Between personal and institutional. Early childhood pre-service and in-service teachers’ stories from visual arts classes

According to the dissertation, early childhood pre-service teachers and in-service teachers' stories of visual arts education emphasise working from models, as well as subject- and method-centredness. Teaching is often teacher-centred and there are few opportunities for children or young people to participate. However, the role of the teacher appears to be especially relevant, as the teacher acts as a mediator between personal relationships with the visual arts and institutional objectivity.

Jaakko H. Moilanen's doctoral thesis examines visual arts education, participation and the role of the teacher as a visual arts educator in pre-service teachers' and in-service teachers' stories from visual arts education. Stories are situated on an institutional educational pathway, from early childhood education to primary and secondary education, and are examined in relation to the traditions of visual arts education.. Participation is examined as a combination of agency, community and involvement and as a social and political phenomenon. The role of the teacher is examined as an visual arts educator the educational relationship and the institution.

The results of the study show that the teaching of visual arts appears to be similar throughout the institutional educational pathway, participation of children and young people is scarce and the role of the teacher becomes emphasized. The results lead to a reflection on the competences related to the teaching of visual arts and how these competences are built up throughout the educational pathway.

Based on the results of the dissertation, the teaching of visual arts should be considered and developed as a cross-cutting approach from early childhood education to upper secondary education. The training of early childhood education and classroom teachers should focus on curricular skills, theoretical thinking and practical application of visual arts education. Pre-service teachers' self-efficacy should be supported in the teaching of visual arts, and teacher training in early childhood education should pay particular attention to teachers' ability to reflect on their expertise in visual arts education.

Further research should make use of a wide range of methods, especially participatory methods. There is a need to develop research related to the support of self-efficacy in a broad cooperation between different teacher educations. Above all, in art education, there should be more cooperation with different disciplines for creating new approaches and methods and, as a result, new pedagogical approaches.