The study discussed is dedicated to the problem of the artistic and professional
development of teachers. Since the beginning of the study the author attempts
to define the main objective of the study stating that the main objective is
to understand the effectiveness of professional development programs of teachers
from teachers’ point of view. However, it is worthy of mention that the
purpose, being clearly stated, seems to be a bit abstract, at least such a definition
implies basically qualitative analysis and research that actually contradicts
to the quantitative analysis that was amply used further in the study.
Obviously, the problem researched by Narry Oreck is very important, especially
in the current situation, when the role of arts is often underestimated and
their potential is not fully used by teachers either for their professional
development or in their professional work in educative purposes. This particular
study will be quite useful not only from theoretical point of view but also
from practical one since the author provides several specific recommendations
for teachers’ professional development.
As for the introduction, basically, it is well organized and structure. The
author attempts to trace the background of the problem discussed in the research
and underlines its significance. At the same time, Barry Oreck refers to previous
researchers and states the basic goal of the current study.
However, it is worthy of mention that the literature review contains information
that is not very up-to0date. To put it more precisely, the author uses literature
sources which are quite distanced in time from the present days. As a result,
along with relatively recent researches dating back to late 1990s, for instance,
Wiggins 1998, the author also refers to the studies which date backs two or
ore decades ago. Remarkably, he even refers to the experience of Dewey (1934)
that may be quite relevant today but still the use of more recent researches
would make the importance of the current research and its actuality more significant.
Nonetheless, it is important to underline that the author amply refers to the
primary sources rather than to other articles that indicates to the fact that
Barry Oreck really attempts to conduct a study independent from other contemporary
researches and the lack of more recent references indirectly supports this presupposition.
At the same time, such a focus on primary sources makes it possible to speak
about the intention of the author to support his research with evidences related
to the primary sources and not just use other articles that would make research
less authentic, original and unique.
On making a review, the author does not seem to tend to a profound critical
analysis of the literature discussed. Instead, he rather attempts to demonstrate
that the problem the study is focused on is really important and the review
mainly represents the summary of the main achievements and findings in this
filed till the moment when Barry Oreck has launched his own study. Anyway, even
according to the author, he is more concerned not on the assessment but rather
on the understanding of the problem he researches in his study.
In general, the review is well organized since the author attempts to chronologically
trace the evolution of the problem of the research, notably the use of art in
the professional development of teachers, though as for the latest data they
are obviously omitted intentionally since the author provides his own research
of this problem using the latest collected data.
In fact, the author attempts to use the previously conducted researches on the
problem as the basis for his present research. At the same time, he uses the
previous research in order to represent the problem of the artistic and professional
development of teacher as a continuous process so that the current research
turns to be a logical continuation of the past experience and is supposed to
modify the existing views on the problem and adapt them to the modern conditions.
Obviously, one of the main purposes of the literature review within the discussed
research is to underline the importance of the problem and its relevance at
the present days. It should be pointed out that the author, on reviewing different
works of different epochs, emphasizes that this problem was important in the
past and its significance is maintained till the present epoch.
Basically, the problem is clearly stated and precisely defined since the author
targets at the gathering data and information concerning teachers’ attitude
and practices of art use in their professional development and work. However,
the author also makes an assumption that with the help of this research it will
be possible to strengthen the link between the professional development of teachers
and the use of arts in their practices.
In fact, such a hypothesis is relevant to the literature review since the author
repeatedly underline that arts were constantly used in the professional development
of teachers though he underlines that its significance may be weaken in recent
years and this is actually why he conducts the study that can help better understand
the importance and significance of arts in the professional development of modern
teachers.
The problem discussed by the author, being very important, mainly communicates
the variable sand types of research. However, it is worthy of mention that such
a variable as ethnicity, for instance, was not included in the research as the
author believed that this variable would make the prediction unstable because
the subjects basically represented white ethnic group. As for the types of the
research, the current study represents a combination of quantitative and qualitative
analysis, though judging from the goals set by Barry Oreck it was possible to
presuppose that qualitative analysis would be prior to quantitative, but in
actuality, the research is characterized by the contrary trend.
Nevertheless, the problem raised by the author at the beginning of his study
remains unchangeable and he does not reformulate it, insisting that his study
is focused on the factors that contribute to the art use and make them essential
and in such a way, the researcher attempts to understand what the role of arts
in professional development of teachers is from the point of view of teachers.
As for the population, it should be said that the researcher carefully describes
it and, what is more, he tends to take into consideration various factors that
may influence the results of the research under the impact of population. This
is why he depicts the population in details paying attention to different factors
such as professional experience, gender, ethnicity, etc.
The same may be said about sampling of subjects, participants and the general
information. However, it is worthy of mention that the response rate was quite
low and this is why it is possible to speak about certain under-representation
of the respondents.
Speaking about the method of selecting of sample is relatively clear and, apparently,
the author tends to research the problem at large since he attempts to collect
data from teachers working at the same grade level representing different schools,
including urban, suburban and rural. However, it is necessary to underline that
it is not very clear, for instance, what is the share of each group of teachers
in the general amount of teachers involved in the research. In other words,
it is not clear whether the representation was proportion or probably urban,
suburban or rural teachers were dominating, or unequally represented. Similarly,
some ethnic groups are also under-represented, as it has been already mentioned
above.
Naturally, such method of selection as well as any other would inevitably affect
the results of the research. In fact, regardless the fact that some points of
selecting samples remain unclear, the method of selection used makes it possible
to influence the results of the research. For instance, ethnic under-representation
is not practically taken into consideration, while it may be an important factor
influencing the result of the research at large. The same may be said about
whether urban, suburban and rural school teachers were proportionally represented.
