The Art of Social Justice: A Study on Attitudes and Practices of Secondary Visual Art Educators in Utah by Laura Gigger Schmidt A project submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY Ogden, UT January 27, 2023 Approved _________________________________ Stephanie Speicher, Ph.D. _________________________________ Vincent Bates, Ph.D. __________________________________ Sara Gailey, M.Ed. 2 Dedicated to my dad. I hope I have made you proud. I miss you. 3 Acknowledgments I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful people who have supported me throughout this project and my time at Weber State University. A special shoutout goes to my committee chair, Dr. Stephanie Speicher, who has been an incredible mentor and inspiration to me. Her guidance and expertise have been invaluable to the success of this project. I am also so grateful to my committee members, Professor Sara Gailey and Dr. Vincent Bates, for their time and expertise. They are indeed experts in their fields, and their knowledge and resources were essential to the success of this project. I could not have done this without the love and support of my family and friends. My siblings were always there to listen and offer their support, even when I was rambling on about my project. My friends and neighbors stepped in to help with my children when I was overwhelmed. My colleagues constantly challenged me and pushed me to do my best, and all of the professors at Weber who have taught me so much over the last four years. I also want to thank my parents, who have been some of my biggest supporters throughout this process. My mom sacrificed so much of her time and energy to come and stay with my family in Utah, cooking countless meals, cleaning the house, playing with my children, and so much more. I am so grateful for everything she has done for me. My father, who passed away while I was in the middle of this, was always a source of inspiration, discipline, and courage for me, even though he could not come to Utah as much. He always made sure to be there for me whenever I needed him. Lastly, I want to thank my boys, Thomas and Emery, for their patience and love and my husband, Tyler, for his unwavering support throughout this program. He was my rock, always there to encourage and support me, and I could not have done it without him. 4 I am so grateful for all the amazing people in my life who have helped me achieve this milestone, and I am blessed to have had their support and guidance along the way. 5 Abstract Background: Many art teachers recognize that students in the classroom have different cultural backgrounds and come from various socioeconomic classes. A social justice art education (SJAE) is an approach that incorporates multicultural art education and visual culture art education, which teaches students how to understand and interpret the messages conveyed through different images in our society. The key to successfully teaching SJAE is for the teacher to help students embrace diversity, create a positive classroom community, and focus on multicultural art. Purpose: This study aimed to understand the attitudes and practices of secondary art teachers in Utah towards SJAE. The goal was to determine art teachers’ attitudes towards social justice pedagogy, how social issues are being discussed in the classroom, and what tools and strategies are being used to promote social justice in the classroom. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used to better understand art teachers' attitudes and practices. A quantitative survey was conducted, and three art teachers were chosen for an in-depth interview. The data collected from a Likert scale survey was used in conjunction with the interviews to get a more complete picture of how art educators feel about SJAE. Results: The study showed that art teachers surveyed and interviewed were familiar with different types of social justice issues and were generally interested in incorporating lessons that would help students learn to understand, respect, and appreciate diversity. However, the study also found that many art teachers lacked the confidence, training, and time to focus on implementing a social justice pedagogy in their classrooms. Keywords: social justice art education, multicultural art education, Utah art educators 6 Table of Contents Nature of the Problem ..................................................................................................................... 8 Literature Review ...................................................................................................................... 10 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 10 Social Justice Art Education .................................................................................................. 10 Definitions.......................................................................................................................... 10 Purposes and Benefits. ....................................................................................................... 12 Attitudes and Perceptions .................................................................................................. 14 Building a Classroom Community ........................................................................................ 14 Reflective Lesson Design .................................................................................................. 16 Modeling Equity ................................................................................................................ 16 Collaborative Learning ...................................................................................................... 17 Multicultural Art Education ................................................................................................... 18 Drawing from Students’ Experiences ................................................................................ 19 Content Integration ............................................................................................................ 20 Taking Social Action ......................................................................................................... 21 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 22 Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 23 Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 24 Definition of Terms ................................................................................................................... 24 Method .......................................................................................................................................... 25 Mixed Methods Research Design ............................................................................................. 25 Context ...................................................................................................................................... 26 Participants ................................................................................................................................ 26 Survey .................................................................................................................................... 26 Interview ................................................................................................................................ 27 Instruments ................................................................................................................................ 27 Survey .................................................................................................................................... 27 Interviews .............................................................................................................................. 29 Researcher Positionality Statement ........................................................................................... 30 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 30 7 Survey........................................................................................................................................ 30 Interviews .................................................................................................................................. 31 Results and Discussion ................................................................................................................. 31 Demographics ........................................................................................................................ 33 Building Classroom Community ........................................................................................... 34 Multicultural Art Education ................................................................................................... 39 Social Justice Art Education .................................................................................................. 43 Visualizing the Results ................................................................................................................. 46 Process ....................................................................................................................................... 47 Conceptualization .................................................................................................................. 48 Data Collection ...................................................................................................................... 48 Data Visualization ................................................................................................................. 48 Design and Composition ....................................................................................................... 48 Creation of the Piece .............................................................................................................. 48 Final Art Piece ....................................................................................................................... 49 Limitations .................................................................................................................................... 50 Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 51 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 53 References ..................................................................................................................................... 54 Appendix A: Survey Questionnaire .............................................................................................. 62 Appendix B: Interview Guide ....................................................................................................... 69 8 Nature of the Problem Globalization has led to a heightened awareness of differences between individuals, cultures, and societies. Education should help students appreciate these differences and find ways to foster understanding among all people. Social justice art education (SJAE) can contribute to this goal by encouraging students to explore social justice issues through the visual arts (Westheimer, 2000). Although art educators have raised concerns about the feasibility of incorporating social justice issues into secondary school art classes, they have also recognized the necessity of doing so (Shyman & Lisa, 2017). Graham (2007) noted that art education has shifted from an emphasis on producing objects of aesthetic value to a focus on critical reflection on society and self through art making. Adopting an SJAE approach encourages art teachers to hold discussions and create projects on social justice issues fostering students’ critical thinking abilities. Chin (2013) and Quinn et al. (2012) agreed that SJAE considers lesson design, classroom environments, students’ prior experiences, collaboration, and how art combined with education can be a tool for social change. While arts education is a field of study with a long history, current teaching methods have been dominated by the same methods for decades (Winner & Hetland, 2008). Conventional preservice training and lesson planning methods perpetuate cookie-cutter art projects with little student input. These methods result in a lack of creativity, over-reliance on the textbook, and an emphasis on the teacher’s personal aesthetic, along with the attitude that the end product is more important than the process (Winner & Hetland, 2008). The art educator is responsible for including social justice methods and ideas in their classroom (Hunter-Doinger, 2018; Andrews, 2017). Randall (2019) and Garber (2004) believe that art can teach valuable skills to become a positive contributing member of society. Unfortunately, more often than not, students do not 9 receive these opportunities in the art classroom. Andrews (2017) pointed out that part of the problem is that visual arts are often seen as an afterthought, an elective, and not as important as math or science. In