I noticed that many students, especially post-pandemic, had difficulty choosing what they wanted to create when given the opportunity. I also noticed that outside the art room, students didn’t have to consider what book to read, what to write about, what to have for lunch, or even what to wear to school. I could see that they had very little choices to make in the traditional school environment. I asked myself how I could offer students more authentic choices to build both their art skills and decision-making confidence.
When middle-level research commissioner Jen Bockerman and I started planning an interactive session called The Curiosity Lab for the 2022 NAEA Convention, I hadn’t thought much about how research lives in the creative process. Artists are curious, they learn, and then they make a work of art about that, right? Easy-peasy.
There’s a lot more to it than that, of course, but I started to wonder about who engages in the research related to the creative process in the K–8 art room—me or my students? I know the answer: It’s me! The art teacher often chooses the topic, inspirational artist, and materials.
My process sometimes starts with, “I saw this cute post on Instagram—my third-graders would love that project! We’ll use this artist, these examples, and LEGOs to create printing plates. Students will make three copies and select the color of ink.”
There’s nothing wrong with this approach. It’s one shade in a wide spectrum of approaches to instructional planning. This type of directed art experience is essential to build process knowledge.
The research involved in instructional planning is one of my favorite things about being an elementary art teacher. Maybe you don’t consider scrolling through all things artsy on Instagram as research…well, it is! Suddenly, I could see that I was making most of the research decisions for my students, but I wasn’t ready to go all-in on choice-based instruction.
I wondered how I could shift creative, process-driven research to my young artists without tossing out decades of fabulous lessons. I decided to observe specific behaviors in my classroom, collecting data to inform my instruction.
I noticed that many students, especially post-pandemic, had difficulty choosing what they wanted to create when given the opportunity. Could it be because they hadn’t previously had to choose what to make art about?
I also noticed that outside the art room, students didn’t have to consider what book to read, what to write about, what to have for lunch, or even what to wear to school. I could see that they had very little choices to make in the traditional school environment. I asked myself how I could offer students more authentic choices to build both their art skills and decision-making confidence.
I started by placing some limits to help me achieve small successes. First, I targeted changes with fourth-grade artists, starting with one existing unit.
I asked students to complete a predictive process form at the beginning of the unit and a reflective process form at the end. This single change to the unit provided students with exercises that helped them learn how to predict and reflect.
We designed original characters together as part of a figure drawing review lesson. Once the characters were designed, students completed a predictive process sheet that asked them to choose a creative pathway, predict what materials they would need, and what steps they planned to take.
After the artwork was complete, students reflected on how their process or materials matched up with what they predicted. These predictive and reflective activities provided data that allowed me to observe and document students’ growth in decision-making and art-making confidence over time. I made copies and collected them in a binder for my own reference, making notes and returning the originals to students. This documentation also served as a means to show school administrators how students had learned and grown through art.
I invite you to create your own space in which to wonder. Challenge your instructional practices. Experiment with small changes; document and share what you’ve discovered. What do you see? What do you notice? What do you wonder about that’s happening in your classroom? As for now, I wonder what I’ll learn from pushing myself in new and uncertain directions. I wonder if sharing my journey with my students and art teacher friends will inspire them to challenge themselves.
How does research live in your classroom or studio space? Please share your research stories from the classroom on the Art Research for All (ARA) Facebook group, which is led by members of the National Art Education Research Commission.
Tina M. Atkinson is an art teacher at Percy Priest Elementary School in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr.TinaAtkinson@gmail.com
Art teachers encourage students to investigate their own ideas and make connections to the world around them. High-school students discover that the zine is a powerful medium for self-expression; middle-school students create symbolic artworks to honor teachers and staff members who inspired them; elementary students express solutions to community issues through printmaking; young students design a hat for a friend based on their friend’s preferences; and more.
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