Research recommends using art in classrooms

Performance artist Emma Che Martin observes Kruger State School students

Just as schools across the nation are gearing up to undertake NAPLAN testing, researchers are urging the education system not to forget the Arts.

USQ Senior Education Lecturer Dr Margaret Baguley said a research partnership between USQ, Griffith University (GU) and Primary Arts Network Ipswich (PANI) had shown the value of using the Arts in education.

'Since July 2009 PANI Project Manager Lee Fullarton has overseen the delivery of the Creative Community Hub Artist in Residency (CCHAiR) projects in three state schools in the Ipswich Moreton Region,' Dr Baguley said.

The participating schools were Raceview State School (visual artist Sara Butcher), Leichhardt State School (media artists Miles Blow and Jules Pitts) and Kruger State School (performance artist Emma Che Martin).

The project culminated in a Showcase Event – Living the Arts in Ipswich held at the Workshops Rail Museum in Ipswich and was attended by more than 350 people.

'Teachers and students displayed the fruits of their labour including an exhibition of art works, a performance and a film festival,' Dr Baguley said.

One of the findings from the research was that participating teachers, students and parents/carers were overwhelmingly in support of using the Arts in the classroom.

'Teachers involved in the program told us the students discovered a passion for learning through their creativity. They lost their fear of being wrong and discovered joy and a sense of self worth through their creative expression.

'The children were totally engaged in learning and engrossed in experimenting, taking risks, trying new media, talking about their work and having fun.'

Dr Baguley said to concentrate education so completely on testing and the rankings of schools was to take the joy out of the classroom.

'Art is often not used in the classroom as many teachers have a lack of confidence when it comes to teaching and assessing. We hope through this research and our next report in June, we can increase funding to help support teachers to implement the Arts in their classrooms as part of their weekly curriculum.

'The Federal government is calling for submissions to create a new national curriculum and we will be submitting our research to showcase the benefits of using Art in the classroom.'

The authors of the CCHAiR research are: Ms Lee Fullarton (PANI), Dr Margaret Baguley (USQ) and Ms Miranda Free (GU). The project was supported by the Australia Council for the Arts and by the Queensland Government though Arts Queensland.

Contact Details:
Jo-Ann Sparrow, USQ Media, +61 7 3470 4119 or 0438 309 096