Bridging Brush and Pixel: A Comparative Study of Traditional and Digital Painting for Pre-Service Art Educators

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Parenting, Painting, and Puppetry: Innovative Pedagogies for Art Education in a Changing World

Abstract

This qualitative case study explores how traditional and digital painting methods influence the creative experiences, artistic outcomes, and instructional strategies of 16 graduate pre-service art educators. Grounded in Constructivism, the TPACK framework, and Media Ecology Theory, the study employs interviews, observations, and analysis of participants’ artworks across both modalities. Findings reveal that traditional painting fosters emotional resonance, tactile engagement, and perceived artistic control, while digital painting promotes flexibility, experimentation, and pedagogical innovation. Participants reported that engaging with both modalities cultivated a deeper awareness of how media shape meaning and teaching practice. The study underscores the need for hybrid curricula in art teacher education, preparing future educators to integrate material and digital fluency in diverse, contemporary learning environments.

Author

• Qianyu Zhou, Teachers College, Columbia University