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Sharing stories of a/r/tography professional learning for generalist primary teachers
Book chapter   Open access

Sharing stories of a/r/tography professional learning for generalist primary teachers

Katie Hotko and Sarah Brooke
Learning Through Art: Speculative Pasts and Pedagogical Imaginaries, pp.293-309
InSEA Publications
2025
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Published (Version of record)See Chapter: pp 293-309Free to Read Open

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Abstract

This chapter delves into the transformative potential of artmaking and story sharing within a/r/tographic inquiry (Irwin, 2013) exploring how these practices can foster more authentic arts experiences for students. By exploring two arts-based research inquiries conducted across three Australian states, the authors share their lived experiences of the profound impact of arts praxis on generalist primary teachers’ pedagogical approaches and teacher wellbeing. Just as roots within the rhizosphere share nutrients and nourishment with each other (Cardon & Whitbeck, 2011), so too do Hotko and Brooke as they share their stories enriching the a/r/tographic soil around them. The authors invite you to pour a cup of tea and ‘sit’ with them while they dig into their stories of artmaking with generalist primary teachers for cultivating a more artful, creative, and generative stance within classrooms (Ewing, 2019; MacDonald & Crowley, 2023). This chapter offers lived experiences of this speculative process of artistic becoming to delve into possibilities for change and curriculum enactment in supportive, collaborative environments. Below, after contextualising their research within the literature the authors hold a conversation where they share their individual experiences with each other, adopting the concept of a rhizosphere. It is within the rhizospheric exchange of storied data they notice interconnections between their stories forming to suggest that a/r/tography can serve as a catalyst for individual, collective, and collaborative futuring, paving the way for more sustainable and interconnected ways of being and knowing (MacDonald & Crowley, 2023). These interconnections are offered as openings for further speculation into professional learning opportunities where generalist primary teachers engage with their own visual arts practice as a means for re-imagining their own pedagogical content knowledge or PCK.

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