CIRCA 89 Art Education Supplement
PRODUCT, PROJECT, PROCESS: REVIEWING THE CURRICULUM FOR ART, CRAFT AND DESIGN AT SECOND LEVEL INTO THE 21ST CENTURY
The value attached to Art as a subject has increased dramatically over the last twenty years at postprimary Level. The new title of Art, Craft and Design in the Junior Certificate Syllabus is an indicator that the perception of Art as a somewhat nebulous ‘purely expressive' activity suitable for those who are ‘gifted' or those who are ‘less able' academically is changing. The term ‘Art' as used in the past, diminished the subject and failed to convey the particular contribution of Craft and Design to the second-level curriculum. The activities generated by the Art, Craft and Design syllabus have a unique set of characteristics which set it apart from all other subjects in the curriculum, in that it aims to develop students' visual perception, aesthetic awareness and critical abilities. Equally, the concept of Design promotes idea-generation, inventiveness, analytical skills, and creative solutions to visual and spatial problems.
It is no coincidence that the recent economic boom has coincided with a new awareness of the value of the ‘arts' in Irish society. The qualities of ‘creativity' and ‘flexibility' are now recognised as valuable and desirable attributes to promote in the education of our young people. Whether this remains mere rhetoric or whether the subject of Art, Craft and Design can begin to be treated with equal status to other areas such as languages and Science depends on several external factors, some of which are explored here.
Project-based approach
The project-based approach has created a serious workload for students taking Art at Junior Certificate Level. Although this has given the subject the scope and recognition it deserves, the effect of this on subject choices, school budgets and principals' attitudes has already made ripples within the school system. Art, Craft and Design, is now a more expensive option to offer to students than it has been in the past. The provision of a broad range of craft choices within the syllabus and the inclusion of three-dimensional work as a compulsory component has led to problems with budgets, storage and the numbers of students taking art at Junior Certificate Level. The combination of a serious restructuring of content in the Junior Certificate Art, Craft and Design syllabus and the impending changes in the subject at Leaving Certificate level has created a sea change in the perception of the subject . The Art Teachers Association of Ireland (ATAI) worry that the additional workload in the new proposed Leaving Certificate Art will mitigate against a large number of students opting to take it as a subject. When pitted against less time-consuming subjects which yield equal points for third-level entry, Art may become a less popular choice.
The Junior Certificate Art, Craft and Design syllabus has liberated Art teachers and their pupils from a rigid examination subject. The old Intermediate Art Exam was the antithesis of the engagement and enquiry that a robust Art education should foster. With the new Junior Certificate Art, Craft and Design project firmly established as a serious workload but an exciting development, it is clear that the pupils and their teachers have responded well to the challenge of the project-based approach. The sheer breadth of the content to be covered is daunting for teachers and pupils. Much of the Junior Certificate Art relies on good research and preparatory work around a chosen theme. This investigative work is then developed into the various areas of 2-D (Painting and Graphic Design) and 3-D(Modelling, Carving, Construction) and the range of Options (Embroidery, Print, etc.) An invigilated drawing examination is submitted along with the project work.
Support Studies
The introduction of Support Studies at Junior Certificate was also a recognition of the importance of critical thinking in Art, Craft and Design. Teachers are being encouraged to develop young people's critical engagement with the work of artists, craft people and designers. As part of the Junior curriculum young people are required to examine diverse artworks and to interpret the meanings, processes and directions of the artists. These are then linked to support their own ideas to extend and enrich their understanding of the processes explored in their own work. The ability to analyse and integrate the work of artists/designers into the Project Theme will go some way towards laying the groundwork for the appreciation and study of History of Art at Senior Cycle.
In reality, the burden of this workload falls heavily on the Art teacher. The highly motivated student will have no difficulty with preparatory research and making the relevant connections to the work of artists explored in Support Studies. But as all teachers know, not all pupils taking Art are self-motivated or adequately supported in terms of access to and use of libraries. The gathering of resources, the provision of stimulating material for the pupils, over the full range of ‘Themes' can often prove to be an enormous task for the art teacher. For a successful outcome, the Junior Certificate Art Craft and Design depends on regular attendance and an equal opportunity for all students to avail of the stimulation and resources necessary to generate a free flow of ideas, strong visual inquiry and the development of ideas. This is not the reality in many of our second-level schools.
Nevertheless the best of the Junior Certificate work was described as "stunning" in the Chief Examiner's Report [1]. "The old stereotyped ‘Designs' to a large extent have disappeared, and the standards achieved augur well for the future." The analysis of the weaker work demonstrated the need for "more in-depth preparatory work and a greater emphasis on drawing, the need for a greater understanding of process in the development of ideas leading to the finished piece" (Chief Examiner's Report). Support Studies remains an area which in some cases "has only a vague and superficial connection with the selected project title" (Chief Examiner's Report). The debate still continues as to whether a more focused approach is needed to cater for the particular needs of the weaker/disadvantaged student at Junior Certificate Level.
