Arts education in the 21st century is transforming knowledge, skills and building capacities for new creative learning communities. View 'Out of the Darkness' to understand the current challenges in teacher education and suggested creative solutions for the future.

1. Fostering
In Creative Arts
Bronwen Wade-Leeuwen
Human Sciences, Department of
Education, Macquarie University, 2109.
bronwen.wadeleeuwen@mq.edu.au
Out of the Shadows
presented to
Macquarie Lighthouse Forum
September 18, 2014

2. A Christian perspective
Mathew 5:14-16 ‘Salt and Light’
(14) “You are the light of the world.
A town built on a hill cannot be
hidden.
(15) Neither do people light
a lamp and put it under a
bowl.
Instead they put it on its
stand, and it gives light to
everyone in the house.
(16) In the same way, let your light
shine before others, that they may
see your good deeds and glorify
your Father in heaven”. New International Version

3. Pedagogical background
• This study is presented in the current Australian
reductionist context where educational policy is centered
on measuring student learning and neglects issues of
context and social outcomes (Lingard, 2001, 2012).
• Concerns:
to develop broader intercultural environments that works
within a community of practice (Lave and Wenger,1991;
Wenger, 2000) and
to use arts-based approaches to foster ‘creativity’ in pre-
service teachers in visual arts education.

4. This research investigates the impact of multiple case
studies (Stake, 2006; yin, 2009) conducted with primary
generalist pre-service teachers during their 3rd or final 4th
year in the Creative Arts course offered at a Sydney-based
university.
Goal:
The major goal was to learn how to develop their creative
capacities so they can foster creativity in the children they
teach.
© B. Wade-Leeuwen_ PhD research, Department of Education, Macquarie University 2014.
4

5. Research question:
How to foster ‘creativity’ in primary generalist
pre-service art teachers…
…so they can better
mentor the children they
teach?

6. Interlinked questions:
What is the creative arts program and what
does it achieve?
What are the immediate outcomes or
dispositions that a creative arts program should
achieve?
What’s the role of artists
in the Creative Arts
programs at this
university?

7. Literature Reviews

8. • Creativity is complex and hard to measure
• Many conflicting misconceptions exist about creativity
• Concerns are that teachers within schooling
are not teaching children to think creatively
• Pre-service teacher’s confidence to teach creativity is
generally limited due to their background experience or
limited preparedness to teach visual and creative arts.
Creativity and Imagination
©B. Wade-Leeuwen_ phd research, Department of Education, Macquarie University 2014
8

9. The Research Design

10. The Multiple case studies (Stake, 2006, Yin 2009).
10
LinearMotion
Universal Language in Design Principles
Bwo-me(life’sbreath)

11. the working definition:
“Creativity is the production of new ideas,
approaches or actions”
©B. Wade-Leeuwen_ phd research, Department of Education, Macquarie University 2014.
11
“.....Creative individuals typically master a
practice or tradition before they transform it.”
Adopted from Sternberg (1999) building on work of:
J. P. Guilford(1950) and E. Paul Torrance (1962, 1974).

12. The researcher learning new skills
Working within a community of practice (Wenger, 2000)

13. Methodology

14. Methodology:
An Arts-Based research inquiry (Barone & Eisner, 2012)
Mixed-methods approach (Creswell, 2010)
Case studies (Stake, 2006; Yin, 2009)
Constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz & Bryant, 2011)
to analyse the data.
Data collection:
• Phase 1: Questionnaire with total cohort (n=350)
• Phase 2: Participant observations in workshops (n=350)
• Phase 3: Semi-structured interviews with final-4th year
pre-service teachers (n=12).
Phase 4: Community of practice with critical friends
(Aboriginal & Chinese communities)

15. Phase 4: Community of practice with critical friends
groups involved collaborating from diverse artists:
Case study 1: Chinese master artists from Australia,
Shanghai, Singapore and Taiwan
Case study 2: Aboriginal elder artists from two
community groups.
All workshops were documented using video footage,
visual arts portfolios, exhibitions and still images .
Ethics approval no 5201100181. 12/5/11.

16. Examples of collaborative creativity

17. Inspired by the 10th century, Chinese Mo-ku ink-splash
method of painting by allows the materials to lead you…
©B. Wade-Leeuwen_ phd research, Macquarie University 2014.

18. Drawing out ideas from the imagination
inspired by Aboriginal story telling…
B. Wade-Leeuwen_ phd research, Macquarie University 2014.
Vygotsky (1930/2004) believes any creative act lives within the person who
created it and is known only to that person (p7).

19. Learning contemporary printmaking techniques
3rd year pre-service teachers working with urban Aboriginal artists

20. findings from the multiple case studies

21. Findings: Some immediate outcomes or
dispositions for pre-service teachers
Learn different creativity levels (known to unknown)
Exposure to fantasy associations (imagination)
Develop creative capacities (flexibility, fluidity and elaboration)
Engage in collaborative interactions with diverse artists
Encourage resilience by being task focused & disciplined
Promote mindfulness through avoidance of premature closure
Creative thinking and action (problem-seeking and finding).

