Collaborative, artful analysis within the Teacher Inquiry Group community

Dr. Brooke Hofsess, associate professor of art education in Appalachian State University’s Department of Art, has been awarded $10,500 in grant funding from the National Art Education Foundation (NAEF) for her project titled “Exploring Reggio-Inspired Approaches to Mentoring New Art Teachers in an Era of Accountability.” This funding will support the ongoing research collaboration of Hofsess and Dr. Christina Hanawalt, assistant professor in the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia (UGA).

Their project investigates the development of a teacher inquiry group (TIG) comprising early career art teachers who are Appalachian and UGA alumni. Specifically, Hofsess and Hanawalt will examine the interplay between new art teachers’ experiences in school contexts and various expressions of mentoring in order to understand dynamics that challenge a commitment to contemporary pedagogies and curricular investments in schools. “This study will contribute significant insights regarding the investments of early career art teachers in relation to the educational contexts in which they work and mentoring practices in art education,” Hofsess said.