Abstract

The Arts are acknowledged as invaluable subject areas as well as powerful tools for transformative education and meaning making. Anecdotal and research evidence identifies the frequently fearful, negative attitudes that pre-service teachers bring to their engagement with the Arts. Careful consideration of how the Arts subjects are introduced and taught to pre-service teachers is crucial. This is particularly the case, given that the attitudes of pre-service teachers will directly impact on the extent and quality of Arts experiences they will ultimately provide. This paper investigates ways of constructing Arts experiences that aim to engender positive attitudes. The paper is largely informed by data collected from pre-service teachers who were in different stages of completing a four year Bachelor of Early Childhood Education at a tertiary institution. The focus of the paper is to provide pre-service teacher educators with a deeper understanding of what is required to engender attitudes and beliefs concerning the Arts that will foster rich, creative, artful and enticing future classroom Arts spaces and experiences.