addition to this attitude, Clapp (2010) and Gnezda (2009) found that many people believed that visual art education should be limited to those who have talent and potential for success in this field. This belief further reinforces the idea that we should only offer this kind of education to those with the artistic ability or interest in becoming artists. There are many benefits to providing visual arts programs in schools that go beyond increasing creativity and artistic appreciation among students. The attitudes should be how art educators can help students develop skills that will guide them through the demands of society (Clapp, 2010; Gude, 2013). In 2008, Davis suggested that an art curriculum under a social justice lens has enormous possibilities to expand students’ knowledge of social issues and gives them opportunities to be a change for good. Furthermore, Westheimer (2000) said of all disciplines, “It is often said that today’s youth will be called on to solve tomorrow’s problems…. Despite this rhetoric, a curriculum that considers the nature of social problems and ways youth might respond as citizens rarely gets center stage” (p. 1). With a big push from policymakers, the media, and activists in the current political climate, many educators are starting to include more social issues in their classroom dialogues and curriculum. Shyman and Lisa (2017) acknowledged the lack of research on social justice: “the elusive nature of measuring perceptions of social justice creates numerous challenges for researchers, causing many to pursue other more attainable avenues. For this reason, research on social justice is sparse” (p. 1). This study aimed to bridge the gap between theory and SJAE practices in secondary visual arts education classrooms across Utah. Through a 10 survey and in-depth interviews, it focused on how (and if) visual art educators approach lesson planning, how they facilitate class discussions, and their attitudes toward SJAE. Literature Review Overview Educators cannot ignore that our society’s diversity is growing. According to Maguire and Lenihan (2010), the United States youth population is predicted to have more minorities in schools. Like Maguire and Lenihan (2010), Andrews (2017) also addressed how important it is to accept that minorities are no longer minorities and embrace it by taking on more social justice-based education. Including discussions on social issues are essential for students to understand how, for example, social and political issues that exist in their communities (Buffington & Bryant, 2019). In addition, it can help students better understand where they fit in society and encourage them to be active participants (Albers, 1999). This literature review is divided into three sections: social justice art education, building classroom community, and multicultural education. The first section on SJAE will cover definitions, benefits, purposes, and current attitudes. This will lead to a discussion on an essential first stage of SJAE - creating an environment where students feel validated even when uncomfortable or challenged. The third significant piece of SJAE is multicultural education which will provide an overview of pedagogical tools on how art educators can promote SJAE. Social Justice Art Education Definitions. To discuss the impacts of social justice-based art education, it is essential to understand the meaning of social justice. Generally, social justice is about equal opportunities and rights for all people. A primary goal of social justice education is to “transform the status quo – the fractured landscape of institutional discrimination, systemic violence, paralyzing 11 poverty, and silenced opposition – into a world where people can be fully human” (Dewhurst, 2011, p. 366). Keifer-Boyd (2008) defined social justice as examining different social structures and why people act the way they do. On the other hand, Ornstein (2017) suggested that social justice is an issue of reallocating resources to better the lives and situations of underprivileged people and communities. Although Keifer-Boyd and Ornstein’s specific definitions differ, they both realized the need for social justice issues to focus on cultural and economic aspects. Taking all these definitions into account, for the purpose of this project, SJAE is a philosophy of teaching and learning in which students engage with art-making practices to address topics and issues related to social justice. In this model, artwork can be used for reflection, self-exploration, community building, tolerance, activism, and advocacy. It is a form of pedagogy that seeks to empower students by encouraging them to explore and challenge injustice, inequity, and oppression. Social justice art educators believe that art has a unique ability to help students understand themselves, their world, and their relationship to it. Through the arts, students can gain greater access to their emotions and feelings about themselves, others, and the world around them. The objective is to create a learning environment that fosters students’ connection with the curriculum and equips them with essential skills to become productive and beneficial members of society. An SJAE takes on the objectives and ideas of “feminist, multicultural, disability rights, environmental, community-based, critical pedagogy, social reconstruction, and visual art education” (Garber, 2004, p. 4). Milbrandt (2010) advocated that art must motivate, empower, and inform. SJAE is often described as activist art (Oliver et al., 2019), art for social change (Adejumo, 2019), and community-based art (Blandy & Congdon, 1988). Drawing from these definitions, SJAE can be described as a classroom environment that focuses on integrating social 12 issues. Art educators have addressed many problems throughout the years such as studying visual imagery (Keifer-Boyd, 2008), gender issues (Garber 1990), diversity, race, class, ecology (Milbrandt, 2010), censorship in art (Fehr, 1993), violence, and abuse (Kay & Arnold, 2014). Purposes and Benefits. Social justice art education makes for a more relevant and effective visual arts curriculum. An SJAE is integrative, investigative, and challenging to students, giving them the practice and knowledge needed to become involved citizens of their communities. Research by Randall (2019) and Garber (2004) showed that art benefits students beyond the creative break from their vigorous subjects. Furthermore, Westemeier (2018) recommended for educators to not only talk to students about social justice, but to “reach them also on an emotional and experiential level” (p. 68). In similar research done by Ruggerio (2011), a study conducted with pre-service art educators addressed how controversial topics may come up in classrooms, and that when teachers allow for these types of discussions, it gives students the opportunity to engage in environments with many perspectives. The study focused on an emotionally and politically charged topic of war where students were to create a tapestry based on their own opinions, and then their tapestries were sown together to create one large one. The purpose of the study was to show that “if students engage in multicultural social justice discourse in the classroom, they are more likely to possess the skills necessary for engaging in the same practice of acceptance, empowerment, and equality when participating in social settings outside of the classroom than students who have not has this type of experience” (p. 38). A curriculum infused with social justice ideas can help achieve greater engagement and allow students to learn and use critical thinking skills (Ploof & Hochtritt, 2018). Hunter-Doinger (2018) and Tremblay (2013) agreed that when educators integrate social justice ideas and 13 experiences into their curriculum, students are more likely to connect personally because their learning will be more relevant. A visual arts curriculum based on social justice can be seen as a journey for students to dive deep into getting to know who they are and their society (Dewhurst, 2010; Andrews, 2017). It steers them away from traditional art education practices and into art as social action (Garber, 2004; Miner, 2013). Randall (2019) added that students were more engaged in the curriculum when the project related to real-life experiences and had personal meaning to them. Maguire and Lenihan (2010) found that students were more engaged when focusing on social justice involving collaborative projects with their peers and communities. In the art room, it is essential to take the time to teach students how to use different art mediums successfully, so they feel confident when completing their projects (Tremblay, 2013). However, the end goal should focus on something other than materials, such as concepts and issues with various cultures at the forefront. Concentrating on those ideas will allow students to learn that diversity is essential and take a stance (Garber, 2004). There is ongoing research on how art teaches communication, critical thinking skills, collaboration, and examination. Combining those skills with a rich curriculum full of experiences will benefit students beyond their formative years (Ruggerio, 2011; Chin, 2013). When students can ask questions and explore the questions of others in authentic scenarios, it forces them to learn and educate others on those issues (Hunter-Doinger, 2018). The literature written by Garber (2004) spoke a lot about how students can apply critical thinking skills through exploration and experimentation with a combination of their artistic talents to evoke change. A useful starting point for educators is to assist students in recognizing the links between what they learn in the classroom and real-world events, which can help students identify their place in the 14 world. By doing so, students can acquire the skills needed to approach real-world issues with an open mind and contribute positively to society (Andrew, 2017). Attitudes and Perceptions. A few studies portray visual arts educators’ perceptions of teaching for social justice. Most of the research on this issue has been done on pre-service art educators. Causey et al. (2000) discovered that “beginning teachers also tend to believe in absolute democracy when it comes to students, that kids are kids regardless of their cultural background or that the same ‘good’ pedagogy is equally effective for all students” (pp. 33–34). Perhaps art educators struggle to teach for social just because most educators feel that they lack knowledge on the subject (Banks & Banks, 2019). Chin (2013) conducted a study which revealed that many educators are hesitant to incorporate social justice education concepts into their curriculum, possibly due to their limited exposure and understanding of the subject matter. This reluctance could be attributed, at least in part, to the fact that in certain states, such as Colorado, the term “diversity” has been removed from teacher education program standards, while in Massachusetts, teacher certification examinations only assess communication/literacy skills and subject matter knowledge, with no focus on educational foundations, pedagogy, culture, and learning theories (Cochran-Smith, 2003). Building a Classroom Community The well-being of each student is an integral part of SJAE. Trust, belonging, identity, and voice are all examples of things that can be taught within a classroom community through dialogue and relationships with each other. These qualities can be cultivated by creating a space where students feel comfortable being themselves, feel like they belong, have an outlet to express themselves, and learn from one another. Creating an inclusive and safe learning environment can help teachers create memorable student experiences. For students to experience 15 their full potential, they must feel safe and comfortable in their environment (Oliver et al., 2019). They need to feel like they belong and can be themselves as they explore their artistic abilities. This means ensuring that all learners feel welcome and included in the learning process. This includes students with special needs or belonging to minority groups such as racial minorities or those who identify as LGBTQ+. To encourage students to take creative risks, it is important to create a learning environment where they feel a sense of belonging and safety. This can be achieved by prioritizing a sense of connection and collaboration over competition. According to Stout (1999), art educators should adopt an empathetic approach and facilitate rather than simply lecture. Allowing students to express their ideas and emotions is just as crucial to the learning process as the content itself (Oliver et al., 2019). For social justice and art education to go hand in hand, it is essential that students also feel empowered. When thinking about teaching for social justice, it is not just about