The Artist Teacher as Reflective Practitioner

JADE 24.2 ©NSEAD/Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2005

166 The Artist Teacher asReflective Practitioner

Alan Thornton

In this article it is argued that in order to be aneffective artist teacher it is helpful to be a reflectivepractitioner. Initially a working definition of theartist teacher is formulated and the artist teacherscheme that has developed in England overrecent years is discussed regarding its importancein offering both accredited and non-accreditedpersonal and professional development for artistteachers. Potential problems with adopting thisdual practice or identity are then highlighted andreflective practice is evoked as a means by whichsuch problems can be tackled, with particularreference to the theories of Schön.

Abstract


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IntroductionIn art and art education there are tensions anddebates regarding the roles and identities ofartists and teachers that present practitioners inthese fields with problems to be negotiated. Theartist as a practitioner has come to be associatedwith the visual arts in which a tradition of auton-omy, self-determination and the creation of newconventions characterises a modernist under-standing of the artist, which itself is beingchallenged by post-modern conceptions. Oftenin these conceptions collaborations, eclecticism,contextual narratives, the questioning of self,identity and autonomy, are prevalent [1]. Althoughpainting and sculpture are still closely associatedwith notions of the artist, these categories havecome to be more inclusive in terms of media,methods and philosophies. Also musicians,dancers, actors and various types of composersare often understood as artists, whilst presenta-tions, performances and exhibitions sometimesinterweave various art forms. Teachers of thevisual arts – similar to teachers of music, drama,dance and creative writing etc. are sometimesengaged in their own productions, presentations,performances and exhibitions. The term ‘artistteacher’ has been used quite extensively in theUSA [2] to describe practitioners of the arts andteaching, but the term has been used lessfrequently in England until quite recently.

As outlined above, the identity of the artist insociety is ambiguous and shifting so that individu-als who construct themselves as artists do so in aclimate of change and continuous challenge.Teachers of art, particularly in the secondary andtertiary sectors, will usually have developed anidentity as an artist or art specialist of one kind oranother before embarking on a career in teaching.Through this involvement it is likely that they haveengaged with the tensions, complexities andcontroversies regarding their field. With the devel-opment and expansion of teaching as a professionin England, a culture has grown in which genericcompetencies are often a feature of research andstaff development for teachers [3]. Teachers of art

are expected to engage with these, as are all teach-ers, in the interest of the effective transmission ofknowledge and skills and the general educationand well being of students/pupils.

The artist teacher identity is one in which threeworlds must be straddled or interrelated: theworld of art; the world of education; and the worldof art education. These worlds have their ownpractices, histories, cultures and literature to benegotiated and assimilated by the artist teacher. Inorder to achieve this synthesis, individuals need tofind enabling strategies. In this article a definitionof the artist teacher is proposed and some char-acteristics of this combined identity arehighlighted. Also the Artist Teacher Scheme (ATS),in England, is cited as a professional developmentscheme which supports and encourages individ-uals who are, or want to be, artist teachers [4].Finally, reflective practice is identified as a strategyconducive to art education that could assist indi-viduals in overcoming various disincentives tomaintaining this dual practice.

A definition of the artist teacherA simple definition of the artist teacher, in thecontext of the visual arts, might be ‘a person whoboth makes and teaches art’. However it is arguedthat the term also implies a commitment to, or belief in, this dual practice [5]. Therefore thefollowing definition is proposed as a positiverepresentation of the artist teacher: ‘An artistteacher is an individual who both makes andteaches art and is dedicated to both activities as apractitioner.’ The term is used to describe a typeof practitioner found in all education sectors,although it is acknowledged that because of theway art and design education is structured inEngland, individuals who fit this description aremore commonly employed as subject specialistsin the secondary and tertiary sectors.

The following descriptions are presented as alist of characteristics, notions, practices, beliefs,observations and interpretations of who is, orwhat it means to be, an artist teacher in Englandtoday. It is taken from research data collected


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between 1999 and 2003. Initially the concept ofthe artist teacher was examined in an historicalcontext. This was followed by an investigation ofthe psychological identity of the artist teacher, withparticular reference to identity theories. Finally, thepractices and beliefs of four artist teachers fromthe literature were examined in order to gainunderstanding of the factors that enabled them tofunction effectively in this dual role. This data hasbeen triangulated and summarised below [6].

