The Role of Visual Arts programmes in High-School Education

Visual Arts programmes in Australian high-schools offer a uniquely holistic learning environment. The ways in which students are encouraged to reflect, critique, problem solve and create positively promotes all aspects of personal and academic development. The inclusion of Visual Arts in high-school education provides students with a deeper critical awareness essential to better performance in all subjects. Not only can creative artistic ability be taught, but the unique learning structure of a Visual Arts program develops cognitive ability, confidence, global, local and personal awareness, empathy and a sense of personal value and belongingness. These results are beneficial to all students, not only in how they perform in other subjects but also in preparing them for University level study and integration into the work-force.

While many professionals involved in the implementation of Visual Arts programmes in Western countries appreciate the resulting positive impacts on students (Laird 2012, 56-57) those tasked with development of school curricula under-appreciate how that positively affects all students (Hickman 2010, 10-11). In recent years there has been a push towards measurable results from Visual Arts education in test environments (Steers 1997, 9) which has turned the focus away from learning through art to learning about art. This shows a lack of comprehension about the learning processes involved in well-executed Visual Arts programs (Hickman 2010, 10-11). Visual Arts programmes are multi-faceted and layered (Schlegel et al. 2015, 448) building on previous skills and knowledge and incorporating aspects from the four different career disciplines: the artist, art historian, art critic and the aesthetician (Hickman 2010, 13). The direct integration of the four different disciplines prepares students to pursue higher education and/or a career in any one of them. All forms of Visual Culture should also be explored (Schlegel et al. 2015, 448) but it is important to maintain balance to not lose the focus of learning through action.

Visual Arts education is suitable for all students at high-school. According to Hickman (2010, 29-30) the ability to form proper compositions and to identify between technique and expression coincides with the development of self-awareness in the early stages of puberty which is roughly when a student enters into high-school. Schlegel et al. (2015, 450) and Hickman (2010, 129) agree artistic intelligence is not purely instinctive it arises from learned practices and changes in behaviour. Additionally Schlegel et al. (2015, 448) found that visual perception is equal between non-artists and artists. Not only are high-school students at the right stage of mental development to fully explore their abilities to be critical artists, but all high-school age students regardless of presumed natural abilities can participate meaningfully in Visual Arts programmes.

It is a natural human urge to express ourselves creatively (Hickman 2010, 135-139). Throughout history, spanning across all cultures and generations is the common language of Visual Culture which reflects and defines humanity (Hickman 2010, 5). Steers (1997, 10) quoting Hope (1996) tells us that much of what we know about past civilisations and cultures and how we measure their greatness has been learnt through their artefacts. Naturally humans treasure precious keep-sakes, preserving their integrity in private collections, museums and galleries (De Botton and Armstrong 2013, 65). Art Historians are able gain from artefacts a holistic understanding of the cultural, political and religious contexts along with the individual artist’s purpose, inspiration and mindsets (Kleiner 2009, 2-6). In recognising that humans will express themselves creatively and will preserve items on personal values it is important that our artworks accurately represent our current civilisation (Steers 1997, 10). We can achieve this by educating our future artists. Therefore Visual Arts in our education system play an important role in nurturing the creative minds that will go on to mould the future and communicate about our culture to future generations (Roenpagel 2014, 1).

Creative expression helps to develop personal identity (Laird 2012, 48). The teenage years are the most important phase in the development of personal identity (Roenpagel 2014, 237). In our current cultural climate mental-health related issues are on the increase in young people (Roenpagel 2014, 4). Visual Arts programmes in Australia ask students to respond on a personal level (Australian Curriculum 2015). It is one of the few areas in a school environment where students can safely explore and express their emotions, thoughts and opinions (Hickman 2010, 101) (Laird 2012, 56-57) and investigate non-secular spirituality (Roenpagel 2014). Through exploration into their inner-worlds’ it is implied that students’ feelings, opinions, thought processes and conclusions have value resulting in improved self-awareness, identity and self-confidence for students (Hickman 2010, 101) (Laird 2012, 56-57).

Students participating in Visual Arts programmes are also encouraged to look externally, tackling issues from local and foreign communities as well as global issues (Hickman 2010, 102). Through their research into these issues combined with contemplative practices (Roenpagel 2014, 232) students respond with thoughts and feelings in creative expression to develop a more grounded concept of interrelatedness and their place within these different contexts (Hickman 2010, 158) (Steers 1997, 10). This results in improved self awareness and develops and nurtures a more open-minded and empathetic view on all issues facing today’s society (Hickman 2010, 151) (Roenpagel 2014, 4-5). These skills further develop students towards successful integration into post-school success along with a deeper understanding of the purpose of other school subjects in global context.