incorporating social justice issues in the curricular areas of art—it is also about establishing a community that aims to empower the individual and promote social change. This means that teachers must take it one step further and look beyond merely forming a classroom community where students are comfortable; they must also consider how each student can be challenged through their learning experiences to develop into an active contributing member of society. Teachers should not be concerned with merely imparting knowledge but should be thinking about how they can foster a classroom environment conducive to critical thinking. To achieve this goal, several things must be considered when creating an environment where students feel comfortable sharing their opinions freely without feeling judged by their peers or teachers; thoughtful lesson design, modeling equity, and various collaborative activities make a difference in how students choose to participate. When all of these things are considered, art educators will 16 find that they have a strong classroom community where it will be easier for students to become active participants in society than mere bystanders (Knight, 2006). Reflective Lesson Design. Flexible and reflective lesson design focuses on how educators change teaching strategies and techniques that support all students (Chin, 2013). Research completed by Stuhr et al. (1992) focused on this issue. Teaching methods need to be adaptable according to the individual students within their classroom. Educators can use various strategies to increase flexibility in the classroom such as using multiple methods of assessments, allowing for a variety of learning styles, providing choices about how to complete projects, and providing opportunities for students to work together. Banks and Banks (2019) wrote that teachers need to be able to “modify their teaching in ways that will facilitate the academic achievement of students from racial, cultural, gender, and social-class groups. This includes using various teaching styles and approaches consistent with the wide range of learning styles within various cultural and ethnic groups” (p. 17). Modeling Equity. To teach from a social justice lens, educators need to be modeling equity themselves. The first step in creating a classroom that works for all students is to do some self-reflection. Educators are charged with the responsibility of teaching students how to think critically about their world and how it can be changed for the better. While this may seem like a tall order, it is possibly if educators take the time to reflect on their own values, beliefs, and biases and how they impact their work as educators. Social justice art educators must model equity by making sure that all students feel comfortable talking about their work and opinions about it. This means allowing for diverse viewpoints, encouraging all students to participate in discussions, addressing any biases that may come up during those discussions, avoiding making assumptions about what someone knows or doesn't know, being aware of one's own biases, 17 making time for everyone to share their ideas during class discussions, asking questions instead of making statements, thinking before speaking, speaking with respect, listening carefully, and giving feedback (praise/criticism) without judgement or bias. Andrus (2001) gave guidelines on how educators can become more culturally aware, including being aware of personal biases, understanding social justice issues, considering students’ backgrounds, and being committed. Modeling respect for diversity in the classroom means being open-minded, non-judgmental, and understanding of others’ differences. Educators should be willing to learn from their students because there is no one way of doing things. Educators are models to their students and therefore, as Knight (2006) argued, they must reflect on their own biases and beliefs. Collaborative Learning. Collaboration is an essential part of the art classroom and a key component to SJAE. It is one of the most effective ways to engage students and connect them with other people and ideas (Desai & Dewhurst, 2016). Collaborative learning is a teaching strategy that allows students to learn from each other, share their own experiences, and develop skills that will be useful for the rest of their lives. Collaboration in the art classroom gives students an opportunity to learn how to get along with others, communicate effectively, and resolve conflicts peacefully. Students can also develop self-confidence by trying something new and working together with others to accomplish a common goal. Desai and Dewhurst (2016) assert, “Such non-hierarchical learning creates opportunities for teachers and students to learn from each other, to take turns as the expert, and to change the conventional lines of power that tend to hold the teacher in a position of greater authority and agency” (p. 6). A study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology (CITE) found that students who worked collaboratively on projects showed greater improvement in their creative thinking skills than those who worked alone. The researchers theorized that working together allowed 18 students to build on each other’s ideas and come up with more creative solutions than they would have individually. Specifically in art education, Stuhr (1994) promoted collaborative learning. This takes time to succeed, as students and teachers need time to build that classroom community. Collaborative learning is not only an effective way to teach students how to work together; it also teaches them important skills they will need in real life. In today’s world, most jobs require teamwork and cooperation among coworkers, so it’s important for students to learn these skills early on so they can be successful later on in life. Multicultural Art Education A significant goal of SJAE in the art classroom is integrating a more multicultural curriculum. The idea behind multicultural education is that it helps all students learn about themselves in relation to others. This makes them better global citizens who can appreciate the differences between cultures and individuality instead of judging them as “right” or “wrong.” Multicultural education is for all students and is relevant to SJAE because it revolves around dialogues and lesson plans about stereotypes and misbeliefs about other cultures (Albeze, 2020). Students are encouraged to explore their own feelings about race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, class, and ability. It can be “an educational process dedicated to providing more equitable opportunities for disenfranchised individuals and groups to gain in social, political, and educational arenas” (Ballengee-Morris & Stuhr, 2011, p. 8). According to Andrews (2017) multicultural art education was constructed on the idea that a stronger United States is created from the citizens' diversity of beliefs and customs. The research suggested three pedagogical tools educators can use to create a more multicultural education: drawing from students’ life experiences, content integration, and social action. Garber (2004) characterized it as follows: 19 Firstly, subjects of social justice art education include community arts, media, and popular culture literacies, visual culture, as well as material culture studies. This way, it helps students explore the social and historical construction of knowledge. Secondly, the social justice art education curriculum focuses on the interest, voices, and lives of students. Besides, students “reclaim their voices as part of a process of empowerment” and learn the way to resist oppressive power. Teachers are seen as cultural workers and intellectuals that help justice and social change. Thirdly, critical inquiry and anti-discrimination pedagogies serve as ways for social justice art education. Finally, the results of social justice art education should be for students and teachers to become border crossers. Border crossers are aware of various coordinates of differences and power and their specific limitations and engage in the struggle for democratic change. (p. 9) This educational approach has a lot of benefits for students: they grow up with an understanding of their personal identity in relation to the world around them, they begin to understand the value of cultural diversity, they learn how to respect others by recognizing similarities and differences, they learn to think critically by exploring diverse viewpoints, and they gain a broader perspective that enables them to make informed decisions about how they want to impact the world in the future (Albeze, 2020). Drawing from Students’ Experiences. One of the most important aspects of multicultural education is giving students a chance to personally relate to the material being taught; otherwise, they will not fully grasp it (Andrews, 2017). Andrews (2017) indicated that an essential aspect of multicultural education is considering where students come from and their personal experiences. Students come into the classroom with previous knowledge associated 20 with various content areas. Educators need to use that and integrate it into the curriculum while learning new things together (Parsons, 2004). In a study by Maguire and Lenihan (2014), it was discovered that when students were given power in the classroom and were allowed to lead the conversation, they were more invested in the material and felt more confident. Educators should proactively engage with their students’ artwork and make connections with how they interpret the world around them. This approach can help teachers understand their students better and enable them to provide more effective guidance and support. Parsons (2004) and Lynch (2007), Albers (1999) figured that this type of practice could guide teachers in what direction to take the curriculum to help students challenge their viewpoints. This will create more engaged students as the content is more relevant to their lives. As students begin entering schools, educators have the opportunity to make art education inclusive for all students by learning about the unique cultures that represent their classrooms. Hunter-Doinger (2018) found that students are more likely to want to be a part of artmaking when a culturally relevant curriculum is presented. And Buffington and Bryant (2019) conducted further research and found that students were able to feel empowered as learners when teachers took time to understand their cultural backgrounds. To honestly acknowledge who the students are, educators must take the time to learn about them, their cultures, and their communities (Buffington & Bryant, 2019). Content Integration. In addition to designing a student-centered curriculum, how content is integrated is an essential element in a social justice art classroom. Chin (2013), Parsons (2004), and Chappell and Chappell (2016) explained that an essential part of multicultural education is content integration. In order to understand SJAE and incorporate it into our classrooms, we need to think about how problems are approached in general education—some schools are changing how they teach subjects so that students from different backgrounds 21 learn in more inclusive ways. Lynch (2007) suggested that incorporation of information and ideas from diverse cultures is often treated as a secondary consideration in the curriculum. As a result, a “hidden curriculum” is inadvertently conveyed, implying that certain cultures are less significant than others since they are not integrated throughout but treated as mere add-ons. Randall (2019) and Hunter-Doinger (2018) point out that art instruction can play a crucial role in either promoting equality or maintaining the status quo by influencing students’ attitudes and perspectives. How educators choose to integrate different views and cultures can influence and shape students’ views of the world. It also can affect how students see themselves in that world (Lynch, 2007). A curriculum that integrates cultures and diverse ideas can inevitably help students become open-minded, positive contributing members of their communities (Buffington & Bryant, 2019; Chin, 2013). Andrews (2017) suggested “to better understand our role in society and the world as a whole, we must study others, or we continue to hold ethnocentric views that maintain only our own narrow experience” (p. 5). Taking Social Action. Dewhurst (2011) proposed that an SJAE should include students taking a stance and promoting social action. Similarly, according to Banks and Banks (2019), multicultural education seeks to empower students who are both critics and representatives of change. In SJAE, taking a stance and promoting social action can be encouraged both in and out of the classroom (Chin, 2013; London, 1994; Tremblay, 2013). Art is a powerful tool to motivate people to make a change (Adejumo, 2002; Parsons, 