Katherine Fu

MA Teaching + Learning in Art + Design

Hand and Mind Lead to Life: Craft Pedagogy in Art Education for Older Adolescent Learners

Art educator Jo-Anna Moore (1991) asks, “What is the purpose of our individual growth through art or craft?” (p. 162). Moore’s question is daunting not least for the seasoned artist, but for the young people in our art classrooms who, to varying degrees, are or are not interested in art. This thesis draws from my personal narrative as an older adolescent whose introduction to craft helped me navigate great questions of identity, belonging, and motivation. It seeks to discover how craft can become a method of teaching art to all students, and in particular, how such a pedagogy addresses the developmental needs of older adolescent students. Through a phenomenological analysis of student and instructor testimonies on their experiences with craft, common and emergent themes point towards a three-pronged craft pedagogy centered on an awareness of material, equal community, and personal agency. These findings guide suggestions for secondary educators looking to explore and incorporate craft pedagogy in the classroom and point to the possibility for craft to help students cultivate their individual and shared worlds.