2026 Theses Doctoral

Outside Resource Engagement in Art Education with Adolescents

McNeil-McKeag, Jane F.

Art teachers of adolescents have a tremendous responsibility to their students to provide the resources and support needed for their development as human beings through the making of art, while being sensitive to their needs and a vision for their futures. This study framed the work of an art teacher of adolescents as that of a contemporary artist, using content from life itself as fodder for making art.

How teachers choose and use resources when anything is possible was the question explored, particularly “outside resources,” defined as those places, people, objects, and experiences which are non-art and come from outside the school, as well as students’ and teachers’ inner references and lived experiences. A three-phase study, using focus groups, interviews, and multiple cases, aided in defining outside resources for art teachers of adolescents, how they are engaged in the flow of a specific assignment, and teachers’ justifications for their choices. Student perspectives on outside resources were gained through interviews, paper surveys, and student artworks.

As context is highly consequential in human learning, Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of human development allowed for a view into the ecologies from which teachers and students draw for resources: the classroom, home/peers, community, and cultural touchpoints. Findings included characteristics of a place-based approach to pedagogy in which both teachers’ and students’ inner resources are considered valuable as well as first-hand experiences with real places, people, and objects as impactful in art education for adolescents.