2004). Stuhr et al. (1992) found that once students were able to see their potential to create change, they started using their artistic voices by researching issues and creating artwork depicting their views, and evoking conversation in class. Randall (2019) detailed that art projects revolving around social justice issues give 22 students a chance to create art about subjects that are meaningful to them. Usually, these projects go beyond the classroom and involve students making connections to their communities (Chin, 2013). Beyerback and Davis (2011), Trembaly (2013), and Adejumo (2002) all discussed how it is essential for students to find their voice and recognize the power art has on people and how it is so much more than “just a pretty picture.” When implementing SJAE, art educators should still have lessons planned around art materials and techniques. It is important because when educators teach students about socially engaged art and how to create socially engaging art, they need to understand how media (pencil, charcoal, paint, and photography) can engage the viewers and spark dialogue (Chin, 2013; Tremblay, 2013). The selection of materials can significantly impact the interpretation of an artwork. Thus, it is essential for students to discover their creative voice and understand the profound influcence art can have on people, recognizing that it goes beyond creating aesthetically pleasing images (Beyerbach & Davis, 2011; Randall, 2019). A social justice-based curriculum goal is to encourage change, not always on the hard-hitting issues and topics, but also in addressing stereotypes and celebrating differences (Andrews, 2017; Knight, 2006). The reality is that students cannot successfully make art about social justice issues if they are unaware that the world is unjust. Integrating all three of these elements will result in a more full-bodied multicultural SJAE. Conclusion Educators cannot ignore that our society’s diversity is growing rapidly. According to Andrews (2017), the United States youth population is predicted to have a higher number of minorities in schools. Andrews addressed how important it is to accept that minorities are no longer minorities and embrace it by taking on a more social justice-based education. Including 23 discussions on social issues in the secondary art classroom is essential for students to understand how, for example, social and political issues such as economic, racial, and gender inequalities exist in their communities (Andrus, 2011). It can help students better understand where they fit in society and encourage them to be active participants (Albers, 1999). As educators start to incorporate social justice issues and make those connections in their pedagogy, they will begin to see the change in how students engage in the material and how they see themselves in the world. Purpose Integrating a social justice-based art education into the classroom space comes with its own set of challenges and concerns. Art educators should try to implement a type of curriculum that helps students understand and explore issues of social injustice (Ruggiero, 2011). Of course, as Garber (2004) argues, “this doesn’t mean that students’ thinking and actions will be copies of what their teachers do, but that through thoughtful engagement with issues and situations, they will learn to question the status quo against their beliefs about a more just world” (p. 8). Garber mentioned fruther that educators need to realize that lessons focused on social justice are not about their own opinions but more about guiding students to find their voices and learn how to express them. Because of today’s current climate, educators are starting to integrate a more SJAE and make those types of connections in their pedagogy. Art educators are hesitant to include social topics in their classrooms. Ideally, social justice ideas should complement and be seamlessly integrated into the curriculum rather than be seen as a separate focus entirely. There is a lack of research on secondary art educators' attitudes and practices regarding social justice pedagogy. As noted in the literature review, there is an apparent connection between SJAE and engagement in students. This project aimed to explore the attitudes and practices of secondary art educators in Utah regarding social justice pedagogy. Gaining 24 perspective on this will help shed some light on how Utah secondary art educators operate in today’s political climate and what their different core assumptions are on SJAE. Research Questions 1. What are the attitudes of secondary art educators regarding social justice pedagogy? 2. How are social issues being discussed in the secondary art classroom? 3. What pedagogical tools do secondary art educators use to promote social justice in their classrooms? Definition of Terms • Social Justice: According to Adams et al. (2007), “social justice includes a vision of society in which the distribution of resources is equitable, and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure” (p. 1). Quinn et al. (2012) defined it as having beliefs centered around respect, care, and ethical values. • Social Justice Art Education (SJAE): Social justice becomes a pedagogical practice when applied in the classroom. SJAE uses art to address social issues (Keifer-Boyd, 2008). Anderson et al. (2010) stated that SJAE encourages equity and opportunities for students to achieve their goals in society. Other terms used to describe social justice art education are activist art, community-based art, art for social change, multicultural art education, and culturally relevant art education. • Social Issues: A term used to denote collective concerns in the public or social arena (Milbrandt, 2002). • Visual Arts: Art that is visual in nature, such as drawing, painting, ceramics, printmaking, design, photography, video, filmmaking, architecture, and crafts. This list is not exhaustive, and there is much crossover through artistic disciplines. 25 Method This study aimed to capture an overall picture of the attitudes and practices of secondary art educators in Utah regarding social justice through a survey and in-depth interviews. This method section provides an overview of the research methods used to collect data for this mixed-methods project. The purpose of using mixed methods, the context of the project, and research positionality are also addressed. This section also discusses the participants, instruments, procedure steps, and the data analysis methods going to be used. Research strategies included a survey, in-depth interviews, and written reflections. This study addressed three central questions that will guide my inquiries and research: 1. What are the attitudes of secondary art educators regarding social justice pedagogy? 2. How are social issues being discussed in the secondary art classroom? 3. What pedagogical tools do secondary art educators use to promote social justice in their classrooms? Mixed Methods Research Design According to Leavy (2017) a mixed methods approach “involves collecting and integrating quantitative and qualitative data in a single project and therefore may result in a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon under investigation” (p. 164). Johnson and Onwuegbuzie (2004) added that “mixed methods research can be viewed as an approach which draws upon the strengths and perspectives of each method, recognizing the existence and importance of the physical, natural world as well as the importance of reality and influence of human experience” (p. 16). I chose to use a mixed methods research design to examine the practices and attitudes of secondary art educators in Utah with respect to social justice curriculum and pedagogy. This approach allows me to combine both qualitative and quantitative 26 methods, which enables me to collect and analyze data from a range of sources and draw upon the strengths of both methods. By doing so, I can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the research topic and provide a more nuanced analysis of the issues at hand. Context Because the survey was administered electronically and the interviews conducted via zoom, environmental conditions are not predictable or controlled. It is assumed that many participants who filled out the survey were in an uncontrollable environment with background noises and other interruptions. This is recognized because having all secondary art educators in Utah come to a controlled environment to be given the survey and interview would most likely deter people from participating. I think this information is helpful to know because it acknowledges the limitations of the study design and highlights potential factors that could impact the validity and reliability of the results. Understanding the potential sources of noise and distractions during the survey and interview process can provide valuable insights into the data collected and help to interpret the results more accurately. Additionally, this recognition may be useful for future studies to consider ways to minimize potential distractions or provide more controlled environments to increase data accuracy. Participants To qualify for participation in the survey and the interview, participants were employed (or previously employed) as part-time or full-time secondary visual art educators at a public or charter school in Utah. Survey 27 The survey was sent electronically to secondary visual art educators. Contact was made with the Utah Art Educators Association, and they agreed to send out the survey link. Also, individual emails were sent out to educators across the state whose email was listed on their school websites. Interview After completing the survey, participants were given the option to express their interest in participating in an in-depth interview. From those who expressed interest, three participants were selected for interviews. Instruments The collection of data was through surveys and semi-structured in-depth interviews. First, the survey process will be described, and then the interview process will be discussed. Survey The survey (Appendix A) component was mainly a quantitative survey. The primary purpose was similar to other studies, which was to capture a snapshot of the overall landscape of predominant educational practices and attitudes on SJAE in which Utah secondary art educators engage. By identifying common educational practices and exploring the relationships between them, the aim was to come closer to understanding how art educators perceive and implement social justice in their classrooms. The survey did not attempt to change the existing status quo. The survey instrument was created using Qualtrics. The survey design allowed access to diverse yet interconnected views of art educators in Utah in a single study. It was distributed electronically via email and included a link to the survey and an explanation along with instructions. 28 The survey was made available to particpants in the winter of 2022, and each participants received an email with the same questionnaire. The survey was open for two weeks, and there was no time limit imposed on the participants for completing it. Participants completing the survey were able to progress through the questionnaire regardless of whether questions were left blank; incomplete data did not stop participants from submitting their survey. If any answers were left blank, they were omitted from the analysis. All responses filled in and submitted were used for analysis. A demographic profile of the survey participants was collected at the beginning of the survey with regards to teaching status (full or part-time), teaching experience (number of years), visual art subjects currently teaching, and school status (public or charter and middle or high school). At the end of the survey, responders were asked if they would be willing to participate in a follow-up interview as a part of a smaller focus group. If they answered yes, at that point, their preferred method of contact was provided to set up the interview. No other demographical information was collected that contained names, school or district affiliations, income levels, ethnicity, or gender. After the demographic questions, all other questions were regarding social justice attitudes and pedagogy. The majority of the questions involved a Likert scale; respondents were asked to show their level of agreement (from strongly disagree to strongly agree) with the given question or statement. Using a Likert scale allowed for quantitative data capturing the participants’ collective opinions, and actions on the issue being studied (Joshi et al., 2015). To enable the participants to be truthful in their answers, all responses were anonymous. 