Having acknowledged this, the opportunity for individual exploration and progression does exist in the Junior Certificate Art Craft and Design Syllabus and it has been embraced wholeheartedly by the Art teachers. The experience gained from the Junior Certificate should provide the basis for a solid progression through to the proposed changes in the Leaving Certificate Art Programme.
The Future of the Art Class
Recently the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment produced a draft syllabus for Leaving Certificate Art. This proposed syllabus is an important development in Irish Art education and a finalised syllabus is due to be implemented within the next three years. It will replace the existing Leaving Certificate Art examination which consists of a series of examinations in the chosen areas of Still Life/Imaginative Composition, Design/Craft, Life Drawing and the History of Art. The emphasis in the present system is product-based. With only a very short period to research the Theme, young people are expected to perform on the day, and produce the goods. The pressure of the examination is not conducive to producing successful art work which reflect pupils' ability and potential. Within the History of Art section of this syllabus, the entire course of Irish and European Art is chronologically covered, with little or no emphasis on the connections between making and receiving art.
The present cohort of young people who have studied Art at Junior Certificate Level have had to revert to a system which has a completely different set of assessment criteria when they enter the senior cycle with the older syllabus. The new initiative in the Leaving Certificate Art syllabus aims to provide a general education in art and design for the student, and offers continuity and progression from Junior Certificate Art, Craft and Design. It promotes the development of visual perception and creativity, the encouragement of initiative and self-reliance, and the preparation of the student for adult working life.
The basic outline of the new Leaving Certificate Art syllabus proposes:
- A project-based on three practical pieces
- A drawing exam comprising observational studies and a life-drawing exam
- Sketchbooks
- A written exam in Art History
This represents a model where the practical element will constitute theme-based project work. It allows for experimentation and development with more freedom of choice, from the Fine Art areas (in 2-D and 3-D),Visual Communications and Craft.
The introduction of the sketchbooks as a legitimate element of the working process is a worthy one, but has possible implications for their assessment. Responses from art teachers are mixed with regard to the assessment of sketchbooks. It is felt by some that the nature of sketchbooks is essentially that of a personal diary and if these were to be examined it would interfere with freedom of expression. The emphasis might be changed to attract a higher mark and students would produce the ‘perfect sketchbooks', which is a contradiction in terms. As in the Junior Certificate Art, Craft and Design, the highly motivated student will rise to the challenge of exploring ideas through the sketchbook process, but the burden of maintaining sketchbooks for the less able student will fall heavily on the art teacher, and may be impractical and unrealistic. The Art Teachers Association of Ireland (ATAI) fear the doubling of sketchbook and preparatory work will turn students off the subject and ultimately affect numbers taking Art at Senior Cycle. Instead of sketchbooks, the ATAI favour a broader definition of preparatory work, which might include sketches, photographs, drawings, written notes, etc.
Radical Changes
The History of Art Syllabus of the new Leaving Certificate Draft Proposal constitutes some of the more radical changes in terms of Critical Studies and the linkage of the theoretical with the practical.
In its present form, the Leaving Certificate History of Art Syllabus consists of three study areas set out in linear chronological fashion. Research on this matter by Kieran Meagher of Limerick School of Art and Design indicates that "teachers of Art, Craft and Design feel that this approach is too extensive and unmanageable in pedagogic terms, and that it has a negative effect on many students' interest in, or affection for the subject". It is recognised that this situation must be addressed in the new syllabus.
Two separate units of study are being proposed in the new draft Leaving Certificate Art:
1. Three selected study areas from three categories within the History of Art
This represents a more focused approach to studying the huge breadth of the present History of Art course than exists at the moment. Many Art teachers feel that the three areas of study are excessive and may need to be reduced to two.
The history of Craft and Design is also considered to be one which should have a place in the second-level Art History programme. At present this is a neglected area in second-level and third-level teacher-education colleges. Teachers would not necessarily have the knowledge or background at present to engage students in a meaningful and informed approach to the history of Craft and Design.
2. Visual perception and Technical language
The emphasis here is on the ability to analyse works of art, where possible through the study of original art works either in galleries and museums or in the local environment, and to develop an appropriate vocabulary. It aims to develop a deeper understanding of other artists' work through linking their study of History of Art with their practical work.
