From Science in the Art Gallery to Art in the Science Classroom: Using Arts-Integrated Professional Development to Enhance Environmental Education

In this study, 26 teachers for kindergarten through Grade 8 in six schools participated in a comprehensive and interdisciplin-aryprofessional development (PD) effort focused on integrating environmental education across the curriculum. One focus of the PD was to encourage the teachers to use arts-integration strategies for environmental education. Using a qualitative approach to analyze the degree to which teachers shifted instruction to include arts integration or planned to make shifts in the future, we found that participants engaged in arts-based activities for four purposes: communication, creative expression, content explanation, and community building. Data sources included post-PD surveys, site visits and observations, and email communication with teachers. We found that arts-based strategies were well received by teachers, and, following the PD, the teachers applied the art-based strategies to their science teaching through the four purposes listed.