Why Teach Art and Design?

Why Teach Art and Design?

1. Helps children become better learners

   • NC: “experiment, invent and create their own works of art” (DfE 2013, p176).
     • cognitive skills
       • Art develops cognitive skills (Tarr and Thomas 2000)
     • resilience, positivity, flexibility, risk-takinng and persistence
       • modifications are evaluated not criticised (NACCCE 1999).
       • verifies that ideas don’t have to succeed first time (Stephens 1994)
       • different outcomes steers away feelings of right and wrong (Robertson 2014)
     • TASC framework (Wallace 2001)
       • Blooms Taxonomy: higher order thinking
     • independence and curiosity
       • NC: “involve exploring, investigating, experimenting, playing, reflecting” (EAG 2014, p1).
   • “evaluate and analyse creative works” (DfE 2013, p176)
     • effective questioning
       • critical thinking
         • creative thinking always involves critical thinking (NACCCE, 1999, p33)
   • improve own learning
     • NC: Sketchbooks: reflect for progress

2. Enhances ceativity

   • creative curriculum
     • Explore Art through stimulating experiences. e.g. nature, senses, galleries, professionals or the streets
       • creativity in education is in policies in almost every country in the world (Das et al 2011)
   • Essential in society
     • contributes to the “culture, creativity and wealth of our nation” (DfE 2014, p176).
       • pupils’ are accountable for future culture and invention (Bamford 2006).
   • Acheivement
     • spatial intelligence strength can flourish (Gardiner 2011)
       • discovering strength increases self esteem and motivation in education (NACCCE 1999)

3. Develops physical skills

   • improves fine motor skills and visual perception
     • NC: “develop a wide range of art and design techniques … with a range of materials” (DfE 2013, p176).

4. Improves social skills

   • peer support, guidance and feedack
     • improves artwork, self-esteem and peer relationships (Hallam et al 2014)
   • Talk for learning
     • helps to think, develop, learn and understand (Dawes 2008).
     • Social Constructivism: children learn through dialogue (Pritchard 2009).
     • language is a ‘tool for thinking’, (Dawes 2008)
   • Speaking and listening

5. inclusion

   • alternative form of communication
     • NC: use art to “share their ideas, experiences and imagination” (DfE 2013, p176).
       • ‘visual language’ (Cox and Watts 2007)
         • benefits communication barriers or reluctant writers (Robertson 2014)
     • express problems and feelings
   • multisensory
     • inclusion of pupils with a sensory impairment (Cox and Watts 2007).
   • involves skills from across the curriculum
     • Different intelligence strengths (Gardiner 2011)

6. Can support other subjects

   • Arts as a Tool for Learning Across the Curriculum (Das et al 2011).
     • ensures art is not marginalised (Russell-Bowie 2009)
     • improves achievement across education (Bamford’s 2006)
   • apply skills and knowledge from one subject in the context of another (QCA 2014)
     • Take One Picture: artwork supports other subjects (The National Gallery 2014)
     • extends subject knowledge as well as develops transferable skills (Das et al 2011).