Peered and tiered learning: action research as creative cultural pedagogy

Abstract

This article presents and problematizes a peered and tiered model of creative and educational knowledge transfer piloted in Culture Shack, a community-based arts education program in Melbourne, Australia. Drawing on Eisner and Sefton-Green and Soep, I argue the value of this approach as a potential new pedagogical strategy in both secondary learning and teacher education courses, refocused on collaborative and process learning rather than outcome-focused pedagogy and assessment. Because education is a key factor for successful integration of those from refugee-background and emerging communities, self-reliance and creative problem-solving can be enhanced through arts programs such as Culture Shack that increase participation in continuing, collaborative educational pathways. In this paper I argue that this peered and tiered collaborative learning model offers possibilities for working cross-sectorally, interdisciplinarily, and interculturally for effective pedagogical outcomes and for the value of arts-based action research-as-pedagogy.

Keywords:

• creative pedagogies
• teacher education
• inclusive
• arts-based
• pathways

Acknowledgements

The author would firstly like to thank the anonymous reviewers who have contributed to improving the quality of this article’s argument, structure, and conceptual framework. The author thanks also the Culture Shack team and advisory group, for contributing to the development of this action research project. Please also note: the author was employed by Victoria University at the time of the research, and the program was funded by a Learning and Teaching Fund grant, and received the approval of the Victoria University Human Research Ethics Committee. All images are copyright of the author.

Notes

1. All participants’ names have been changed for purposes of anonymity, despite the research team having gained university ethics approval and participants’ informed consent for using identifying data such as photographs and video footage.