Teacher collaboration and elementary arts integration: policy and possibility

Abstract

Arts education can be an important part of the elementary child’s experience. However, keeping the arts in schools is often a challenge because of funding concerns and competing academic priorities. An important strategy in arts education advocacy and policy is arts integration. Arts integration creates a rationale for the arts based on the enhancement of the educational experience for all students and the potential to engage underserved or less engaged students with academic disciplines through the arts. This article examines teacher experiences within a statewide program that funds arts specialists in elementary schools with the requirement that they integrate the arts with other subjects. The researchers describe how the program works with particular focus on collaboration between arts specialists and classroom teachers. This is a multifaceted study across four school districts with 640 participants including classroom teachers and arts specialists. An understanding of both arts integration and how collaboration happens between elementary teachers and arts specialists was gained through interviews, classroom visits, and surveys. The data suggest that effective integration and collaboration can enhance teachers’ professional growth but require structural and policy support as well as the creativity and energy of individual teachers. The professional life of arts specialists, teacher knowledge, and professional development emerged as important issues for teachers, school leaders, and arts advocates.