The inclusion of Visual Perception and Technical Language as a study unit combined with a more in-depth study of three selected areas out of the History of Art should ensure that students are encouraged to integrate more effectively their selected areas with their selected project themes. The implications of this are many for the art teacher. In the classroom many demands are made on the teacher. They include the development of critical skills; creating opportunities for the extensive use of language in allowing pupils to interrogate works of art—all of which are sound aspirations. The quality of pupils' practical work can be enriched through the development of critical activity. It is worthy that resources such as museums and galleries are recognised as having a valuable role to play in developing the critical perspectives of young people. Nevertheless this relationship will need to be nurtured and developed through closer partnership between teachers and education staff in museums. In an overcrowded curriculum, such activities can seem a time-consuming luxury, especially if your school is many miles away from a museum or gallery.
Learning Lessons
There have been over forty responses to the draft consultation document circulated by the NCCA. The debate continues, and although the document is welcomed as a positive move in the right direction some of the criticisms suggest that the course is too long and may be difficult to assess. It also may require a lot of work by students out of class time. Some other areas which need more emphasis were the creation of more links with modern technology and computers. The Art Teachers Association feel that it is essential to get the balance right between what is realistic and what is the ideal.
Many lessons have been learnt from the Junior Certificate Art. The new Leaving Certificate Art cannot be purely aspirational, nor should it become too pedestrian through fear of breaking into new territory. Support structures, resources and in-service training will be needed to translate the new Leaving Certificate Art into practice.
The teacher of Art Craft and Design who will be required to teach within the new framework must be given a clear sense of direction and yet be left sufficient amount of scope to allow them to build their programmes around their own strengths and expertise within the available resources.
[1] Chief Examiner's Report, Department of Education, Dublin, 1998
Dervil Jordan is a lecturer in Art and Design Education, National College of Art and Design, Dublin.
Comment 1 on 2006-10-11 23:41:53
Interesting
Comment 2 on 2006-10-12 00:42:46
Your article mentions some problems encountered by art teachers such as storage, budget and student numbers. What is not mentioned is that when doing project work art teachers are expected to perform two roles at the same time - teach art and supervise pupils while they are producing exam work. In practice teachers are expected to deal with any of the following: loss or theft of artwork, destruction of or interference with artwork, copying from other pupils, bullying in the form of making other pupils do the work for you. 80% of the Junior Cert exam work is in the form of project work which means that the art teacher performs this dual role for 80% of the time. From October through to the closing date in May they are expected to invigilate as well as teach the subject. How does this 80% of practical work for J.C art compare with other practical subjects such as home ec., metalwork, woodwork, I wonder.
The under 18s doing Junior Cert and Leaving Cert are not legally responsible for themselves or their actions because they are minors and considered to be still children. In the eyes of the law teachers have a duty of care towards pupils and are 'in loco parentis'. Teachers of practical subjects such as metalwork, woodwork, home ec., art have a much greater duty of care because of potentially hazardous equipment and materials used. Class size should take this into account. The union recommends 24 per art class. It was my experience when teaching art that this was not followed through and I more usually had 30 in my class.
The risk of accident must be considered when asking art teachers to do crafts with large numbers of pupils often in inadequately resourced artrooms, such as with one or no sink.
Homework is another issue. My understanding was that pupils were not allowed to take their project home with them which meant that they could not do homework for 80% of their J.C. art (again this compares unfavourably with other subjects). One suspects that this rule is often flouted judging by the numbers of portfolios seen going home with pupils towards the end of the project. Art teachers find themselves pressurised by pupils and parents to allow the project to go home because of the tight timespace allocated to such a lengthy project. Pupils, even good committed ones just don't work that fast.
Art rooms are rarely equipped with enough space to store project work and facilites for keeping work safe while it is in progress and drying. The important point to make here is that it is the art teacher who is deemed responsible for keeping the artwork safe.
All of this does not augur well for a new project-based Leaving Cert course. The above problems will only be aggravated by the fact that the acquisition of points depends on the result. Art teachers will be more accountable than ever.
Nobody can deny that the J.C. syllabus brought huge improvements in the quality and scope of art produced by pupils. Any change in such a neglected subject almost had to be for the better. Why are we waiting so long for a change in the Leaving Cert? Because the J.C. has thrown up so many problems which are still proving difficult to iron out?
These comments are based on an art teaching career which ended 8 years ago. If what I say is out of date I stand corrected but some fundamentals remain the same. Even if the basic infrastructure that art teachers work in has dramatically improved they still carry the responsibility for supervising 80% of the exam work - a quantity which I do not believe is matched by any other subject teachers. A large percentage of project work for Leaving Cert will increase this burden. Until these problems are addressed the subject of art, craft and design will not be awarded the value it deserves and art teachers will remain the poor relation in the staff room.
