Implementation of an Aesthetic Art Curriculum for English Learners

• In Event: Teacher Education in Linguistically Diverse Settings: Understanding Teacher Voice and Development

Abstract

This paper presents a qualitative action research study intended to contribute to the understanding of the impact of implementing aesthetic education into the curriculum for teachers of English Learners (ELs). Twenty-three graduate education students participated in a workshop rooted in the aesthetic education theories of Maxine Greene, structured around a four-stage knowledge acquisition schema. Thereafter, participants experimented with using arts-based lessons in their classrooms. Interviews conducted after the workshop and after the practice attempts showed that participants gained confidence and facility integrating arts and aesthetics into their teaching and supported the view that such teaching assists ELs to engage with the language and with the curriculum while helping all students to see the beauty and relevance of art.

Author

• Audrey Figueroa Murphy, Saint John's University