Disrupting the taken for granted: Exploring urban teacher candidate experiences in aesthetic education

This qualitative research study explores the experiences of a diverse group of teacher candidates engaging in an aesthetic line of inquiry within two teacher preparation courses at a large, public urban university in New York City. Research centered on the question “What are the different ways that teacher candidates make meaning from a collaborative aesthetic experience and how do they connect this experience to their emerging practice and beliefs as educators?” Emerging findings from this study of two classes, one at the undergraduate level and one at the graduate level, suggest that engagement in an aesthetic line of inquiry can become an invaluable “touchstone” for exploring and/or challenging teacher candidate notions about the role of art in their future practice as educators.