Arts at the core: Considerations of cultural competence for secondary pre-service teachers in the age of Common Core and the Every Student Succeeds Act

Abstract

ABSTRACT Arts integration is a transformative platform for teacher candidates to think, plan, and teach for understanding that extends beyond the curriculum. This qualitative content analysis explores what pre-service teachers learned about arts integration as a route to cultural competence. The researchers show how pre-service teachers’ experiences with arts integration shift their thinking about their future pedagogical practices. Using Culturally Relevant Pedagogy as a lens, the researchers analyzed written reflections from teacher candidates (n = 15), who experienced creative processes such as problem-solving and art-making in an Arts Integration course at the end of a secondary teacher preparation program. Teacher candidate reflections show a new consideration for a culturally relevant solution to an ongoing problem or perception; plans to relate and connect to students’ interest, perspectives, and ideas; and a focus on the barriers and benefits of creative and critical problem-solving in and through the arts. The paper concludes by suggesting an art-integration themed program in teacher education as well as art-based learning as a component of professional development for novice teachers.