Artist teachers:• have characteristics not dissimilar to those of

artists who have historically taught their skillsand knowledge to apprentices through educa-tion and employment systems derived frommaster–apprentice relationships which are stillpresent in the world and appear to have alineage that stretches back into pre-history;

• have motivations and convictions based upontheir art practice and exposure to the culture ofart. They may also have maternal or paternaldrives that make them amenable to supportingthe nurturing of children or other needful indi-viduals and a philosophical belief in the value ofeducation;

• are influenced by notions of artistic autonomyderived from a historical trend often consideredto have come to prominence in sixteenth-century Europe, developing in disparate ways tothe present time. Although present-day societyand the education system, to some extent, toler-ate and even encourage artistic autonomy as animportant factor in the production of quality art,some artist teachers are still aware of a tensionthat can exist between the socialising aspectsof education and the autonomy of art and artists.The following quotation highlights this tension:‘Groups can rob members of autonomy but canalso provide identity and security’ [7];

• have a deep identification with art and teachingthat could be indicative of a function of identityregarding psychological stability and consis-tency or, philosophically, a reflection of thedesire to be authentic in the world;

• reflect an interdependence of art and educa-tion. Some artists could be seen as highlydependent upon the patronage and support ofeducation in contemporary societies: ‘theteaching of a vast range of courses provideswork for thousands of artists’ [8]. In England,not only does education employ artist teachers,but artists are also employed to work withteachers and students in residencies. Also,public galleries with educational aims promote,sponsor and display artists’ work;

• have a self-identification that could help themto alleviate any sense of identity crisis by assert-ing the positive relationship between personalart-making and teaching;

• are subject to the ‘folklore’ that colours percep-tions of artistic personality and professionalism.In particular, the perception that the artist neces-sarily must display an exclusive commitment toart making in order to be worthy of the identifi-cation. Also, some perceptions of teaching canundermine the artist teacher identity. Forinstance, there is a common perception thatteaching is no more than a safety net for thosewho cannot find employment in other fields orprofessions;

• often have a strong historical and cultural iden-tification or link with fine art practice. The choiceof the word ‘artist’ reflects this. However, in thespirit of conceptual overlap as representative ofcontemporary practice, this relationship is notconsidered exclusive. Artists in present-daysociety often have diverse experiences andeducation. Also, postgraduate courses ineducation recruit students who have a varietyof art-related educational experiences to train asteachers of art;

• practise at all levels of education. However, thispractice can vary according to the culturalcontext of the sector in question. The secondarysector seems to exemplify the challenge of prac-tising as an artist teacher. It is a major employerof fine art graduates in England, but is also ademanding profession in which teachers haveresponsibilities regarding the education of


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children who are compelled to attend schooland engage in the subjects taught. At tertiarylevel – particularly regarding fine art courses –teachers (tutors or lecturers) are often expectedby their employers to be art practitioners as wellas teachers. This does give professionalsubstance to an identification of these practi-tioners as artist teachers. Also, their students areusually motivated to make art through personalchoice. These different contexts exert differentpressures regarding maintaining dual practice.In addition to these two main provider groupsare artist teachers in the primary, private andadult education sectors;

• are more able to sustain this dual practice oridentity if they exhibit their art work, are regularlyinvolved in producing art, are involved in theworld of art beyond the education system andare supported by others artists or artist teachers;

• are more able to sustain this dual practice oridentity if they are supported by teachingcolleagues and senior management in theeducation institutions in which they work andthe education system and society in general;

• need to develop strong self-identifications inorder to focus activities and beliefs;

• develop appropriate teaching strategies inorder that their convictions, knowledge and artskills are effectively conveyed to others;

• value art as an important subject to teach as anaspect of students’ general education as wellas for a vocation;

• translate the world of art for students in order tohelp them understand its methods, philoso-phies, history and language, and also respectstudents’ personal languages, cultures andinterests and consider how these connect withthe world of art;

• see their practice as a ‘way of life’ as well as aprofessional practice;

• see their practice as artists as an importantaspect of their art teaching. Some may also seetheir teaching as an important aspect of their artpractice;

• acknowledge differences between art madewithin educational institutions and art madeoutside them, but strive to interconnect thesein various ways.

