Applications of postmodern pedagogy in a high school art class: A qualitative action research study

This qualitative study analyzed the use of postmodern pedagogy in a first-year art teacher's classroom. The unit studied was a printmaking and bookmaking lesson that emphasized collaboration, student empowerment, and art as a form of communication. The three primary postmodern goals were: to instill in students a desire for empowerment; to spark a desire to change stereotypes and misconceptions of teenagers through personal narratives; to counter the perception of artists as solitary geniuses through collaboration. For my personal goals as a teacher, I hoped to create a safe and authentic learning environment through the implementation of postmodern strategies. The study was successful in reaching all but two of its goals. Students' weakest areas were using art as a form of communication and dispelling stereotypes. In all other aspects however, the results of the study indicate that students and teacher alike responded positively to the postmodern elements of the lesson