29 Interviews In-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted as a primary source of data collection to capture perspectives and insights that were not given in the survey. This was the qualitative portion of the study. Merriam (2009) defined qualitative research as having an emphasis on “experience, understanding, the researcher is the primary instrument in data collection and analysis, the process is inductive, and detailed description characterizes the end product” (p. 19). While the survey looked for common assumptions and answers, the interviews looked for educators taking action in the context of SJAE. Leavy (2017) discussed the variety of ways qualitative researchers can use interviews in their research. In-depth interviews are inductive or open-ended and range from unstructured to semi-structured. In other words, questions do not have a predetermined set of acceptable responses, such as true or false. Rather, participants are able to use their own language, provide long and detailed responses if they choose, and go in any direction they want in response to the question. (p. 139) I went into each interview (Appendix B) with a planned set of questions to guide the conversation based on my research questions, but I used a responsive technique where I listened to what the participant found important to share asking subsequent questions for clarification. At the beginning of the interview, the participants received an explanation of the purpose and design of the research. The remaining questions asked about how and why they became an art teacher, their career history, and their attitudes and practices on teaching art with social justice in mind. The purpose of conducting these interviews was to gather first-hand information about the participants teaching methods, values, and attitudes within SJAE. 30 Interviews were conducted through Zoom at a convenient time to the interviewees. Interviews lasted between 30–60 minutes, with one going close to two hours. In the interviews, both recording and note-taking were used. Each individual was asked similar questions, but they all brought up different issues and ideas that led to new lines of questioning that were not planned beforehand. All recordings and notes were transcribed, with identifying information removed from the findings. Researcher Positionality Statement It is acknowledged that this research was conducted because I have a particular interest in learning about visual arts educators’ beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes on social justice issues. I acknowledge my identification as a middle-class white cisgender female in my thirties with no teaching experience. My background as an artist and my lack of teaching experience influenced the lens through which I used the data. I used my interpretation of the data to depict the current attitudes and practices on social justice issues through an art piece as the final product of the study. However, these potential biases did not significantly affect the data collection process but rather the analysis and interpretation of the data. Data Analysis The process of data analysis on this mixed methods research study on SJAE involved organizing the data into categories, cleaning up and coding the data, conducting qualitative analysis, interpreting the results, and sharing the results. Survey The survey analysis consisted of exporting data from Qualtrics to a CSV file, analyzing the data in Excel to identify base-level trends and statistical highlights linked to the research 31 questions, and creating visual data from tables and graphs in Qualtrics that visually represented the results. Interviews The interviews were recorded and then transcribed, including observational notes taken during and immediately after the interview. The interviews were first analyzed using coding techniques of open and closed coding. Coding is a common research technique used in the social sciences. Researchers looking to explore or interpret their data often use coding to look for patterns systematically (Roulston, 2014). It is an essential process in qualitative research because it helps researchers find the answers to research questions (Leavy, 2017). In open coding, the researcher identifies themes and concepts from raw data and then organizes them into more general categories. Closed coding involves categorizing data into predetermined categories based on specific criteria (Leavy, 2017). After the initial coding and discovering overall themes, an in-depth content analysis was conducted to find links back to the research questions. Results and Discussion Since the study was a mixed methods approach by utilizing both a survey and in-depth interviews, results from both will be included. The survey results provided a broad understanding of the experiences and perspectives of participants. At the same time, the in-depth interviews offered a more detailed understanding of the topic by diving deeper into the experiences and perspectives of a smaller set of participants. Combining these two methods allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of the topic. Both the survey and the interview aimed to answer the originally posed research questions: What are the attitudes and perceptions of secondary art educators regarding social justice pedagogy? How are social issues being discussed in the art classroom? And what pedagogical tools do secondary art educators use to promote social justice 32 in their classrooms? It is worth noting that the second and third research questions were similar and ended up with similar answers. For this reason, those questions are combined. By exploring these questions about the data from the study, insight was gained into how SJAE can be used as a tool for promoting critical thinking, empathy, and social change in students. The survey consisted of four sections, including questions about demographics, building classroom community, multicultural art education, and SJAE. The demographic section gathered information about the participants’ backgrounds and experiences in art education. The building community section aimed to gather information about the participants’ understanding of building a positive classroom community and their practices in creating such an environment. The multicultural art education section collected information about the participants’ understanding of multicultural art education and its importance in the classroom. Lastly, the social justice section gathered information about the participants’ knowledge what practices they make a priority in their classrooms. The three in-depth interviews were designed to explore the participants’ attitudes toward social justice education, and their methods of incorporating social justice themes in the classroom. Interviewee 1 has been teaching for eight years, four years at an international charter school, and the past four years, they have been teaching for an online charter school. They teach classes such as commercial art, fashion design, and graphic design. In the interview, they discussed the importance of incorporating social justice and diversity in the classroom using a more inclusive curriculum, open discussions, and respect for all students. Interviewee 2 has been teaching secondary art classes for 17 years. They have taught in both private and public schools. During the interview they emphasized the importance of building relationships in the classroom and creating an environment where differences are celebrated and acknowledged. Interviewee 3 33 was a former art educator and administrator who worked in an urban school district and is now teaching higher education classes. They discussed the challenges art educators face in their interview, including pressure from the state to measure outcomes and stress among teachers. In the following sections, I present the results and discussion of the survey and interviews. The results are divided into four sections: demographics, building a classroom community, multicultural education, and social justice. Each section includes survey results and interview data supporting (or contradicting) those responses. To answer the research questions (What are the attitudes and perceptions of secondary art educators on SJAE? What pedagogical strategies and tools are art educators using to implement SJAE in their classrooms?), I will first provide a summary of the findings in each area of inquiry and then discuss the answer to the questions. Demographics The survey results showed that many respondents have taught for 8–11 years, with a mean of 4.87 years. Most respondents were full-time teachers, with 89% indicating they were full-time. Most of those surveyed were currently working in public schools (89%), and over half of the respondents were teaching in high schools (54%). Other respondents were teaching in middle or junior high schools (28%) and additional (18%), including college, district position-elementary, and higher education. Most respondents indicated that their school served suburban areas (59%). In the initial stages of this project, I did not think about correlating the demographic results to other questions in the survey. However, if I were to repeat this study with a similar population, I would ask more in-depth demographic questions such as gender, race, and age. This is because it would have been interesting to see if there was any correlation between the 34 demographic questions and answers to Likert statements. For example, are younger teachers more prepared to teach this way? SJAE and diversity in education have been “hot topics” in recent years, so they were most likely being taught how to approach this in their preservice training. Or do educators of color feel it is essential to model equity more so the white educators. However, in the end, the purpose of the study was not to find these types of correlations, but these considerations could have added depth and understanding of why respondents answered the way they did. Building Classroom Community In the first section of the survey, building classroom community, the data showed that many high school art educators have a positive attitude towards building a classroom community. The interviews mentioned specific practices being used to implement this. As shown in Table 1.1, for example, relative to the statement, “I spend time building classroom community,” 51% of respondents strongly agreed, and 42% somewhat agreed. Likewise, in question 2, “I think about my students and how I can create an environment that fosters learning for all students,” 81% of respondents strongly agreed. These responses suggested that most art educators are aware of the importance of creating a comfortable and inclusive classroom environment for their students. Table 1.1 Statement Strongly disagree Somewhat disagree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat agree Strongly agree I spend time building classroom community 2.33% 2.33% 2.33% 41.86% 51.16% I think about my students and how I can create an environment that fosters learning for all students 2.33% 0.00% 0.00% 16.28% 81.40% I am flexible in my lesson design and change my 2.33% 0.00% 0.00% 34.88% 62.79% 35 teaching strategies to support all students I allow for a variety of learning styles 2.33% 0.00% 0.00% 32.56% 65.12% I provide choices to students' on how to complete projects 2.33% 0.00% 2.33% 34.88% 60.47% I prepare assessments that mirror my students' learning styles 2.33% 2.33% 30.23% 44.19% 20.93% I prioritize collaboration in my classroom 2.33% 16.28% 32.56% 34.88% 13.95% Collaboration is an effective way to engage students and connect them with the content 2.38% 4.76% 16.67% 45.24% 30.95% Collaboration develops self-confidence by working with others to accomplish a common goal 2.33% 6.98% 25.58% 34.88% 34.88% Collaboration allows for teachers and students to learn from each other 2.33% 4.65% 4.65% 46.51% 41.86% I consider the cultures and life experiences of my students when planning lessons 2.33% 0.00% 11.63% 34.88% 51.16% I spend time learning about my students communities 2.33% 0.00% 20.93% 48.84% 27.91% Additionally, many art educators seemed aware of the need for flexibility and diversity in teaching methods. For example, in statement 3, “I am flexible in my lesson design and change my teaching strategies to support all students,” 63% of respondents strongly agreed. Likewise, in question 4, “I allow for a variety of learning styles,” 65% of respondents strongly agreed. This indicated most art educators understand that differentiating their teaching to different learning styles and adapting their teaching strategies is essential. The three interviews provided further insight into perceptions and pedagogical tools/strategies art educators use in their classrooms to build a strong community amongst their 36 students. Interviewee 2, for example, emphasized the unique role of art educators in fostering acceptance and understanding among students. They said, “I am privileged to be an art teacher; we have more freedom, and it starts with acceptance. It starts with relationships, and