goleman, 1994)
Intervention and methodsATLAC input in the BEd and PGDE programmesATLAC and action research (Carr & Kemmis, 1986)Data gathered	- 34 interviews with the students, tutors and artists	- 37 semi-structured (classroom) observations	- pupil questionnaire
Selective emerging findingsCurriculum, pedagogy and creativity	- reinforcement of subject knowledge	- developing generic life-long learning skills	- pupils’ level of engagement (link)
Selective emerging findingsInclusive practice“…it got everyone involved, because you were incorporating different areas of activities, like more thinking, …different children’s learning…styles, and children want to get more involved because it’s more practical, it’s more fun, it’s not just sitting at their desk doing all written work.” (BEd3 interview)	“…everybody said to me ‘Oh! The boys won’t want to dance’… the boys were fantastic because it’s physical and they don’t have any kind of inhibition... In P4, …as well the boys really surprised me how artistic they were in their movements. They weren’t just running about and were really playing with the space and pattern and dynamic, it’s good.” (PGDE interview)
Selective emerging findingsATLAC and Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)The interdisciplinary learning approach created wider scope for skills development in the cognitive, affective as well as social domains.	“… If the student teachers are happy to allow children freedom to be creative, they are not imposing barriers that may help build confidence in the children, building self-esteem, and therefore enabling them to be much more creative, which I think would link on to them... that creativity helping them become much more successful learners. Responsible citizens… effective contributors, well if you are creative and willing to problem solve you are more likely to be helping out and helping each other so lots of team work going on.  Sharing ideas and learning from each other, ehm, back to the responsible citizens…” (BED3 Tutor interview)
Emerging ThemesBeginning teachers nurturing creativity:Planning
‘Fun’ and ‘learning’

ATLAC slides bera2009

  • 1.
    Arts as aTool for Learning Across the Curriculum: A pilot projectSharmistha Das, Yvonne Dewhurst, Donald GraySchool of Education University of Aberdeen British Educational Research Association (BERA) 2009
  • 2.
    STNE and ATLACTeacherfor a New EraNew Learning EnvironmentSTNENew Professional CultureNew Framework for Continuous LearningATLACincreasing creativity learning in partnership inclusive approach interconnected learning
  • 3.
    Policy ContextGlobalEuropeanUK All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education. (1999)Creativity in Education (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2001)National Priorities (Scottish Executive, 2001)Determined to Succeed (Scottish Executive, 2002)Curriculum for Excellence (Scottish Executive, 2004)Final Report of the Cultural Commission (Scottish Executive, 2005)Emerging Good Practice in Promoting Creativity. (HMIE, 2006)How Good is our School? The Journey to Excellence (HMIE, 2006)Skills for Scotland :A Lifelong Skills Strategy (Scottish Government 2007)Improving Enterprise in Education (HMIE, 2008)
  • 4.
    Successful Learnerswith:enthusiasm andmotivation for learningdetermination to reach high standards of achievementopenness to new thinking and ideas and able to:use literacy, communication and numeracy skillsuse technology for learningthink creatively and independentlylearn independently and as part of a groupmake reasoned evaluationslink and apply different kinds of learning in new situations.Confident Individualswith:self-respecta sense of physical, mental and emotional well-beingsecure values and beliefsambition and able to:relate to others and manage themselvespursue a healthy and active lifestylebe self-awaredevelop and communicate their own beliefs and view of the worldlive as independently as they canassess risk and make informed decisions.Curriculum for ExcellenceResponsible Citizenswith:respect for otherscommitment to participate responsibly in political, economic, social and cultural life and able to:develop knowledge and understanding of the world and Scotland's place in itunderstand different beliefs and culturesmake informed choices and decisionsevaluate environmental, scientific and technological issuesdevelop informed, ethical views of complex issues.Effective Contributorswith:an enterprising attituderesilienceself-reliance and able to:communicate in different ways and in different settingswork in partnership and in teamstake the initiative and leadapply critical thinking in new contextscreate and developsolve problems.
  • 5.
    PhilosophyInterdisciplinarity (e.g. Petrie,1992; Ivanitskaya et al, 2002; Klein, 2004)Creativity (e.g. Creativity in Education, 2001)‘Holistic education’
  • 6.
    Pedagogy, cognition andcreativityThe creative learner - divergent and convergent thinkingThe role of interdisciplinary learning Understanding learning in three domains:- cognitive - social - affectiveCreativity -thinking and feeling Multiple Intelligence (Gardner, 1993) Emotional Intelligence (Goleman, 1994)
  • 7.
    Intervention and methodsATLACinput in the BEd and PGDE programmesATLAC and action research (Carr & Kemmis, 1986)Data gathered - 34 interviews with the students, tutors and artists - 37 semi-structured (classroom) observations - pupil questionnaire
  • 8.
    Selective emerging findingsCurriculum,pedagogy and creativity - reinforcement of subject knowledge - developing generic life-long learning skills - pupils’ level of engagement (link)
  • 9.
    Selective emerging findingsInclusivepractice“…it got everyone involved, because you were incorporating different areas of activities, like more thinking, …different children’s learning…styles, and children want to get more involved because it’s more practical, it’s more fun, it’s not just sitting at their desk doing all written work.” (BEd3 interview) “…everybody said to me ‘Oh! The boys won’t want to dance’… the boys were fantastic because it’s physical and they don’t have any kind of inhibition... In P4, …as well the boys really surprised me how artistic they were in their movements. They weren’t just running about and were really playing with the space and pattern and dynamic, it’s good.” (PGDE interview)
  • 10.
    Selective emerging findingsATLACand Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)The interdisciplinary learning approach created wider scope for skills development in the cognitive, affective as well as social domains. “… If the student teachers are happy to allow children freedom to be creative, they are not imposing barriers that may help build confidence in the children, building self-esteem, and therefore enabling them to be much more creative, which I think would link on to them... that creativity helping them become much more successful learners. Responsible citizens… effective contributors, well if you are creative and willing to problem solve you are more likely to be helping out and helping each other so lots of team work going on. Sharing ideas and learning from each other, ehm, back to the responsible citizens…” (BED3 Tutor interview)
  • 11.
    Emerging ThemesBeginning teachersnurturing creativity:Planning
  • 12.
  • 13.
  • 14.
  • 15.
    Catering for differinglearning styles and needs Some thoughts……a really good outcome is something that reflects a good process…which…I believe in the art world, if your process is good then your outcome will be good.” (Artist interview, 7th June 2008) * A ‘process-driven’ pedagogy or a ‘product-driven’ pedagogy? * ‘creative teaching’ and ‘teaching for creativity’