Art teacher in process: An illustrated exploration of art, education and what matters

This thesis is a graphic autobiographical inquiry in comic book form.  The thesis explores personal experiences and reflections of an early-career secondary public-school art teacher in the process of understanding and developing her artistic, teaching and inquiry practices. The visual form of inquiry supports the exploration, reimagining, and representation of the author’s perspective and learning related to art education and teaching including: relationships within and outside of the school context; the experiences and daily practices of the teacher; the importance of form and medium; visual literacy; scholarship; and the aims of art education. The importance of multiple scholarly representations of knowledge is a central theme, with emphasis on an understanding of the graphic form as an action site of inquiry and communication. Through open and empathetic representations of teacher-student interactions, the author advocates for students’ meaningful engagement with the arts, and for the creation of spaces in which students and art educators may imagine and create new possibilities for themselves and the worlds within which they live and co-create.