Professional artists as teachers with at-risk youth: A narrative case study.

摘要

The purpose of this arts-based research was to examine the teaching strategies of four professional artists serving as teachers with at-risk youth ages eight to 17 years old in a community-based arts program. More specifically, through a narrative case study design, this study focused on identifying (1) the factors that influenced the professional artist as a teacher's (PAAT's) choices of strategies and methodologies with at-risk youth, and (2) the artist's perceptions of his or her effectiveness.; Previous modes of inquiry have attempted to use more experiential approaches in order to give their research scientific validity. A major problem with such approaches is their inability to capture the ineffable quality of human nature. Using a Reciprocal Exchange Process Model of Multiple Intelligences, this study examined the triadic component (A to B to C) to identify the factors that influenced the artist's strategies and the artist's perceptions of how these strategies helped shape and refine instruction. The study was based on in-depth interviews, multiple observations, and document and media analysis.; Findings for the first research question revealed that collectively, there were 35 factors that influenced the artists' choices of strategies and methodologies with at-risk youth. Some factors overlapped, revealing an interdependency or co-dependency with other factors, while the remaining ones were unique to the individual artist or discipline. Strategies that all artists had in common to address these influences were the use of immediate feedback, praise, redirection, and student input. The findings for research question two revealed that overall, the PAATs perceived their approaches were effective with this population. Contributing factors were the artists' adaptability; the utilization of positive feedback; and the artists' ability to judge when to intervene.; Results of the study should be of interest to those who support arts-based research and to those who are interested in the role the arts can play with at-risk youth in program design, teaching reform, student learning, or instruction.