In Visual Arts programmes students are encouraged to contemplate, reflect and record their thoughts in response to creating artworks and learning about art (Hickman 2010, 57) (Steers 1997, 10). Roenpagel (2014, 237-238) describes the “internet generation” as having short attention spans and diminished abilities to think deeply. Contemplative practice offers an opportunity to slow-down, and to immerse students’ in their own thoughts and to challenge and clarify assumptions further developing cognitive ability and improving physiological and emotional well-being (Hickman 2010, 159) (Roenpagel 2014, 4). All students will be able to perform more attentively in all subjects and better handle the pressures of the workforce with the associated improvements in cognition, and physiological and emotional well-being from contemplative practices.

A critical component of Visual Arts programmes is public display. Public display provides a platform for students’ ideas to be heard, giving meaning and purpose to their artworks, encouraging recognition and notoriety as ‘artists’ and allows an understanding of how professional artists contribute to society (Laird 2012, 60).Through public display students obtain a sense of belongingness and ownership of their environment (Laird 2012, 57). Participation in Visual Arts allows students to get their informed responses heard and appreciated resulting in higher confidence and a sense of belonging and ownership in different contexts. When a student feels that they belong and have the confidence to speak they will be more involved in group discussion and class participation which will benefit them in all subjects and in interacting with others in the workforce.

Because of its significance to practicing artists around the world, collaboration is an important aspect of high-school Visual Arts programmes. Through the internet artists are able to connect globally in ways not previously seen (Roenpagel 2014, 232). Since high-school Visual Arts programs are responsive to current issues they incorporate interconnectedness and collaboration on an international scale (Hickman 2010, 159) (Roenpagel 2014, 232). This help students understand the interrelatedness of ideas and processes on a global scale and with widened perspective comes heightened empathy (Roenpagel 2014, 5). The ability to collaborate with different people from different backgrounds with an empathetic manner is invaluable when entering future study or the workforce, and also allows students to more clearly understand the contexts of studies in other subjects.

Cognitive ability is the way in which the brain synthesises information. Students who participate in artistic training have improvements in cognition (Schlegel et al. 2015, 448) (Steers 1997, 11). Schlegel et al. (2015, 449) found that information travelling in the brain became less restricted and neural pathways became more efficiently organised between perception and action. The ability to problem-solve in a more creative manner is a result for students participating in Visual Arts programmes (Laird 2012, 48) (Schlegel et al. 2015, 449). Creative and effective problem solving abilities translate to all school subjects. For example: solving maths equations, designing science experiments (Steers 1997, 11) and creative writing in English. In the work-force problem-solving skills allow an employee to adapt and effectively develop processes in response to ever-changing challenges (Laird 2012, 48).

Although the importance of the learning processes specific to Visual Arts programmes in high-schools is often misunderstood we cannot ignore the positive impacts these courses of study have on students as a whole person. A well-grounded and well-rounded confident student with sound mental-health will participate better in all forms of study and will be well equipped for transition into the work-force. Only a high-school programme in Visual Arts can provide wide-spectrum personal development which translates into this kind of student: covering development in critical awareness, cognitive ability, confidence, contemplation, global, local and personal awareness, empathy, a sense of belongingness and collaboration. To provide students with the best chance of success in all high-school studies and to better prepare them for what life holds beyond, Visual Arts should be included in every students’ academic journey.

References

Australian Curriculum. 2015. “Learning in Visual Arts.” Education Service Australia in collaboration with Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Accessed May 27, http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/the-arts/visual-arts/learning-in-visual-arts.

De Botton, Alain and John Armstrong. 2013. “What is the Point of Art.” In Art as Therapy. 64-65. London: Phaidon Press Ltd.

Hickman, Richard D. 2010. Why We Make Art: and Why it is Taught. 2nd ed. Chicago: Intellect.

Kleiner, Fred S. 2009. “The Questions Art Historians Ask.” In Gardner’s Art through the Ages: a Global History, 13th ed., 2-6. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth.

Laird, Juliette. 2012. “Primary School Visual Arts Education: Teachers' Perspectives.” Curriculum Matters 8 (2012): 48-68. http://search.informit.com.au.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/fullText;dn=992008998554659;res=IELHSS.

Roenpagel, Nico. 2014. “The Spirit of Engagement: A Holistic Approach to Art Museum Education.” PhD thesis, UNSW College of Fine Arts. http://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/fapi/datastream/unsworks:12547/SOURCE02?view=true.

Schlegel, Alexander, Prescott Alexander, Sergey V. Fogelson, Xueting Li, Zhengang Lu, Peter J. Kohler, Enrico Riley, Peter U. Tse, and Ming Meng. 2015. “The Artist Emerges: Visual Art Learning Alters Neural Structure and Function.” NeuroImage. 105 (2015): 440-451. http://www.sciencedirect.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/science/article/pii/S1053811914009318.

Steers, John. 1997. “Ten Questions about the Future of Art and Design Education.” Australian Art Education. 20 (1-2): 9-20. http://search.informit.com.au.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/fullText;dn=971111709;res=IELAPA.