Belongingness, trust and connection: Arts teachers in Western Australian schools create safe learning spaces

Christina Gray
Edith Cowan University, Australia
Lisa Paris, Geoffrey Lowe, Angela Perry and Lara Warwick
Curtin University, Australia

Central to this phenomenological inquiry is the question of how students' fundamental needs of belonging, trust and connection are enacted in arts classrooms. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews, this research explores the teaching practices of 23 expert arts teachers in Western Australian schools, revealing strategies to sustain supportive and safe learning environments. The findings highlight the disconnection students face in their schools and the significance of trust in embracing diversity, cultivating quality relationships, and empowering student voice. Understanding these evolving practices can enable less experienced teachers to adapt arts-based approaches to foster inclusive spaces that prioritise student well-being and connection.
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Authors: Dr Christina Gray is the Coordinator of Dance and Drama Education in the School of Education at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia. Christina's research focuses on drama and arts education, teacher trajectories, initial teacher education, and belongingness, through narrative methodologies. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8464-1961 Email: c.gray@ecu.edu.au Associate Professor Lisa Paris is the Arts Education Coordinator in the School of Education at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. Her research interests encompass preservice arts teacher education, mentoring of beginning arts teachers, as well as the role of the arts in facilitating inclusion for vulnerable individuals/populations. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2410-6849 Email: lisa.paris@curtin.edu.au Dr Geoffrey Lowe is a Senior Research Fellow in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. Geoffrey has a wide variety of research interests including student motivation, reflective practice, young children's early musical experiences, the role of social support among positive veteran teachers and the role of technology in arts education. Email: geoff59.gl@gmail.com Ms Angela Perry has been teaching dance in primary and secondary schools, universities, the industry, and the community for over 40 years. Angela is currently a sessional academic at Curtin University and a Senior Teacher for the WA Department of Education. Email: angela.perry@curtin.edu.au Ms Lara Warwick has been involved in both media and arts education for over 20 years. Her work has included short film projects, community television and radio, secondary media and drama teaching, in-servicing and initial teacher education. Lara has experience across all levels of secondary schooling and is a sessional arts educator at Curtin University. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2311-0766 Email: lara.warwick@curtin.edu.au Please cite as: Gray, C., Paris, L., Lowe, G., Perry, A. & Warwick, L. (2025). Belongingness, trust and connection: Arts teachers in Western Australian schools create safe learning spaces. Issues in Educational Research, 35(2), 590-610. http://www.iier.org.au/iier35/gray-2.pdf