art class is different and different is celebrated. And so, I feel like I have the upper hand when it comes to bridging gaps a little bit.” One strategy that interviewee 2 uses to build relationships is to start by simply treating students with love and respect, getting to know their names, and sharing as much about themselves as possible to show that they care about the students and not just their grades. They ask questions to get to know their students, I’ll do an interest survey or an exit ticket, all these buzzwords that we are supposed to do, you know, but I do them with the goal of relationships, not content. So, I will try and remember that Susie is a dancer when I talk about Degas or other artists. Although, it seems like building relationships with students would be a goal of all educator. Interviewee 2 expressed their surprise at the need for their district to hold meetings specifically on building relationships with students. I think it’s a problem when the school district hires professionals to come out and teach us about building relationships. In that situation people will be in professional development all day for how to build a relationship, but if they are not that person, they are not going to do it. I honestly think that is why first-year teachers either make it or don’t because that’s not generally taught, the life skills such as people skills, nor the reminder that you’re going to be carrying other people’s [students] burdens. That’s not talked about or celebrated, and it should be celebrated because that is something that we get to do. 37 This suggests that there may be a need for more basic skills among educators when it comes to building relationships with students, which is a critical component of SJAE. Interviewee one believed that by treating students with respect and allowing them to express themselves, they could create a classroom where students feel comfortable and can learn more effectively. They gave an example of this about a specific student who had a difficult background and how they were able to overcome his challenges with the help of mentors and a supportive community. The student mentioned was described as having a chip on his shoulder and being “pissed off at the world.” He was a “lost boy” who had escaped from a FLDS family, who were known to send away their teenage boys because they were seen as a threat to the community. The student had never been in a classroom before and struggled to adjust to the school environment. However, despite his challenges he connected with other students and found his passion in photography and art. The interviewee noted, “I think we are going to be seeing more and more of that in our schools and our classrooms, and I just think we need to zero in on it as best we can.” On the other hand, another part of building classroom community is focusing on collaboration and considering students’ cultures and life experiences when planning lessons. The data suggested that art educators seemed to have a less positive attitude towards these two things. For example, in statement 7, “I prioritize collaboration in my classroom,” only 14% of respondents strongly agreed. In the statement, “I consider the cultures and life experiences of my students when planning lessons,” only 51% of respondents strongly agreed. There could be many interpretations of this, but it could mean that individual effort is more important than collaboration in the art classroom. 38 Interviewee 3 emphasized the benefits of building student-centered assessments as a pedagogical tool they encourage in the classroom—a statement which 65% of respondents agreed with on the survey. Interviewee 3 discussed an example of a music teacher (interviewee 3 teaches educators in performing and visual arts) who initially opposed student choice but ultimately had positive results. The music teacher initially resisted the idea but tried it in the end. The teacher later reported that they started observing a new behavior among their students: they spontaneously came together to play music together. The interviewee attributed this change to the student-centered assessment. Likewise, Interviewee 1 recounted an experience on the statement from the survey “I provide choices to students' on how to complete projects.” They were teaching a fashion design class as an intensive program, where students earned credit by being immersed in the subject for six hours a day for ten days. They explained their first day teaching the class, I went in with a long-winded PowerPoint. I thought everyone was going to be stoked to listen to me, but they were dropping like flies; they were not interested, I know this because they were bored looking at their phones, and, in my opinion, being disrespectful. And guess what? That first morning I fell flat on my face. However, after lunch, the interviewee decided to try a different approach by breaking the students up into groups and having them choose a decade of fashion history that interested them to research and present on. This flipped classroom model proved to be a success, as students were more engaged and took ownership of their learning by working with their peers, researching, creating poster designs, and presenting to the class. In addition, the interviewee said that they noticed leaders started to emerge within their peer groups, and it was not just the teacher who was driving the learning. 39 Interviewee 2 also highlighted the importance of giving students options and allowing them the freedom to think for themselves, which they believe will lead to significant improvements in their learning. They referenced Bloom’s Taxonomy, saying that this approach shifts the focus from a teacher-centered approach where information is “spoon-fed” to students to a student-centered approach where students are engaged in “metacognitive thinking and taking ownership of their learning.” The survey and interviews showed that overall, art educators have a positive attitude towards building classroom community. Many also understand the need for flexibility and diversity in their teaching methods. The strategies and pedagogical practices mentioned included treating students respectfully and getting to know them personally. Other pedagogical practices mentioned were allowing students to express themselves with student-centered assessments and projects. Multicultural Art Education The data from this section indicated that a majority of educators surveyed believe that multicultural education is needed and that it is more than just teaching about different cultures. There is a breakdown of this in Table 1.2. Specifically, in response to the statement, “Multicultural education is needed because it helps students understand the world in which they live,” 91% of educators agreed or strongly agreed. Similarly, in response to the statement “Multicultural education is more than teaching about different cultures,” 90% of educators surveyed agreed or strongly agreed. 40 Table 1.2 Statement Strongly disagree Somewhat disagree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat agree Strongly agree Multicultural education is needed because it helps students understand the world in which they live 0.00% 0.00% 9.30% 27.91% 62.79% Multicultural education is more than teaching about different cultures 0.00% 0.00% 9.30% 37.21% 53.49% I believe in working cooperatively with parents to better student learning 0.00% 0.00% 23.26% 39.53% 37.21% Modeling equity is just as crucial as teaching it 0.00% 0.00% 13.95% 11.63% 74.42% I am aware of my own biases and stereotypes 0.00% 2.33% 4.65% 46.51% 46.51% I allow for diverse viewpoints by encouraging all students to participate in discussions 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 23.26% 76.74% I integrate examples of art and ideas from different cultures to teach ideas, concepts, and issues 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 32.56% 67.44% How I choose to integrate different viewpoints influences and shapes my students views of the world 2.33% 0.00% 9.30% 37.21% 51.16% I often feel overwhelmed and unequipped to implement a culturally relevant curriculum 18.60% 11.63% 23.26% 32.56% 13.95% The data also showed that most educators surveyed believe in working cooperatively with parents to better student learning. For example, in response to the statement, “I believe in working cooperatively with parents to better student learning,” 77% of educators agreed or strongly agreed. Most educators surveyed also agreed that they are aware of their own biases and 41 stereotypes, with 94% agreeing and strongly agreeing. Yet an interesting 14% of educators neither agreed nor disagreed that modeling equity is crucial. However, many educators surveyed agreed that they often feel overwhelmed and need help to implement a culturally relevant curriculum. In response to the statement, “I often feel overwhelmed and unequipped to implement a culturally relevant curriculum,” 19% of educators strongly disagreed, 12% disagreed, 23% neither agreed nor disagreed, 33% agreed, and 14% strongly agreed. All three interviewees spoke to the importance of teaching a multicultural art education, especially regarding these statements from the survey: “I allow for diverse viewpoints by encouraging all students to participate in discussions” and “I integrate examples of art and ideas from different cultures to teach ideas, concepts, and issues.” Interviewee 3 said teaching a multicultural art education aligns with their passion for student-centered education and the belief that students have the potential to exceed their current understanding of themselves. They aimed to “challenge students to consider who they are beyond their conscious ideologies and to discover their individuality through engaging with the unknown and unfamiliar in their work.” In a multicultural art education setting, this could involve exposing students to diverse perspectives and cultural influences, encouraging them to explore their cultural heritage and identity, and providing opportunities to engage with and learn from artists and art forms from different cultures. By doing so, they hope to help students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the world around them. Interviewee 1 gave an example of this and talked about an incredible experience their school had. They told a story about how the school they were working at had an assembly with someone from the Black Lives Matter movement as the speaker. They also mentioned that a student’s grandmother was one of the people that were sitting at a water fountain during a protest 42 where Black men and Black women had flour dumped on them. They were able to have the grandmother come and talk to the school, which was an amazing opportunity for “shared history and learning about differences.” Interviewee 2 takes action outside their classroom and is in charge of Latinos in Action at their school. They expressed the importance of including different types of art in the curriculum and how it can lead to a diverse range of discussions and perspectives. For example, when teaching positive and negative space, they use Japanese designs and discuss Japanese art and artists. They also mentioned that when teaching about printmaking, they discuss both historical and contemporary artists from different backgrounds. They believe that “including diverse artists in the curriculum will lead to a more culturally relevant and inclusive conversation, not just about art, but also about people and their experiences.” They also said that teaching in high school allows them to have more open and diverse conversations about subjects such as mental illness and contemporary art, which covers “different sensitivities and offenses.” They concluded the topic that is teaching about various artists “leads to a conversation about people which is inclusive in nature.” Based on the survey and interviews, it can be concluded that art educators are using various pedagogical strategies and tools to implement a more multicultural education in their classrooms. The focus is on engaging students and promoting critical thinking through diverse and inclusive practices. Focusing on multicultural education, allows educators to celebrate diversity and expose students to a wide range of perspectives and cultural influences. By implementing these strategies, educators can create a classroom environment that promotes social justice and critical thinking and allows students to explore their own identities, experiences, and perspectives. 