The type of small group instruction that I implemented is centered based and includes a teacher facilitated component, an interactive activity, and a project done in a small group at the
Purpose of the Study
I chose developing a curriculum centered on small-group instruction for the visual arts course because of the student community at my magnet high school, where gifted students, general-education students, and students with special needs all take the same classes Ninth through twelfth graders are enrolled in the same visual arts courses, creating a diverse learning environment The school is Title I, with 64.3% of students on free or reduced lunch, and the graduation rate remains below 75%, accompanied by a notable portion of students discussing dropping out as early as the second semester of ninth grade The goal of this research is to determine whether centered small-group instruction can help all students pass the class and feel successful in creating art.
My research focused on centered small-group instruction delivered in three formats: Teacher-Facilitated, Interactive, and At-Your-Seat Work The goals were for students to work at their own pace, receive one-on-one instruction from the teacher while continuing their art projects, and have opportunities to discuss their artwork with peers This instructional model keeps students focused and productive in the art classroom by blending individualized support with collaborative discussion, supporting personalized guidance, ongoing project work, and meaningful peer feedback.
Art class runs in a 90-minute block divided into three rotating groups with about 20 minutes per group and a 30-minute core lesson that starts with 20 minutes of whole-class instruction and ends with 10 minutes for cleanup The lesson begins with whole-class instruction, then moves into the Teacher-Facilitated-Group, where a mini-lesson supports the main instruction and the teacher guides demonstrations for roughly 10 students at a time, identifying those who need a second presentation or extra support Students who master the objectives can move to the other groups at their own pace, while the Interactive Group works on a small activity reinforcing a prior lesson or skill—such as rendering value with a designated light source in Visual Art 1—with the objective due as a ticket-out-the-door at class end (sometimes in two parts) The final group, At-Your-Seat-Work, handles student projects within a set time and continues during the 20-minute rotation This instructional delivery system provides more opportunities for students to achieve success and build confidence in producing art.
2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Centered Small Group Instruction and Curriculum Strategies
Centered small group instruction is a nontraditional method of teaching students that is beginning to be used in higher educational classes Research done by Achen, Dodd, and
Lumpkin (2015) demonstrates that student-centered environments and active-learning activities increasingly drive student learning Doyle (2008) contends that learning-centered settings are the most effective way to optimize learning, highlighting how learner autonomy—through choices about how to learn—builds responsibility for outcomes Centered small-group instruction promotes positive engagement and closer, more personal interactions with both the material and the teacher By leveraging interactive activities and targeted one-on-one guidance, teachers can help students master concepts and develop essential skills such as drawing, rendering value, and composing within a learner-centered framework.
Facilitated Group Relationships with peers and the teacher can encourage students to believe that they can accomplish their learning goals
Research by Borůvkova and Emanovský (2016) shows that small-group instruction strengthens relationships among students, creating a more collaborative and productive learning environment The study reports increased participation among isolated learners, especially within cooperative learning settings, as students form supportive relationships and interact with peers to develop skills Small-group instruction helps ensure that all students learn the content effectively, particularly through interactive group work Students are placed with peers they might not normally work with, which fosters social interaction that enhances the effectiveness of small-group learning This approach centers the learner in the process while the teacher acts as a facilitator rather than a lecturer, contrasting with traditional classrooms It enables students to converse, share skills, express what they know and what they don’t know, and articulate what they want to learn, while taking more risks in a safe, peer-supported environment The research identifies five criteria for cooperative projects, including positive interdependence and individual accountability.
(3) face to face interaction for at least part of the work, (4) appropriate use of interpersonal skills, and (5) regular self-assessment of team functioning (2016)
An effective cooperative art project rests on each student maintaining independence within the group while upholding personal accountability Positive, respectful relationships are essential, and students should understand their individual responsibilities separate from the group’s overall performance Every member must contribute hands-on to the project, responding to peers in a constructive way to sustain a meaningful creative experience Assessment should focus on the quality of the group’s interaction—how effectively members communicate, collaborate, and support one another as a team (2016).