This list is designed to give impressions of what itmeans to be an artist teacher and although refer-ences were made to art education in the USAmost of the data derives from sources in Englandand are applicable to individuals employed withinthe English art education system. The list indicatesthe importance of personal commitment regard-ing combining these practices. It also points to theneed for both the art establishment and theeducation system to provide support to improvethe effectiveness of artist teachers. Opportunitiesto engage in art courses as well as educationcourses are important in this respect. Regardingstrategies of professional development, the ArtistTeacher Scheme (ATS) has been introduced inEngland over recent years. The scheme aims toattract individuals employed as art teachers whoalso produce art or wish to do so, and re-engagewith contemporary developments in art, as acomplement to their teaching.

The Artist Teacher Scheme (ATS)The ‘National Society for Education in Art andDesign (NSEAD) is an organisation that representsart teachers. Through its workshops and commu-nication networks the organisation discovered thata significant number of art teachers expressed adesire for opportunities to engage with their ownart practice in a supportive environment [9]. Thesociety, in conjunction with the Arts Council ofEngland (ACE), decided to launch two pilotsummer schools in order to establish whetherthere was an ongoing need for in-service develop-ment for artist teachers. The first summer schoolstook place in Liverpool and London in 1999. Afterthe success of these, and in response to feedbackfrom participants and the evaluations of facilitatorsand organisers, Wimbledon School of Art in collab-oration with Tate Modern, and Liverpool School ofArt in collaboration with Tate Liverpool, ran further


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summer schools in 2000. In addition the two artschools developed part-time MA pathways forartist teachers. Liverpool provided a discrete artistteacher MA and Wimbledon a pathway that locatedwithin their established MA fine art courses. Theseart schools continue to provide summer schoolsand MA pathways. Wimbledon’s 2002 MA courseis described in the prospectus as follows:

Part-time Mode for Artist-Teachers

Following a successful pilot scheme involving TateModern and the National Society for Education in Artand Design, the School has introduced a mode ofaccess to its postgraduate fine art courses developedaround the specific requirements of artists who workas teachers. The Artist-Teacher mode offers flexiblestudy negotiated around an individual programmeof work, and is particularly suitable to artist teacherswho wish to re-assess their practice in a supportiveand critically stimulating environment [10].

In the same year the NSEAD published the follow-ing general aims of the ATS which give furtherincites and definitions regarding a concept of theartist teacher:

1. To provide opportunities for artist teachers toreview and develop their creative practice in rela-tionship to the highest levels of contemporarypractice in the context of higher education institu-tions/Colleges of Art and museums and galleries;

2. To widen access to specialist centres of art anddesign in higher education and provide rigorous,subject-based continuing professional develop-ment and, where appropriate, postgraduatecertification for artist teachers, linked to postgrad-uate courses and research degrees so that artistteachers may take their practice to the highest levelqualification appropriate;

3. To significantly improve standards, and teachingand learning in art and design in schools andcolleges;

4. To enhance the research environment of art anddesign in higher education institutions, furtherdevelop a research culture in art museums andgalleries and to widen access to museums andgalleries by making increased use of visual artsexhibitions as a resource for post-graduate teach-ing and learning;

5. To make new and lasting links between artists, artmuseums and galleries and formal education andachieve recognition of the clear link betweengood teaching practice and such networking;

6. To provide opportunities to research links betweencontemporary practice and the role of museumsand galleries in curriculum development andpedagogy;

7. To increase access to arts organisations and insti-tutions, art galleries and museums, artists’ studiosand artists [11].

Quite clearly, the appreciation and analysis of theartwork of others feature in this particularscheme, and art galleries and their educationdepartments are heavily involved in most coursesprovided. In fact, the 2000 summer school atWimbledon consisted of three days of studyinvolving exhibits at Tate Modern and two days’art making at Wimbledon School of Art [12].

