Qualitative Differences in Approaches to Teaching, Teacher Satisfaction and Communities of Practice in Art, Design and Communication Courses

The aims of this study were to investigate how approaches to teaching relate to the concept of communities of practice and to monitor teacher satisfaction as a function of approach to teaching.

Following interviews with art, design and communication teachers, a slightly revised ATI, with the inclusion of teacher satisfaction and communities of practice items, was distributed to teachers in the UK, USA and Australia. 130 returned questionnaires were analysed.

The results show; (a) that the ATI has validity in design-related areas, (b) that teacher satisfaction is related strongly and positively to student-focused approaches to teaching, and (c) that all teachers aim to develop students‟ skills, but those with a student-focused approach are more likely to also focus on the practice and the real world problems of the profession.

The positive correlations between an emphasis on development for the professions and a student-focused approach to teaching, and teacher satisfaction and a student-focused approach to teaching, offer insight for those involved in the further development of teaching practice.

Linda Drew, Ph.D., is Dean of Graduate School for Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon at the University of the Arts London. Dr. Drew was previously Dean of Academic Development at Chelsea College of Arts and Design, University of the Arts London and prior to this was Co-Director of the Art, Design and Communication subject centre based at the University of Brighton. She is editor of the peer-reviewed journal Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education published by Intellect. Her research interests focus on conceptions of, and approaches to, learning and teaching situated within the context of practice-based disciplines. In this regard she is one of a growing clutch of active design researchers working with both phenomenographic and social constructivist approaches to research.