22. “Creativity is as much a decision about and an
attitude toward life as it is a matter of ability.
Creativity is often obvious in young children,
but it may be harder to find in older children
and adults because their creative potential has
been suppressed by a society that encourages
intellectual conformity” (Sternberg, 2006, 93).
Creativity: in our societies today
©B. Wade-Leeuwen_ phd research, Department of Education, Macquarie University 201422

23. From a Christian perspective, ‘creativity’ means to make,
bring into being…
Sternberg (2006, 2011) highlights the role society can play
in the development of creativity by increasing the rewards
and decreasing the costs…
In other words, society and the education system have a
responsibility to help pre-service teachers bring into the
light ‘creativity’ firstly by developing their own confidence
and then developing new approaches to teaching for
creativity in the classroom.
©B. Wade-Leeuwen_ phd research, Macquarie University 2014.

24. Shifting out of the shadows…. shine like a light to the world

25. TThankjTh
Creative Arts-based research inquiry
25
Community of practice sponsors:
Australian Fujian Association
Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative, Leichhardt, Sydney
Children and Families Research Centre (CFRC)
Creative Arts Program, School of Education, Macquarie University
Mo-ku Expressionist Artists Australia
National Institute of Chinese Education (Nice learning School)
Workshop Art Centre, Sydney.
Thank you:
Supervisor: Dr Neil Harrison
Associate Supervisors:
Associate Professor Alma Fleet
Emeritus professor Alan Rice

26. Mo-ku Expressionist Artists Australia
teaching ‘Creativity’ Workshops
26

27. •
Anderson, T. (1995). Toward an Intercultural Approach to Art Criticism. Studies in art Education. 36 (4). 198-209.
Anderson, L. & Krathwohl, D. A (2001). Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of
Educational Objectives New York: Longman.
Ball, S. J. (1994). The Education Reform Act: a critical and post structural appraisal. Australia.
Barone, T. & Eisner, E.W.(2012). Arts based research. Sage Publications.
Board of Studies NSW, (2003). Visual Arts Years 7–10 Syllabus.
• Board of Studies NSW, (2000). The Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus.
• Edwards, C., Gandini, L., Forman, G. (1998). The Hundred Languages of Children.
New Jersey: Ablex Publishing.
• Eisner, W. E. (1972). Educating Artistic Vision. New York: Macmillan.
Lingard, B. (2001). Some Lessons for Educational Researchers: Repositioning Research in Education and Education Research.
In the Australian Educational Researcher, 28 (3), p.4.
• Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• McLauclan, J. Personal Correspondence. 2011, 2012. The Creative Arts Program
(TEP419 & TEP320). Macquarie University.
• National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching, (2010). Department of Education, Employment and Workplace
Training, Commonwealth of Australia. Visited on 20.5.12.
http://www.deewr.gov.au/schooling/pages/professionalstandardsforteachers.
• Seidel, Winner, Hetland & Tishman (2006). The Qualities of Quality: Excellence in Art education and How to Achieve It (Project
Zero) Visited on 20.5.12. www.reiseducational.org/contenuti/file/PZis39.pdf
• Sternberg, R. J. (1999). Handbook of Creativity: Cambridge University Press.
• Sternberg, R. J., Jarvin, L., Grigorenko, E. L. (2011). Exploring Giftedness. New York, Cambridge University Press.
• Torrance, P. E. (1974). Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Personnel Press, Ginn & Company. Xerox Education Company.
• Torrance, E. P. (1998). The Torrance tests of creative thinking norm–technical manual figural (streamlined) forms A & B.
Bensenville, IL: Scholastic Testing Service.
• Van Leeuwen (Wade), B. (2000). The Influence of Chinese Calligraphy on Australian Painting. Masters, Canberra University,
Canberra.
• Wade-Leeuwen, B, Wade Quinn, T., (2005) Moku Expressionists Artists Australia, http://www.mokuartists.com/mokuartists.html
Visited 24.7.10.
• Wade-Leeuwen, B. and Harrison, N. (2011), ‘A cry from the heart with their own voices’ Visual Arts ‘creativity’ Workshops. Oral
presentation held at the (2011) TERA International Conference on Education: Imagination & Creativity, National Sun Yat-sen
University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
• Wang, T. (2008). One Meter Seventy-Three Shanghai: Contrasts Gallery.
N.B. The Permission to use 6 images in this paper is from the courtesy of the Artist.
• Wright, S. (2010). Understanding Creativity in Early Childhood. Singapore.: Sage Publications.
• Yin (2009). Case Study Research Design and Methods: SAGE Publications.
• Universal language of design principles
References