Learning journeys of becoming arts educators A practice-led biographical research

This research is about the learning journeys of artists at the Icelandic University of the Arts studying to become arts educators. The purpose of this research is to shed light on the challenges artists face when entering a new field, specifically the field of teacher education. The research aims are to contribute to the knowledge of how artists learn through biography and to determine how we can bridge the gaps there might be between the arts and the academic worlds.

The theoretical underpinnings of this study are cultural theories. Bourdieu’s theory of practice (Bourdieu, 1977, 1984) and theories on biographical learning. The cultural theory of learning and learning cultures are used to determine the primary practices within the Department of Arts Education (DAEd) and the interaction between a learning culture and the participants within it.

Data were collected from three different sources in two different ways. The sources included reflective journals from 22 students within their first semester in the programme and biographical interviews with 12 graduates from the DAEd and three practising artists in the field.

The main conclusions are that the journey to develop a new identity as an arts teacher requires time. The lengthening of teacher education in Iceland has a considerable bearing on this. However, time is only one factor in the process as the learning culture of teacher education is the scene that shapes the use of this time. A learning culture that focuses on reflection, conversation and collaboration offers diversity in learning approaches and simultaneously looks to the student's previous experience and education, laying the ground for artists to develop identities and become arts educators.

The study’s results can be useful for the development and structure of further studies at the master’s and doctoral levels for artists in Iceland. Moreover, the results can be used to examine and analyse the structure of teacher education in Iceland.