The teacher’s role is to facilitate and requires pre-planning of the groups and the instruction needed The teachers will give instruction and guide students to stay on task, provide feedback, and skill support Monitoring student and group progress is essential to the success of the student and the group Assessing each student’s participation and group interaction will help support the end result of the project Teachers will check for individual accountability and group success (Borůvkova and Emanovský, 2016)
Other support for this type of curriculum development comes from the article, “How do we teach? Results of a National Survey of Instruction in Secondary Art Education,” David
Burton (2001) He discusses the practices of art teachers in a secondary classroom The survey shows teachers’ preferred teaching methods and suggests that further studies could help enhance art-teaching practices It raises the questions on whether teachers could use more support in these strategies or and how effective they are for student learning Burton’s research shares the way in which most art teachers are teaching secondary art and shows the need to extending traditional practices Teachers should experiment and be open to change the art curriculum according to the current educational climate The centered small group instruction is not a traditional form of teaching art that can be used when students are put in the art classroom without choice just to complete a graduation requirement Using centered small group instruction practices students can stay with the teacher for additional help and build confidence and skill Demonstrations on specific techniques can be designed to the individual student In the Interactive Group students can discuss and collaborate the activities that will support instruction, enhance skill development, and build confidence in the art process (Burton, 2001)
Karen Popovich (2006) advocates a teacher-led, student-centered approach to art education that expands the curriculum from the art room into other subjects and adapts to each learner’s process The teacher becomes a facilitator who designs an ongoing, differentiated curriculum that addresses individual needs and supports diverse learners Small-group instruction, organized as a Teacher-Facilitated Group of about ten students, focuses on ensuring each student leaves with the specific skill or information needed to complete the project, while also offering opportunities for one-on-one guidance This format helps identify students who can advance at a faster pace and those who need extra support, making it an effective method for differentiated instruction Viewing curriculum development as an ongoing process enables teachers to continuously adjust to student progress and drive improved success across the classroom.
Charles M Dorn, in Mind in Art (1998), argues that knowledge in art is constructed through creating and processing artistic work He compares Piaget and Lowenfeld’s perspectives on how children grow and perceive art, and outlines how teachers can design a conceptual curriculum that supports diverse student learning Concepts can be scaffolded and revisited to include learners of all abilities Centered small-group instruction and interactive groups provide adaptable formats that scaffold key ideas and foster student growth, with ample time for learners to think about and process the knowledge gained in both teacher-facilitated and interactive settings.
A five-year study by Peterson and Lorimer (2012) on small-group curricula for gifted students examined the role of teacher facilitators The findings show that teaching in small groups increases teachers' confidence and strengthens teacher–student relationships, while students report that instructors become more relaxed and at ease during instruction The results underscore the importance of building relationships with students and support the development of centered small-group curricula, where environment and group dynamics significantly influence learning This is especially true in Teacher-Facilitated Groups, where these relationships can be cultivated to promote each student's success In such settings, a one-on-one, nurturing atmosphere can help students overcome inhibitions toward art and its creative process.
Mark Graham's 2003 study followed an adolescent drawing class of 21 students with diverse skill levels, aiming to raise artistic proficiency within a mixed-ability classroom He describes engaging the learners with a European Renaissance curriculum that initially seemed challenging to relate to, but allowing them to weave their own cultural references into their work helped unlock creativity The students' success emerged as they moved around the room, socialized, and discussed their art with peers, while collaborating to refine ideas and processes Social interaction became a catalyst for skill development and creative insight as students explained, critiqued, and taught each other Centered small-group instruction—through formats like the Interactive Group and the At-Your-Seat-Group—facilitated movement, dialogue, and peer feedback, enabling students to share information, build on one another's ideas, and advance their artistic practice (Graham, 2003).
Five High-Impact Teaching Practices (HITP) described by L Dee Fink in 2016 are designed to boost student engagement and learning, drawing on forty years of experience developing and implementing these practices The HITPs are: helping students become meta-learners; learning-centered course design; using small groups in a powerful way; service-learning and community engagement—with reflection; and being a leader with your students—and even applying two or three of these can create a richer learning experience The centered small-group curriculum described uses two HITPs—learning-centered course design and small-group work—and outlines specific activities and instruction for three centered small-group formats: Teacher-Facilitated, Interactive, and At-Your-Seat-Work Groups.
Patricia Samson (2015) discusses, in her article of, Fostering Student Engagements:
Small-group facilitators are essential for turning creative problem solving into classroom practice, supporting collaborative curriculum planning and enabling art education to hinge on inquiry and critical thinking In this model, creative problem solving drives art projects, defined by problem solving and critical thinking as students explore multiple approaches to reach a completion goal The art process starts with a challenge to solve and invites diverse strategies to arrive at solutions, while critical thinking develops as a self-directed, reflective practice in which students assess and improve their own methods Lessons are designed so content and skill development unfolds as a process students discover and practice, ensuring every art project blends problem solving, creative thinking, and ongoing self-assessment.
In the curriculum for centered small group instruction strategies like some of Marzono’s
Based on Marzano's nine high‑yield instructional strategies, this article highlights three that will be used to support student achievement in Visual Art 1: reinforcing effort and providing recognition, cooperative learning, and setting objectives with feedback In the Visual Art 1 curriculum, reinforcing effort and recognizing achievement helps motivate students, while in the Teacher-Facilitated Group the teacher provides immediate feedback and additional support as needed Cooperative learning is facilitated through small-group interactions where students exchange ideas and build understanding Clear objectives guide the lesson, and the teacher in the Teacher-Facilitated Group offers timely feedback to support content mastery and the development of artistic skills.