WHAT DO I WANT TO FIND OUT: INVESTIGATE AND WHY

The background for this research project is the work I had already done in the Final Dissertation for my art education degree (Kuvaamataidon opettajan tutkinto) called the “The Relation between Cognition and Visual Perception and its Relevance to Learning and Development: The Contribution of Art Education”. The main task I took upon myself in that work was to attempt to figure out the role art education has in learning processes and to try to make a case for the defense of art education, considering the low profile the arts have in present educational institutions. That was 10 years ago.

Since then some progress has been made on some level, but not much on the level of field application which is, after all the crucial need. I attended The Lighthouse International Forum for Arts Education in Helsinki in 2000 and listened to a talk by keynote speaker Ken Robinson (Great Britain) that impressed me greatly. He proposed that education is presently undergoing a revolution in order to meet the vast changes in the world economy and society and also that the arts should be close to the center of national educational curriculums rather than on the periphery, where they are at present, in order for people to receive the kind of education they need to meet those challenges.

I am an art teacher in The Upper Comprehensive School (yläaste) of Ivalo and the Secondary School (Lukio) of Ivalo. I am very aware of the existence of differences between my discipline and others in both school systems in both school systems in both perceived importance (perceived usefulness) as well as difference of learning strategies. After reading Ken Robinson’s “All Our Futures”, the report and proposal to the National Board of Education in Great Britain for a new national curriculum, I also became aware that that country is making bold advances in a very positive direction whereas the process of curriculum development in our country continues to ignore the most vital changes necessary. I feel a need to address this issue in this dissertation.

Concerning the role of art education in the learning processes of children and youth in general, II would like to continue the research I began in my above mentioned work from 10 years ago. A lot of work has been done by others before and since then that could enrich and deepen my own understanding of the subjects of visual thinking, real learning (including expansion) and multiple intelligences. I intend to link to my findings to the greater subject of the role of art education in the impending revolution of the education of children and youth.

While considering the major question of this plan, I came across some other very interesting factors which may be worth pursuing in this work. Some of these are teaching creativity, creative teaching and the question of interdisciplinary education.

I am aware that there will be problems involved with this study. The most significant problem is that this is a very broad subject and that I will constantly need to reduce the amount of information I process and limit myself to the major questions involved, perhaps finding a particular angle of approach. There will be many temptations along the way to pursue new avenues of study, I’m sure. Also, my distance from major libraries will slow down my studies unless I find an efficient way of finding and acquiring sources. The fact that I will continue my daytime work (at the school where I teach) will limit my study hours to the evenings, weekends and vacations, but I will consider my job as a laboratory from which I can make observations, attempt innovations and draw conclusions.

POINT OF DEPARTURE AND RESEARCH BASIS

I have been working as an art teacher for 10 years in Ivalo and have a degree of experience teaching visual arts to children and youth from the ages 13 – 18 years old in upper Elementary and the Secondary school system formulated by the Finnish Ministry of Education. Briefly, I have become aware of flaws in the system itself as well as in my own teaching methods. Of course, as in any other school, the school itself contains its own problems due to prevailing mentalities and systems. I believe that this study would help me a great deal in understanding these problems as well as instill in me a vision necessary in dealing with them. I hope that my own teaching would improve by the added vision and insights gained by such a study. Perhaps I will be able to help others as well.

The work of Ken Robinson and Yrjö Engeström have inspired me to continue the work I started in my research paper of 10 years ago. I will begin with a thorough investigation of Ken Robinsons’ publications “All Our Futures “ and “Out of Our Minds” as well as Yrjö Engeström’s “Learning by Expanding – An Activity-Theoretical Approach to Developmental Research” and some of his other publications. The writings of Howard Gardner bear particular relevance. The work of Matti Bergström concerning creativity and learning also intrigues me. I saw a television program that he produced called “Luovuus” (“Creativity”) which impressed me by the depth and clarity of his vision on the subject. These will be starting points. I have noticed that very quickly one thing leads to another. I will find other sources. For example, while searching the internet for information concerning creativity education, I cam across a remarkable English physicist named F. David Peat who has authoritative knowledge on that subject which I will certainly research. And there are others.

In addition to my role as a teacher, I have researched in the past 3 years the subject of creativity to remedy a gap in my own creative work as an artist. I stumbled upon a series of books by Julia Cameron: “The Artist’s Way” and “The Vein of Gold”. The relevance that that research has to me is defining creativity and an awareness of the existence of blocks. Julia Cameron, as well as Professor Ken Robinson, currently offers courses on creativity to businesses and others. It appears that businesses are desperately attempting to remedy the lack of creativity where our school systems have failed. A very interesting resource relevant to the question of school systems failure and possible solutions I found at www.school-reform.net centered in Washington D.C., U.S.A.

Other resources and questions related to this avenue which I have come across in my readings and internet research are Interdisciplinary Education, Teaching Creativity and Creative Teaching. The work of Marvin Bartel, Ed. D. (U.S.A.) fascinates me. He is an art educator and speaks to art teachers, though the principles of teaching creativity are pertinent to all teachers in all disciplines. His writing has helped make me aware that my own teaching methods as an art teacher could be very much more creative and has caused me to ponder the question: are we art teachers really teaching children to be creative? I want to pursue this question in great depth in my dissertation.

RESEARCH METHODS

The basic method of research that I will employ will be reading and viewing sources from publications such as those that I mentioned above. I hope as well to be able to ask specific questions to authors of some of my sources to discover their most recent findings and experiences. Considering the universality of the problem of learning in schools and the concern shared by an enormous amount of educators, I’m sure that this approach will not leave me with any scarcity of source material.

Where possible, I would like to apply particular methodologies discovered along the way in my own classroom and observe and report on my own findings. I will also be searching throughout Finland for art teachers with input concerning my subject (The Finnish Perspective). I hope to also spend time and energy in interviewing and observing students themselves concerning specific concerns relating to their own study methods, observations and points of view. Teachers have a limited point of view in relation the subjective viewpoint of students concerning their own learning and creativity.

REPORTING AND PRESENTATION

My work will be presented mainly in the form of a written paper, but I would like to outline and illustrate it in the form of a hyperlinked webpage to give the benefit of a more holistic viewing approach. As well as making it more universally accessible, this may even have the added benefit of helping me to visualize my subject from various new perspectives. I envision this page to be in the form of a mind map. Where possible and necessary, I would like to include video situation reports to illustrate points and findings in order to express and clarify points of view. Above all I am approaching my subject with the certitude that it is urgent and with the intention to continue after this particular attempt.