Autonomy to Accountability: Changing Hegemonies in Australian Arts Education

This paper examines the changing role of Australian art teachers in the period 1966 to 1997. Four transition periods of change are identified beginning with 1966 to 1978 when, in the absence of any written state or national level curriculum documents, art teachers were autonomous professionals responsible for their own curriculum planning and classroom methodology. The second period 1978–1989 saw the writing of many state and national level documents which attempted to articulate clear goals and directions for art education, however due to lack of funding each of these had little far reaching impact. In the third period, 1989 to the present day, art teachers seem to see themselves as being totally accountable to ‘the system’. The increase in accountability measures relating to externally imposed learning outcomes for students, more systematic assessment procedures and changes to employment terms and conditions has meant that many teachers seem demoralised and disempowered rather than autonomous and empowered. The author adopts Michael Fullan’s view that the (art) teacher of the future must become a change agent with four particular skills: personal vision-building skills; a critical sense of inquiry; mastery of skills; and the ability to engage in collaboration.