Teaching interactions and curricular choices : a look into a German gymnasium art program

This mini-ethnographic study was conducted in a German gymnasium (high school) setting during a two-week period in July of 2018. The central research question was: In a German gymnasium (high school), how were three art teachers’ teaching approaches reflected in their interactions with students and curricular choices? All three participants were selected through a convenience sampling strategy and taught art in the same gymnasium (high school) in Offenburg, Germany. Data collection included interview notes, thick description field notes, photographs of student artwork, and photographs of the environment. Data was analyzed through inductive coding. Themes that emerged were open versus closed-ended lessons, student to teacher and teacher to teacher interactions, classroom flow & management, and student current projects versus art hung in the hallways. Results of this study indicate there is a connection between approaches to teaching, classroom culture, and the exploration of student product development