In 2003 there were seven centres across thecountry in which art departments in conjunctionwith galleries were running ATS courses includ-ing part-time MA pathways for artist teachers andthe scheme appears to be expanding. Thesummer schools are designed as ‘stand alone’non-award-bearing courses as well as introduc-tions to the MA pathways. They offer teacherswho make art or artists who teach in all sectors ofeducation a sense of identity, practical and theo-retical input and accredited acknowledgement ofthe value of their dual practice. The aims of thescheme are ambitious as reflected in the quota-tion above, however the difficulties of maintainingeffective dual practice are not mentioned.


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The artist teacher as a problematic identityand practiceIn the quotation from the Wimbledon prospectusabove it is stated that ‘The Artist-Teacher modeoffers flexible study negotiated around an indi-vidual programme of work.’ Although potentialdifficulties are not made explicit, the organisers ofthe ATS understand that the ever-increasingdemands of teaching are such that each studentneeds maximum flexibility in managing their timeand energy to accommodate an MA course.

Also, resources for staff development in themaintained sector tend to follow the core subjectsof the National Curriculum. Art and Design, incommon with other subjects considered non-core, has second-class status in this respect. Asnoted earlier, professional development in educa-tion often involves teachers in learning genericteaching skills and knowledge, or skills and knowl-edge associated with new or favoured subjects,technologies or education initiatives. Theteacher’s practice as an artist or art specialist is notalways understood as a potentially valuablecomplement to practice as a teacher and conse-quently an important contribution to student/pupillearning. If staff development relating to the acqui-sition of new art knowledge and skills by theteacher is not seen as a priority by those whocontrol policy and budgets, then practice as anartist teacher can be an uphill struggle. Resourcesfor staff development in the arts appear to bemeagre in any case. The Teacher Training Agency(TTA) has budgets for staff development, butaccording to the publication All Our Futures:

Only about one per cent of all the TTA-funded coursesat the 33 institutions (providing award-bearing in-service teacher training) are allocated to courses ormodules on art, music, dance or drama [13].

As with the ATS, artist teachers often have to attendcourses in their own time and pay for them if theireducational institutions are unwilling to do so.

Even within the art education field the conceptof the teacher as artist can be controversial. Day

argues that the notion of the teacher as a practic-ing artist is problematic, particularly relating tosecondary schools in the USA. He poses anumber of questions that highlight his concerns.In one statement he communicates what hebelieves to be two important difficulties:

The basic problem with the artist teacher model insecondary schools, in addition to the exclusive focuson art production, centres on incompatibilitiesbetween the artist’s agenda and the teacher’sresponsibilities to pupils [14].

He expresses a concern that knowledge about art,other than that gained through personal practice,is neglected by artist teachers whose priorities areorientated towards the student’s art production.However, his main concern is that the artist’soutlook and way of being is often quite differentfrom the teacher’s. The suggestion seems to bethat artist teachers are constantly confronted byan identity crisis in which their artist and teacherroles, identities and practices are in conflict. Hisconcerns relate particularly to secondary teachingin the USA but could be seen as relevant to themaintained sector in England.

The reflective practitioner as a reconcilingidentity?Quite clearly, the difficulties of practicing as bothan artist and teacher are real. Equally the expan-sion of the ATS in England (and there are plans forthe scheme to be developed in other parts of theUK) indicate that a significant number of art teach-ers, or artist teachers, value opportunities topractise their art, engage critically with new devel-opments and update their art knowledge andskills in a professional context.

Conflicts of interest and lack of support regard-ing roles, identities and practices are not unique toartist teachers, but how does this particular groupreconcile the numerous demands on them in situ-ations that can change rapidly and where previousexperience and knowledge can sometimes seeminadequate regarding the ability to simply cope, let


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alone teach, learn and make art effectively? It maybe unwise to view reflective practice as a panacea,but some kinds of strategies for coping andachieving and helping others to do the same areessential, and reflective practice is worth consid-ering as a strategy for developing an effectiveidentity as an artist teacher.

