Seeking Art Expertise: experiences of primary school teachers

Abstract

This article presents the findings of research studying the process of primary teachers' learning about, and developing understanding of, art through extended use of original objects in a gallery setting. The research was based on a long-term in-service course, which aims to help teachers enhance their subject-knowledge, increase their confidence towards art and art education, devise pedagogical strategies for incorporating museum and gallery visits into their classroom art teaching, and carry out action research. The issues emerging from the study focus on the teachers' perspectives on and acquisition of subject expertise, and are discussed in the context of the National Curriculum Art (in the form it took until 1999), as well as in the light of theoretical and research arguments in the domains of museum learning, art education and professional development