43 Social Justice Art Education This section of the survey shows a significance in respondents agreeing to the statements. As shown, in Table 1.3 the data showed a moderate number of respondents that have a good understanding of what teaching for social justice means, with 38% strongly somewhat agreeing and 30% strongly agreeing. However, a significant percentage of respondents neither agree nor disagree or somewhat disagree (31%) with this statement. Table 1.3 Statement Strongly disagree Somewhat disagree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat agree Strongly agree I have a good understanding of what teaching social justice means 0.00% 7.14% 23.81% 38.10% 30.95% I am interested in teaching social justice in my art classroom 9.52% 4.76% 30.95% 26.19% 28.57% I have a strong commitment to social justice in my teaching practice 7.14% 4.76% 40.48% 26.19% 21.43% I feel confident in my ability to teach social justice content effectively 2.38% 28.57% 28.57% 26.19% 14.29% I am familiar with issues of social justice and have implemented strategies into my lesson plans 11.90% 16.67% 30.95% 30.95% 9.52% The curriculum should be designed to promote social justice 14.29% 7.14% 35.71% 26.19% 16.67% Students should be taught about social issues 2.38% 0.00% 19.05% 42.86% 35.71% I do in-class activities where students learn about social justice 16.67% 19.05% 35.71% 21.43% 7.14% I make students aware of social and political issues 9.52% 26.19% 23.81% 35.71% 4.76% 44 through art projects I teach my students to become aware of injustices occurring in society 14.29% 11.90% 30.95% 35.71% 7.14% Furthermore, interest in teaching social justice in the art classroom is lower, with 29% of respondents strongly agreeing and 10% strongly disagreeing. A similar pattern can be seen regarding respondents’ strong commitment to social justice in their teaching practice, with 21% strongly agreeing and 7% strongly disagree. Respondents also had a lower confidence level in their ability to teach social justice content effectively, with 14% strongly agreeing and 2% strongly disagreeing, with issues of social justice, and implementation of strategies into lesson plans also showed a similar pattern, with 31% of respondents strongly agreeing and 12% strongly disagreeing. However, most respondents agreed that the curriculum should be designed to promote social justice, with 62% strongly and somewhat agreeing. The last section of the survey suggested that educators are more hesitant to incorporate social justice into their curriculum, citing concerns about the appropriateness or lack of expertise. They may also worry about the potential for controversy or backlash from parents or administrators. Out of the ten questions that addressed social justice issues specifically, only one of them had a percentage of higher than 70% of respondents who agreed and strongly agreed, and that was “students should be taught about social issues (79%). The other nine questions scored a percentage of 70% or lower on agreeance. The biggest gap was the statement, “I do in-class activities where students learn about social justice,” with only 29% of the respondents agreeing with the statement; the next in line were the statements, “I make students aware of 45 social and political issues through art projects” and “I am familiar with issues of social justice and have implemented strategies into my lessons” at only 40% of respondents agreeing to the statement. Not far behind at 41%, the statement “I feel confident in my ability to teach social justice content effectively.” This data suggests that there seems to be a disconnect between the other two sections, “building classroom community” and “multicultural education.” When incorporated into a classroom, those two things are part of the bigger picture of SJAE. If I could sit with each of these individuals and show them the research that SJAE incorporates all of those things and not just hitting hard complex issues, I think the percentages would look different. Another explanation is expanded upon in the interviews. It relates to the statements “I feel confident in my ability to teach social justice content effectively” and “I often feel overwhelmed and unequipped to implement a culturally relevant curriculum.” Teachers are stressed, overwhelmed, and have so many policies and procedures thrown at them year after year that they do not have the time and have not been given the resources to successfully teach this way. Interviewee 3’s perspective sheds light on the impact of stress on teachers, discussing that when teachers are under stress, they tend to revert to familiar behaviors and are less likely to try new approaches. They said, What happens when an organism is stressed out? Typically, they do not engage in innovative or new kinds of behavior. When they are feeling good, when they feel in control, when they feel safe, that’s when they might start to stretch their behavior repertoire. 46 They highlighted the importance of creating safe and supportive environments that allow teachers to feel in control and at ease. Focusing on this can help promote innovation and experimentation among teachers, which is important for the students' success. However, when it came to addressing specific social issues and creating projects that focus on social justice, the attitudes and perceptions of the educators shifted. It is suggested that this shift in attitude is due to the stress and pressure of the job. The added demands and pressure of teaching can make it difficult for educators to teach this type of content effectively. Furthermore, the lack of resources and support available to them can worsen these challenges. As a result, art educators may feel overwhelmed and develop a negative attitude towards SJAE, as they question their own abilities and revert to familiar teaching methods. Visualizing the Results A big part of the project was creating an artwork based on the data. There is an explosion of information in today’s world, and it is challenging to understand. Art can help make sense of the world and provides a way to observe and document things that would normally go unnoticed. I quickly learned through my research that data visualization and data art are two main ways to create artwork using data (Li, 2018). At first glance, the two can be hard to differentiate, but they are two different approaches. The use and meaning of the terms do seem to vary for artists and programmers, depending on the context. Data visualization is the process of representing data in a graphic format to make it easier to understand (Viegas & Wattenberg, 2007). These visualizations are especially useful for communicating simple relationships between different pieces of information (Li, 2018). They can often be very effective at conveying their message in a straightforward way, with little or no 47 language needed. My limited research showed that data visualizations are often created for experts and analysts in a specific field, such as business or science (Viegas & Wattenberg, 2007). Data art, on the other hand, is about telling stories that get people thinking about real issues through the lens of creativity (Koponen & Hilden, 2019). The primary purpose of creating this type of work is to convey an emotional response or create an atmosphere that surrounds the viewer with feelings rather than facts (Post et al., 2002). This kind of work is deliberately open-ended so that everyone who sees it will come away with their own unique experience of it. Data art is often created for a general audience and may be displayed in galleries or museums (Post et al., 2002) For this project, I created a data art piece rather than a data visualization. The reason for this choice is that data art is more than just presenting facts and figures; it is about telling a story. Therefore, creating a data art piece gave me the opportunity to convey a message or theme in an unconventional and expressive way (Koponen & Hilden, 2019). Additionally, I wanted the final piece to be open to interpretation, allowing the viewer to walk away with their understanding and perspective of the data. Process The process of creating a data art piece can vary depending on the specific project and the artist’s approach. For this project, the following steps were taken to arrive at the final piece: conceptualization, data collection, data cleaning and preparation, data visualization, design/composition, and ultimately, the creation of the piece. 48 Conceptualization The first step was to come up with an idea or theme, as well as to determine the message or story that the piece would convey. The theme of the art piece was decided when the research topic was decided: Social Justice Arts Education. Data Collection The next step was to gather the data through the survey and the interviews. The data formed the foundation of the piece. Next, I coded the data and then prepared it for use in creating the artwork. This step was essential in ensuring that the data was relevant and in a format that could be easily referenced when creating the artwork. Data Visualization Data visualization was the next step. I used charts and graphs from Qualtrics and word clouds to better understand the data and how to present it. Design and Composition I then used various visualizations to decide on the materials and the general design. Next, I picked the medium, color schemes, and layout that fit the data. Through miniature art studies, I experimented with different mediums, for example, collages, sketches, mixed-media, and fiber arts. The design and composition stage was the part where the idea came to life. Creation of the Piece Finally, it was time to create the piece; after all the planning, research, and preparation, I was ready to bring everything together. This stage was a lot of trial and error. I kept tweaking and adjusting, trying different things until I found something that felt right for the project and the story the data was telling. Creating a data art piece rather than a data visualization also gave me 49 more creative freedom and allowed me to experiment with different mediums, textures, and colors. Final Art Piece The final data art piece is a multi-dimensional tapestry. Using a tapestry as a medium allowed me to convey the data in a unique and dynamic way. The tapestry is made up of different textures, materials, colors, and shapes, which gives it a painterly quality. However, the variety of materials, such as rope, yarn, paracord, and fabric, make it stand out from a traditional painting, which is what my background is. In addition, the rope and yarn add a tactile element to the piece that allows the viewer to touch and explore the data in a new way. The tapestry’s use of movement and weight adds depth to the piece. The movement in the tapestry is created by making the different layers of material, which creates an illusion of depth and movement. The rope’s weight also adds to the overall impact of the piece. I gravitated towards rope as a medium because it gives the work a sense of physicality, making it more tangible. The viewer can touch and explore the piece (encouraged), which adds a new dimension to the data art experience. Additionally, the weight of the rope gives the work a sense of stability, which makes the data represented in the piece more real and impactful. In the final piece, I chose a neutral color palette with pops of brighter colors to create visual interest. The neutral colors that make up most of the piece provides contrast and allows for various focal points. Instead of using a lot of bright and bold colors, I decided that the neutral and more muted color palette helped create a more balanced feel. In summary, using a tapestry as a medium allowed me, as the artist, to convey the data in different ways. The tapestry is not only a visual representation of the data but also an interactive experience that encourages the viewer to touch and explore it. 50 Limitations While the data collected from the survey and interviews provided interesting perspectives about SJAE in Utah, there are several potential limitations to this research study. First, the sample size of 52 participants for the survey is relatively small, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. The small sample size may not be representative of the larger population of art educators. Because the results may not be able to be applied to other populations or contexts. Also, the use of Likert scale questions in the survey may also be a limitation. Likert scale questions are often used to measure attitudes and perceptions (South et al., 2022). Still, they may not provide a complete understanding of individual attitudes and perceptions of art educators on SJAE. The survey also could have offered respondents a chance to explain their answers, which prevented getting more detailed information. Second, the study relied on self-reported attitudes and perceptions of art educators, which may be subject to bias. Respondents may have been hesitant to express negative attitudes or perceptions about SJAE. Finally, while in-depth interviews can provide rich and detailed information, the small sample size (three interviews) is unlikely to represent most of the population of art educators and the results may not be able to be generalized to other contexts or populations. In conclusion, the research study has potential limitations due to its small sample size, self-reported attitudes and perceptions, use of Likert scale questions, use of in-depth interviews with a limited number of participants and the researcher’s own bias. While the study provided valuable insights, further research with a larger sample size is needed to gain a greater understanding of the attitudes and perceptions of art educators on SJAE along with the tools and strategies they use. 51 Recommendations One of the goals of art education is to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to teach art effectively (Russell-Bowie, 2012). The first recommendation is for a more focused instruction for preservice teachers in college and universities. Here are a few ways in which those institutions can support preservice art educators in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to teach SJAE: 1. Provide coursework and professional development opportunities that focus specifically on social justice art education: This could include courses that explore the history and theory of SJAE, as well as opportunities to observe and participate in community-based art projects that address social issues. 