But what is reflective practice and what bene-fits are there in seeing oneself as a reflectivepractitioner?Schön’s most influential book published in 1983is called The Reflective Practitioner. Its continuingimpact on research and practice is because itseems to describe a type of reflective problem-solving that has often been alluded to, but lessoften explicated as a crucial approach to knowl-edge and skill acquisition and teaching. Schönbegan to make explicit a process of continuousresponsiveness to experience that is oftenevidenced in the practice of professionals but issometimes shrouded in mystery, perhapsbecause the process has seemed difficult toexplain. The following description of a reflectivepractitioner in action is one of many in whichSchön tries to communicate an elusive ability:

When someone reflects in action, he becomes aresearcher in the practice context. He is not depen-dent on the categories of established theory andtechnique, but constructs a new theory of the uniquecase. His enquiry is not limited to a deliberation aboutmeans, which depends on a prior agreement aboutends. He does not keep means and ends separate,but defines them interactively as he frames a prob-lematic situation [15].

A distinction is often made by Schön and hisfollowers between ‘reflection in action’ and ‘reflect-ing on action’. The former represents a morespontaneous or intuitive response to a problematicsituation [16]. The latter represents a retrospectiveresponse in which thoughts and choices betweenactions are considered with a view to improvingeffectiveness in future situations. Schön values

both types of reflection and believes thatconstructing a positive relationship between thetwo is a necessary aspect of being a reflectivepractitioner. This is echoed in the importance heattributes to the embracing of both theory andpractice in order to provide the optimum condi-tions for effective practice.

When Schön refers to the reflective practitionerhe is evoking a general type of professional and isidentifying learning and teaching processes thatare, arguably, common to all professions. He usescase studies of individuals involved in particularprofessions, but is in effect presenting thesecases as examples of an approach that can beapplied in most professions. His ideas, with theirimplications for teaching and learning, haveimpacted substantially on educational researchand practices. This can be detected in the follow-ing comments from Jennings:

Work-based learning now takes greater precedencein educational settings, and is often interspersed withtheoretical input and reflection on practice in a moreprogressive, developmental way [16].

Reflective practice has also filtered into art and arteducation. Schön’s interest in artistry as repre-sentative of creative thinking in action, oftenassociated with the arts, is expressed in thefollowing quotation:

The artistry of painters, sculptors, musicians, dancers,and designers bears a strong family resemblance tothe artistry of extraordinary lawyers, physicians,managers, and teachers. It is no accident that profes-sionals often refer to an ‘art’ of teaching ormanagement and use the term artist to refer to prac-titioners unusually adept at handling situations ofuncertainty, uniqueness, and conflict [17].

When he describes the reflective practitioner, hedoes so in relationship to the types of situations prac-titioners find themselves in that are unstable orunpredictable and in which previous experience andknowledge may only partially help in managing prob-


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lems. If one takes, for example, fine art education, theculture of art has developed in such a way that thereis often an expectation, based on the role model ofartist as innovator, that students demonstrate origi-nality and produce artefacts that derive from uniqueexperiments or divergent thinking. Many of thestrategies for educating fine art students in particular,and arts students generally, are devised to encour-age this type of creativity. It is, arguably, for this reasonthat Schön evokes artistry as a touchstone for deal-ing with complex and unique situations. Schön alsoidentifies teaching as a profession in which reflectivepractice is important for engendering success inlearning. As reflective practice echoes much of whatart educationalists have advocated in the arts [18], itis hardly surprising that Schön’s ideas often sitcomfortably with teaching strategies in this area.Prentice articulates something of the interrelation-ship between art, teaching and reflective practice inthe following statement:

The act of teaching is a complex and subtle perfor-mance that is determined by knowledge andunderstanding, skills and attitudes. Reflective teach-ers acknowledge the problematic nature of teachingand systematically reflect upon their practice in orderto improve it. In so doing they simultaneouslyengage in teaching and learning: a relationship thatechoes the quality of creative activity in art anddesign. Such a view of teaching exploits the range ofpersonal experience that teachers as well as pupilsbring to each educational enterprise in which theyparticipate. Personal growth and the professionaldevelopment of teachers are seen as being inextri-cably entwined. A reflective teacher is valued as aresourceful individual rather than as someone whofunctions routinely in a predetermined role [19].

