Dissertation

This historical case study explored the experiences of university students who worked in K-12 schools as part of ArtsBridge, the arts education outreach program of the University of California.  The development of the program was traced and the broader context investigated by reviewing the history of arts education in California and the United States.  A specific focus was the impact that involvement in ArtsBridge had upon the creativity of university arts students who partnered with classroom teachers to implement visual and performing arts instruction.

Thirty-seven interviews with university students, faculty mentors, and administrators were carried out.  These were supplemented with observations of instructional sessions and archival research.  Data collected about the creative development of participating university arts students were compared to patterns identified in the lives of highly creative individuals by Howard Gardner, as reported in Creating Minds (1993).  Gardner’s triangle of creativity--involving interaction and fruitful asynchrony between the individual, domain, and field nodes—was found to be of value in understanding why university students found particular experiences to be creatively inspiring.

Additional explanatory power was supplied through looking at two dimensions that David Feldman postulated as influential to the development of creativity:  the impact of schooling and a need for cultural organisms.  Respondents’ descriptions of memorable school and community arts experiences indicated that both mentorship and experiences they perceived as “authentic” were crucial to creativity development.  Also important were supportive communities, ample opportunities, and stimulating environments.  The implications for educational practice are that schools need to teach for creative thinking and that sustainable arts partnerships are one way to accomplish this.

ArtsBridge was valued by the university arts students who participated in the program because it gave them a venue for creatively exercising their arts expertise, in service to an audience of school children whose responses were open and spontaneous.  For many, this was the first time that they had received recognition outside the university, in their role as artists.  Some found the ArtsBridge experience satisfying enough to pursue a career in teaching.  Others saw ArtsBridge as an opportunity to further develop their evolving identities as artists. 

[For more information regarding this dissertation abstract, or if you would like a copy of the publication, please contact Maureen Burns at 949-824-8027.]

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