Date of Award

2024-08-01

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Education

Advisor(s)

Alyse C. Hachey

Abstract

This dissertation sought to identify interpretations of Aesthetic Experience (AE) of high school visual arts teachers and purposes of its facilitation in their classrooms. Five high school visual arts teachers within a large school district in West Texas were interviewed. A qualitative Hybrid Phenomenological Method was utilized to analyze the data consisting of a descriptive and an interpretive approach. The descriptive approach highlighted common and unique characteristics of aesthetic experience as interpreted by the teachers. An interpretive approach was also employed utilizing Aesthetic Critical Pedagogy, Feminist Theory, and Aesthetic Theory frameworks along with my 20-years-experience as a visual arts teacher. This analytical approach yielded five themes: (1) AE is Facilitated Toward Individualistic Pursuits; (2) AE Facilitated with Minimal Consideration for Postmodern/Contextualism Views; (3) A Disconnect of Self from Classroom Experience; (4) Challenges Facilitating AE; and (5) Novel Views of AE.Analyses showed that teachers interpreted aesthetic experience differently and maintained a variety of ways in which they recognized, planned for, and facilitated it. Although the results all pointed toward a type of transcendenceâ??a climbing or going beyondâ??the advance was more of a transformation of self for personal gain, rather than a transcendence toward others. Hence, in a move away from the current literature on aesthetic experience that encourages the use of imagination and creativity toward alternate views of self and society to influence positive change, the findings instead revealed that AE at the high school level is facilitated more as a personal and private event. Analysis also showed that most teachers intentionally and inadvertently distanced themselves from classroom experiences, avoided Postmodern aesthetic approaches, and deliberately evaded complicated conversations. Results revealed several novel views of aesthetic experience and challenges in facilitating it at the high school level that are not currently found within the literature.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

352 p.

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Kenneth Albert Dore

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