Attitudes of Preservice General Education Teachers Toward Art

Abstract This qualitative study explored histories, perceptions, and attitudes of 18 preservice generalist teachers and how these may have contributed to their anxiety in making and teaching art. Data were collected through interviews, a background questionnaire, student reflective journals, and a researcher’s observation journal. Through grounded theory, the concept of low confidence/anxiety was developed to explain seven identified themes: teaching art, fear of drawing, understanding art, unrealistic expectations, judgments, making the grade, and teacher expectations. Contributing factors to anxiety in art making included lack of art knowledge, fear of making mistakes, and negative responses from peers and/or former teachers.