The experience of generalists teaching art: Reflection on the lived experience

This research project was designed to understand the lived experience of nine general practitioners teaching art; three from primary schools in the UK and six from elementary schools in the US. It used a reflective-formative style of inquiry, relying on Dewey’s (1933) theory of knowledge (experience + reflection = new knowledge). Teachers from the UK and the USA were observed for one art lesson, followed by a reflective discussion of the observation. Various themes emerged from the analysis of the participants’ narratives, including challenges of teaching art relating to budget, curriculum and training, as well as concerns over pedagogy and planning. The research project was designed at a challenging time for art educators. Art education in the United States and England is in a constant state of flux; as the economy and political interests have changed, so has art education (Sabol, 2013; Steers, 2013). Not all teachers are comfortable teaching art (Miraglia, 2008; Stokrocki, 199