Onto-Epistemic Development of Culturally Sustaining Teaching Artists in a Multigenerational Learning Community

• In Event: Learning From Within: Cross-Cultural Explorations of Diverse Learning Communities

Abstract

With many teaching artists (i.e., professional artists who teach) working with BIPOC learners in marginalized communities, cultural sustaining competencies are a baseline requirement for entry to the field. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to investigate how teaching in a multigenerational, culturally sustaining setting informs early-career teaching artists’ onto-epistemic beliefs about (1) teaching and learning; (2) artmaking, and (3) community. Drawing from theoretical perspectives of culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris, 2012) and the dynamic systems model of role identity (DSMRI; Kaplan & Garner, 2018), findings indicate that onto-epistemic beliefs in these three domains dynamically emerged as critical-constructivist, pluralist, and dialectical critical realist stances. Implications for practice and research on the preparation of culturally sustaining teaching artists are offered.

Authors

• Kevin M. Kane, University of California - Los Angeles
  Presenting Author

• Lindsey Kunisaki, University of California - Los Angeles
  Presenting Author