2. Incorporate a student-centered pedagogical approach: This approach would emphasize the role of the teacher as a facilitator of learning, rather than the expert, and encourages students to take control of their learning. 3. Incorporate discussions and workshops on equity and inclusion in the curriculum: This will help preservice art educators to understand the importance of creating inclusive and equitable classrooms. 4. Encourage preservice art educators to seek out additional professional development opportunities on their own: Some ideas would be to attending conferences or workshops, reading relevant literature, and networking with other educators. 5. Encourage community engagement: This can include working with community organizations to create public art projects, or helping design educational programs for disadvantaged populations. By giving preservice art educators hands-on experience in 52 these areas, they will have a better understanding of how to implement them in their future classrooms. The first suggestion has a focus on how colleges and universities higher can play a role in preparing preservice art educators to teach SJAE by providing them with these opportunities. On the other hand, for the art educators who are already in the classroom the recommendation, though similar, vary slightly: 1. Participate in online professional development: There are many online resources, such as webinars, and online courses, that focus on SJAE. This can be a convenient way for in-service art educators to learn about this approach. 2. Read and research the field: There is a lot of literature on SJAE, including books, articles, and research studies. Reading and studying this literature can give in-service art educators a deeper understanding of the topic. 3. Collaborate with colleagues and other educators: Working with teachers who are using SJAE in their classrooms is a great way to learn about this pedagogical approach. This can include participating in professional learning communities, co-teaching, and engaging in peer observation. 4. Engage in reflective practice: Reflective practice is a way for teachers to think about their own teaching and how it can be improved. Arts educators can use this approach to reflect on their current teaching. 5. Provisions: Art educators need to be provided with the necessary resources, support, and training to effectively teach social justice content, as well as appropriate working conditions to reduce their stress levels. 53 Based on the research available and the research from this study, I recommend preservice and in-service teachers should seek out opportunities to learn how to teach for SJAE. This approach to art education has the potential to promote positive social change, improve students’ academic, personal, and social development, foster inclusivity, and equity, and promote continuous self-reflection and self-evaluation in the teachers (Dewhurst, 2010). Conclusion Art education can help students develop the ability to think critically and creatively, which will benefit them their whole lives. It is important to note again that the research on the effectiveness of this approach is limited (Garber, 2004). Studies that have been conducted suggest that social justice arts education can have a positive impact on student’s critical thinking skills, cultural awareness, and sense of civic engagement (Boyd, 2011). However, more research is needed to fully understand the impact of this approach and to identify effective strategies for implementing it in education settings. The relationship between art and social justice is an old one, but it is an ever-evolving field, and there is no universally accepted definition or framework for it (Bell & Desai, 2011). This can make it difficult to compare and contrast different studies and programs. With this in mind, data and research can provide valuable insights regarding SJAE. However. they should not be used as the determining factor in whether to implement it. It is important to consider the specific context and needs of each community and school and to involve stakeholders, including students, teachers, and community members, in the process of designing and implementing programs (Bryan & Henry, 2012). Social justice art education is an ongoing process and requires continuous reflection and adaptation. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and that different strategies may be more effective in different contexts and communities. 54 References Adams, M., Bell, L. A., & Griffin, P. (2007). 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Please best describe the area your school currently serves: o Urban o Suburban o Rural 6. Please list the visual art subjects you teach: BUILDING CLASSROOM COMMUNITY Please indicate your level of agreement with each item based on the scale below. For this survey, building a classroom community refers to creating a classroom culture where students feel comfortable being themselves and where they can learn from others. 1. I spend time building classroom community o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 2. I think about my students and how I can create an environment that fosters learning for all students o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 64 3. I am flexible in my lesson design and change my teaching strategies to support all students o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 4. I allow for a variety of learning styles o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 5. I provide choices to students’ on how to complete projects o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 6. I prepare assessments that mirror my students’ learning styles o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 7. I prioritize collaboration in my classroom o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 8. Collaboration is an effective way to engage students and connect them with the content o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 9. Collaboration develops self-confidence by working with others to accomplish a common goal o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 65 10. Collaboration allows for teachers and students to learn from each other o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 11. I consider the cultures and life experiences of my students when planning lessons o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION Please indicate your level of agreement with each item regarding multicultural art education, based on the scale provided. For this survey, multicultural art education focuses on helping students learn about themselves in relation to others. This can make them better citizens who appreciate the differences between cultures and individuality. 12. Multicultural education is needed because it helps students understand the world in which they live o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 13. Multicultural education is more than teaching about different cultures o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 14. I believe in working cooperatively with parents to better student learning o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 15. Modeling equity is just as crucial as teaching it o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 66 16. I am aware of my own biases and stereotypes o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 17. I allow for diverse viewpoints by encouraging all students to participate in discussions o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 18. I integrate examples of art and ideas from different cultures to teach ideas, concepts, and issues o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 19. How I choose to integrate different viewpoints influences and shapes my students view of the world o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 20. I often feel overwhelmed and unequipped to implement a culturally relevant curriculum o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCACY SCALE Please indicate your level of agreement with each item regarding social justice art education, based on the scale provided. For this survey, social justice art education is a philosophy of teaching and learning in which students engage with art-making practices to address topics and issues related to social justice. The practice aims to promote the nature of art as a means of expression and communication while also emphasizing the ability of the arts to foster self-awareness, social responsibility, and community engagement. 21. I have a good understand of what teaching for social justice means o Strongly Disagree o Disagree 67 o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 22. I am interested in teaching social justice in my art classroom o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 23. I have a strong commitment to social justice in my teaching practice o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 24. I feel confident in my ability to teach social justice content effectively o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 25. I am familiar with issues of social justice and have implemented strategies into my lesson plans o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 26. The curriculum should be designed to promote social justice o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 27. Students should be taught about social issues o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 28. I do in-class activities where students learn about social issues o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral 68 o Agree o Strongly Agree 29. I make students aware of social and political issues through art projects o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree 30. I teach my students to become aware of injustices occurring in society o Strongly Disagree o Disagree o Neutral o Agree o Strongly Agree Follow Up 1. This research project addresses pedagogical practices and attitudes on social justice art education. If you’d be interested in participating in a one-on-one interview (conducted virtually) to discuss this further, please leave the best way to contact you below: o Yes o No o If yes, please provide your preferred method of contact to schedule the date and time: 69 Appendix B: Interview Guide Semi-Structured Interview Guide 1. Tell me a little bit about yourself. How long have you been teaching? Why did you want to be an art teacher? 2. What other outside areas of interest inspire your teaching besides artists and their artwork? 3. How would you describe your classroom setting? 4. How do you approach your curriculum and lesson planning? 5. How do you create a safe and inclusive environment for all your students? 6. How do you see the out-of-school environment influencing the inside of the classroom? 7. When and why did you start integrating social justice issues in your art lessons? 8. Did you receive any education or preparation on integrating social justice issues in your lessons? Can you describe that preparation? 9. What kind of social justice issues are addressed in your lessons? 10. What strategies or instruments have you introduced in your lessons to teach your students about social justice? In other words, how do you teach social justice art education? 11. How do your students respond to the social issues you address in your lessons? How do you think they view and define social justice. 12. What challenges have you experienced since you started teaching social justice education? From students? Teachers? Parents? School administration? What support have you experienced from the same groups mentioned? 13. How has the practice of social justice art education impacted your teaching?