Helping Pre-Service Art Teachers Confront their Pedagogical Belief Systems

Abstract

People are behaviorally and psychologically complex to a point that we cannot separate ourselves from our values, beliefs, and assumptions; they affect every part of our lives. In education, beliefs influence what, why, and how something is taught. The many threads of teacher belief literature have deepened our understanding of the teaching phenomenon for many decades. This article suggests that educational quality can be improved if teachers would analyze their own educational belief systems more systematically and comprehensively. The article gives a brief history of teacher belief research and suggests a framework by which teachers could analyze their thinking, beliefs, or assumptions. The article finishes with an example of how one professor integrated teacher belief research into a college course helping pre-service art educators analyze their conflicting belief systems.