Education and Human Sciences, College of
Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design
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Date of this Version
Winter 11-26-2025
Abstract
This report documents the fourth year of the Art TEAMS project, a multi-year professional learning initiative focused on arts-integrated, transdisciplinary teaching practices across Nebraska K-12 schools. During the 2024-2025 academic year, the project advanced work with its second cohort of educators while maintaining engagement with the first cohort to assess the sustainability of implementation. The second cohort brought increased diversity in art forms, including ceramics, digital media, and career and technical education, demonstrating the versatility of arts integration across curricula.
Year Four activities included delivering refined professional development courses grounded in emergent curriculum design, with significant curriculum modifications based on Cohort One feedback. The redesigned Course C/D introduced "The Prairie as Home," a unified inquiry-based unit that modeled arts-centered pedagogy while positioning teachers to oscillate between student and reflective practitioner roles. Classroom observations revealed consistent implementation of Art TEAMS elements, with both art and generalist teachers demonstrating high levels of student engagement, peer learning, and student choice. CREDE observations across 34 classrooms showed strongest implementation in Instructional Conversation (47% at Integrating level) and Challenging Activities (35% at both Enacting and Integrating levels).
Research contributions included studies on emergent professional learning curriculum, teacher arts-based journaling impacts on practice, and transformative applications in special education contexts. The project's dissemination efforts expanded significantly, including 12 conference presentations, a bi-weekly podcast with over 1,500 views, and growing social media presence (52% increase in Instagram followers). Partnerships extended to seven school districts statewide, moving beyond the Lincoln-Omaha corridor to include North Platte.
Challenges included recruiting administrators and teachers of color, sustaining Cohort One practices, and navigating staffing transitions. Despite these challenges, instructional log data and classroom observations demonstrated continued teacher engagement with Art TEAMS practices, though time commitments decreased in spring months, likely due to competing instructional demands. The report provides evidence that sustained, responsive professional learning can support meaningful arts integration that enhances teacher efficacy and transforms learning experiences for diverse student populations.
Included in
Art Education Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Technology Commons, Interior Architecture Commons, Other Architecture Commons