Tapping into classroom practice of the arts: from inside out

Abstract

In response to the provocative statement made by Bamford surrounding the lack of Australian research in arts education (cited in Gibson and Anderson, 2008, p.103: 'While substantial studies into the benefits of arts education have been undertaken in the USA and the UK, very little research has been conducted into the impact of arts education in Australian schools ... There is urgent need for a detailed study of the impact of arts programmes within the context of Australian schools', Christopher Klopper organised The Arts in Practice Symposium 2010 at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia funded by the Griffith Institute for Educational Research. The symposium proposed to lay the foundation for a closer examination of classroom-based arts education practice in Australia. The heart of curriculum transfer and transformation is in the classroom. And we are interested in documenting: What teachers are actually doing in relation to teaching arts education in the school classroom environment? What is the nature of classroom practice of arts education? This book is an initiative from that symposium to tap into current arts practice in Australian classroom settings.