Generic or subject-specific? A survey comparing Dutch secondary school visual art teachers’ early-career experiences to teacher experiences in non-arts subjects

Abstract

This study compared visual art teachers’ experiences of generic early-career professional identity dilemmas with experiences of dilemmas arising from subject-specific concerns. In turn, their experience of generic dilemmas was compared with experiences of non-arts teachers, as found in literature. Results show, on average, art teachers experienced considerably more dilemmas than non-arts teachers. No conclusive evidence was found for more frequent, or stronger experience of arts-specific dilemmas. Our data does, however, concur with descriptions of art teacher identity dilemmas found in qualitative arts education research, suggesting that some generic early-career dilemmas may become conflated with subject-specific concerns. For example, art teachers may focus more on students expressing their emotions than other teachers. In uncovering how these teachers might use subject-specific framing when interpreting generic dilemmas, this research invites teacher educators to consider how the subject one teaches may have deeper, and more complex connections to early-career dilemma experiences than previously recognised.