Expectations concerning visual arts teachers' qualifications and their associations with relevant teacher training programs

The aim of this study is to twofold. First, to explore the expectations of second tier primary school students (5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders), prospective visual arts teachers, school administrators, primary school inspectors, and education unions managers in relation to visual arts teachers' qualifications as well as to determine the similarities and dissimilarities between these expectations; and second, to examine these expectations in terms of the qualifications described in visual arts teacher training programs in a comparative manner. In line with these aims, a grounded theory method was adopted in the study, and the data collection, coding, analysis, category and theme construction processes were conducted accordingly. A total of 293 students, three school administrators, three primary school inspectors, 12 education unions managers, and 59 prospective visual arts teachers voluntarily participated in the study. The data regarding students, school administrators, and inspectors were collected through essays and vis-à-vis interviews respectively; whereas the data regarding education unions managers were collected through focus-group discussions. The data regarding prospective visual arts teachers were gathered through qualification ranking, pre- and post-observation essays, and focus-group discussions. The data analyses were conducted in three phases. In the first phase, all data were coded by the researcher, and categories and themes were created respectively for each study group. In the second phase, emerged categories and themes were examined in a comparative manner. In the final phase, emerged categories and themes were described under the titles of meta-categories and meta-themes. As a result of the analyses conducted for the first research question, a large number of categories, ranging between 89 and 120, were obtained, and found that these categories could be described through a number of meaningful themes, ranging between 15 and 21. Specifically, the findings showed that students' expectations regarding visual arts teachers' qualifications could be described through categories such as dedication to art, justice, tolerance, joyful class, and technical diversity together with inclusive themes such as belief, value, professional knowledge, and domain knowledge, while prospective teachers' expectations could be explained through categories such as innovation, love-respect, participation in decision making, and curriculum knowledge together with overarching themes such as belief, value, motivation, and professional knowledge. The findings also revealed that school administrators' and inspectors' expectations regarding visual arts teachers' qualifications could be defined through categories such as liking of children, creativity, and initial teacher education together with inclusive themes such as attitude, artistic feature, and art education policies, whereas education unions managers' expectations could be explained through categories such as education of emotions, social and cultural activities, and enthusiasm together with overarching themes such as art education processes, extra-curricular activities, and personality traits. As a result of the analyses conducted for the second research question, it was found that both similarities (e.g., teacher values) and dissimilarities (e.g., initial teacher education) between the stakeholders' expectancies regarding visual arts teachers' qualifications in terms of the categories and themes. As a result of the analyses conducted for the third research question, it was determined that the mentioned categories and themes could be explained through meta-themes (e.g., art education processes knowledge) and meta-categories (e.g., educational beliefs). The findings demonstrated that there were both similarities and dissimilarities between the stakeholders' expectancies expressed via meta-themes and meta-categories, and objectives, contents, and educational circumstances of visual arts teacher training programs. Based on the current research findings, a series of proposals were made in relation to visual arts education and future studies.