Visual Culture in Art Teacher Education

This study explores the state of art education in Turkey as revealed by pre-service art education university instructors, and the potential of incorporating visual culture studies in pre-service art education in Turkey. The instructors’ ideas about visual culture and its impact on art education, its contents (objects), and its practices within the context of Turkey are examined, with a focus on a pedagogical approach that emphasizes the perception and critique of popular culture and everyday cultural experiences, and the analysis of media including television programs, computer games, the internet, and advertisements. The aim of the study is to benefit pre-service art teacher education in Turkey and in general. It provides the rationale, the nature and pedagogy of visual culture, and provides insights into the potential contribution of the concept of visual culture to the understanding of art and improvement of art teacher training.