Awareness of the processes of reflective practiceas communicated by Schön and others is the firststep to increasing the incidents in which suchpractice contributes to professional effective-ness. Reflective practice could be one way ofrealising the identity of the artist teacher.

ConclusionBeing an artist teacher involves facing the changes,tensions and problems associated with the fieldsof art and education and adopting the kinds ofstrategies and identifications that may help copewith these. Lyotard, in The Postmodern Condition,suggests that: ‘Postmodern knowledge refinesour sensitivity to differences and reinforces ourability to tolerate the incommensurable’ [20].Perhaps reflective practice can enable us to acceptcomplexity and even understand it as a necessarycondition of the world and help us to approacheach problem as a unique experience to be framedand engaged with as such. This approach couldalso help artist teachers to gain perspective upontheir dual practice and possibly see the continuoussearch for appropriate strategies in diversecontexts as a creative task that can develop confi-dence. It has already been acknowledged andevidenced by the success of the ATS that many artteachers seek opportunities to develop their artwork and will often finance opportunities for learn-ing in their own time. This might indicate that themaking of art is a necessary manifestation of theircreativity that may provide meaning and purposefor them. Instead of seeing the making of art andthe teaching of art as antagonistic activities, artistteachers could understand their dual commit-ments as mutually supportive, with their desire tomake art a motivating factor regarding encourag-ing others to experience the pleasures andchallenges of art experience. Because tensionssometimes exist between the theories and prac-tices of art and those of education, it is particularlyimportant for the artist teacher who strives tocombine both roles in an effective manner to findapproaches that make this identity possible.Sustaining practice as an artist teacher could welldepend on functioning as a reflective practitioner.


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References1. Stangos, N. (1995) Concepts of Modern Art.London: Thames & Hudson, p. 271.

2. Lansing, K. M. (1976) Art, Artists and ArtEducation. Iowa: Kendal/Hunt.

3. Usher, R. & Edwards, R. (1994) Postmodernismand Education. London: Sage.

4. National Society for Education in Art andDesign (NSEAD) (2002) Information for Members.Corsham: NSEAD.

5. Thornton, A. (2003) Educating the ArtistTeacher. Doctoral thesis. Chelmsford, APU, p. 109.

5. Ibid. pp. 105–8.

7. Gillette, J. & McCollom, M. [Eds] (1990) Groupsin Context. Reading, MAs: Addison-Wesley, p. 42.

8. Creedy, J. (1970) The Social Context of Art.London: Tavistock, p. 93.

9. Adams, J. (2003) The Artist-Teacher Schemeas Postgraduate Professional Development inHigher Education, International Journal of Art &Design Education, Vol 22, No. 2, p. 183.

10. Wimbledon School of Art (2001\2002)Prospectus, London: Wimbledon School of Art.

11. NSEAD op. cit.

12. Thornton, A. op. cit, p. 183.

13. Department for Education and Employment(DfEE) (1999) All Our Futures. Sudbury: DfEE, p. 160.

14. Day, M. (1986) A Problematic Model for ArtEducation, Journal of Art Education, Vol 20, No. 4,p. 40.

15. Schön, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner.Aldershot: Ashgate, p. 68.

16. Atkinson, T. & Claxton, G. [Eds] (2003) The Intuitive Practitioner. Buckingham: OpenUniversity Press.

17. Jennings, C. & Kennedy, E. (1996) TheReflective Professional in Education. London:Jessica Kingsley, p. 15.

18. Dewey, J. (1958) Art and Experience. New York: Capricorn.

19. Schön, D. (1987) Educating the ReflectivePractitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, p. 16.

20. Prentice, R. (1995) Teaching Art and Design.London: Redwood, p. 13.

21. Lyotard, F. (1979) The Postmodern Condition.Manchester: Manchester University Press,Introduction.

The Artist Teacher as Reflective Practitioner

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