Recipes from the gingerbread house: exploring the witch archetype to address the hidden curriculum in secondary schools

Doctorate other than PhD


Russell, Ann Elizabeth. 2021. Recipes from the gingerbread house: exploring the witch archetype to address the hidden curriculum in secondary schools. Doctorate other than PhD Doctor of Creative Arts. University of Southern Queensland. https://doi.org/10.26192/PRMM-BF29
Title

Recipes from the gingerbread house: exploring the witch archetype to address the hidden curriculum in secondary schools

TypeDoctorate other than PhD
Authors
AuthorRussell, Ann Elizabeth
SupervisorBatorowicz, Beata
Baguley, Margaret
Institution of OriginUniversity of Southern Queensland
Qualification NameDoctor of Creative Arts
Number of Pages212
Year2021
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.26192/PRMM-BF29
Abstract

This interdisciplinary study explores the role of visual arts practice and pedagogy in secondary arts education through a retelling of the Brothers’ Grimm fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. The tale serves as a metaphorical device in contextualising secondary arts education and through this process, highlights the hidden curriculum operating in many schools. The hidden curriculum is comprised of values that students are implicitly imparted, by means of school administrative processes and pedagogical practices rather than via explicit curricula (Giroux, 1981). Drawing on my own experience as an artist and secondary school art teacher, the study’s re-envisioned tale involves my embodiment of a feminist artist-teacher-witch living in the art studio gingerbread house, who creates art recipes for disrupting the hidden curriculum in schools in order to lead to beneficial outcomes for students, art teachers and the community. My sculptural installations and multimedia works are informed by artists working in the fairy tale genre such as French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle and German-American artist Kiki Smith and explore the ways in which art recipes can offer a space for educational re-enchantment as the project’s central contribution. The qualitative study employs a feminist interpretative framework and a practice-led methodology (Haseman, 2006) as an overarching approach. The research also incorporates action research (Johnson, 2020) alongside auto-ethnographic (Hamilton, et al., 2008) and reflexive (Gabriel, 2018) methodological approaches in addressing my artist-teacher experiences in undertaking the witch archetype. The study generates research outcomes by a cyclic inquiry-based process, informed by secondary school teacher surveys and artefact-elicited senior art graduate interviews. These considerations have been concocted through slow stirring in the cauldron of reflexion resulting in an embodied process of art making, which I have termed and described as a “marinage” method (the combination of the words “marinate” and “bricolage”). Therefore, art becomes both an ingredient and an outcome for this project and arguably a necessary flux enabling the maturation of the creation. Comprising of a practice component of a 70% and an exegesis of a 30% weighting, the study’s discussion gives rise to a more global consideration regarding the importance of art (its making, method and its analysis) in developing the skills required in a holistic, contemporary education; and indeed, in providing the key ingredients, and suggested recipe method for a more sustainable and diverse contemporary society.

Keywordsvisual art, hidden curriculum, secondary education, art education, fairy tales, neoliberalism
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020440107. Social and cultural anthropology
390203. Sociology of education
470204. Cultural and creative industries
360199. Art history, theory and criticism not elsewhere classified
390306. Secondary education
390406. Gender, sexuality and education
390101. Creative arts, media and communication curriculum and pedagogy
Byline AffiliationsSchool of Humanities and Communication
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https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q67w7/recipes-from-the-gingerbread-house-exploring-the-witch-archetype-to-address-the-hidden-curriculum-in-secondary-schools

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Related outputs

Moreton Bay Region Art Awards
Russell, Ann E.. 2017. Moreton Bay Region Art Awards. Strathpine, Australia 17 - 26 May 2017
Recipes from the Gingerbread House: Exploring the Witch Archetype to Address the Hidden Curriculum in Secondary Schools
Russell, Ann. 2018. "Recipes from the Gingerbread House: Exploring the Witch Archetype to Address the Hidden Curriculum in Secondary Schools." The Fishbowl: Exploring Works in Progress Colloquium Program (2018). Toowoomba, Australia 14 Nov 2018
Recipes from the Gingerbread House: Exploring the Witch Archetype to Address the Hidden Curriculum in Secondary Schools
Russell, Ann. 2018. "Recipes from the Gingerbread House: Exploring the Witch Archetype to Address the Hidden Curriculum in Secondary Schools." 22nd Annual Work in Progress (WiP) Conference. St Lucia, Australia 25 - 26 Sep 2018
Re-enchanting education: challenging the ‘hidden’ curriculum
Russell, Ann, Batorowicz, Beata and Baguley, Margaret. 2017. "Re-enchanting education: challenging the ‘hidden’ curriculum." Australian Art Education. 38 (1), pp. 140-157.
Re-enchanting education: challenging the 'hidden' curriculum
Russell, Ann, Batorowicz, Beata and Baguley, Margaret. 2017. "Re-enchanting education: challenging the 'hidden' curriculum." Australian Art Education. 38 (1), pp. 140-157.