Abstract
To fill a gap in literature, this phenomenological study explored the experience of teaching the arts online in Title I schools.The theoretical framework for this study was based on the Studio Habits of Mind (SHoMs). For the purposes of this study, the researcher focused on three of the SHoMs: (a) stretch and explore, (b) reflect, and (c) engage and persist.
A transcendental, phenomenological design was employed for this study to focus on the description that participants provided of their experiences of teaching the arts online in Title I school environments.This study found that collaboration and creativity are key tools in successfully teaching the arts online in Title I schools. This study further indicated that the act of art making has social-emotional benefits, including increased self-expression and the healing of trauma, as well as academic benefits. Finally, this study indicated that the arts positively impact equity by providing greater access to the curriculum.
Future research may study how arts involvement helps improve outcomes for Title I students by exploring (a) studies using a wider population of teachers, (b) studies of the experiences of students, (c) studies examining how administrators might collaborate and integrate the arts, (d) studies to understand how the arts contribute to positive social-emotional outcomes, (e) studies detailing how online teaching of the arts can lead to positive academic outcomes, (f) studies investigating how schools might successfully blend delivery modes, and (g) studies examining dispositions developed through the arts and the impact on Title I students.