It is also worthy of mention that a part of the subjects of the research seem
to be likely to give biased responses since, along with public schools classroom
teachers there were also involved specialists working in gifted, arts, and special
education. Obviously the latter category, i.e. specialists working in gifted,
arts, and special education would be more likely to give biased responses since
they are more concerned on the use of arts in their professional development
and practice, while for public school teachers this may be a sort of problem
they did not get used to work on.
Basically, the evidence for validity and reliability of the research are amply
presented, but it should be said that some variables are not adequately represented,
in this respect, it is worthy of mention the variable of ethnicity which is
treated by the researcher as unpredictable, or else the low overall response
rate makes it possible to presuppose that the respondents were not representative.
Furthermore, the author clearly depicts the instrument he used I his research
and how it was used. To put it more precisely, he clearly presents what sort
of data and the ways of their collection along with the providing information
concerning how the validity of the research was tested.
As a result, it is possible to estimate that the author has managed to clearly
describe the procedures for collecting information providing opportunity to
trace how information concerning each of the three questions posed was collected.
At the same time, it should be said that the validity and reliability of the
responses and data collected, being not perfect, seems to be quite sufficient
to estimate that the responses were not fake. At any rate, the low response
rate indicates to the fact that the respondents, even though they were probably
not representative, gave sincere responses. Otherwise, if the rate of response
was extremely high, the probability of fake responses would more likely to increase
since it would be possible to presuppose that the responses were less sincere.
The interviewers and observers were carefully selected and trained in order
to increase the reliability of the research and data collected.
Speaking about the norms used to report results, it should be said that the
results were presented into stages. The first stage consisted of 23 attitude
items while the second consisted of 8 frequency-of-use items.
In general, the study may be viewed as quite good and the weaknesses of the
current study are very few. In this respect, it is worthy of mention that among
the most evident weaknesses of the study may be named the fact that there is
quite a high risk that the respondents of the study were under-represented and,
thus, there may appear certain doubts in the objectivity, validity and reliability
of the results. At the same time, it is necessary to remember that there are
also certain problems with ethnic variable as well as the representation of
teachers from urban, suburban and rural schools is also not very clearly presented
in the research that also may affect the results of the study.
At the same time, it should be pointed out that the procedures for collecting
information are presented in details though it would be probably better if the
information concerning the interviewers and observers would be presented more
widely so that it would be possible to fully assess their actual level and not
just rely on empirical data and statements of the researcher.
Speaking about the researcher himself, in actuality, it is possible to argue
about the extent to which he could be objective in his research since he directed
arts in education programs in more than 150 New York City public schools. This
is why it is possible to presuppose that he may be biased in his research. Being
closely related to the use of arts in education, Barry Oreck would, in all probability,
be convinced beforehand in the necessity of wide implementation of arts in the
professional development of teachers.
The current study looks like predominantly quantitative, while, in order to
make it more qualitative, it is possible to recommend using the literature dedicated
to the problem discussed which refers not only to the past experience but also
to the present situation. At the same time, the wider use of secondary sources
could be quite effective, while the use of numerous statistical data and tables
would be unnecessary in the qualitative analysis.
In fact, the professional judgment is very important and inevitably affects
the contribution of the study. At the same time, it is necessary to make possibly
more objective assessment of the study that means that it is necessary to distance
from purely professional view on the study and analyze in a socio-cultural context.
As for the literature, it is possible to recommend using more recent researches
and studies in order to make it possible to compare the current study and its
results to other contemporary ones.
In actuality, the first question seems to imply quite a biased response since
it actually focuses teachers’ attention on the necessity and importance
of using arts.
Basically, the sampling could limit the study since it does not involve absolutely
all categories of potential respondents and, what is more, even those involved
in the research are not always adequately represented.
Instead, the wider sampling, including the involvement of larger number of teachers,
for instance, with different ethnic background, or teacher who are not related
directly to arts education could increase the rate of survey return since they
would be more interested in the problem that may be new for them.
The pure calculating of means would not provide the adequate understanding of
the necessity of the use of arts in professional development of teachers but
rather represented the extent to which arts were widely used.
Basically, recommendations given by the author match the data but, it seems
as if they are too focused on the necessity to use arts and seems to be unarguable
from the author’s point of view.
The second question should be more focused on the personal experience and motivation
of teachers to use arts without direct reference to purely statistical data
concerning the frequency of the use of arts.
Basically, the qualitative findings indicate to the necessity and actual effectiveness
of the wide use of arts, while quantitative finding reveal the respondents are
under-represented.
At the same time, the more effective use of quantitative data could increase
the credibility of qualitative ones, if the overall response rate was high,
for instance.
In the case of enlargement of qualitative component, it would be possible to
get more opinionated information supported not by quantitative findings but
reflection and qualitative arguments.
Bibliography:
1. Oreck, Barry. (2004). THE ARTISTIC AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS
A STUDY OF TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD AND USE OF THE ARTS IN TEACHING.
Retrieved April 20 from http://www.sagepub.com/eis/Oreck.pdf
2. Oreck, B. (2001). Teaching with the arts survey. Unpublished survey instrument.
University of Connecticut at Storrs.
3. Oreck, B. (2000). The arts in teaching: An investigation of factors influencing
teachers’ use of the arts in the classroom. Doctoral dissertation, University
of Connecticut, Storrs.
