Teachers' Voices

The aim of this study was to determine how well art teachers, who had graduated from the art teacher preparation program at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) between 1999 and 2003, thought they were prepared for their teaching positions as a result of their experiences in the program. From a review of the relevant literature a number of themes emerged concerning current trends, beliefs, and understandings about teaching art to meet the needs and demands placed on children and adolescents in contemporary society. A document search assisted in discovering the University's goals for the program. Comparing, contrasting, and cross-referencing the information that was collected in a survey of the population and interviews with three of these teachers helped me to assess whether these goals were adequately being met. It allowed me the opportunity to understand how the teachers' concepts, beliefs and understandings about art education had been constructed, both as a result of their experiences prior to enrollment in the program and their experiences during it. It also allowed me the opportunity to determine emerging themes and patterns relating to particular issues and concerns about the program. The information from this formative evaluation provided me with the empirical evidence to recognize problematic areas and to warrant changes to the program that I considered necessary for it to assist graduates to meet the demands of teaching art in today's schools more successfully. In conclusion I identified a number of areas that I considered to be problematic and made recommendations for improvement.