Science Survey : Art Survey & Student Task Rating 48k Download Blank Survey 569kb

Attitudes and Motivation The national monitoring assessment programme recognises the impact of attitudinal and motivational factors on student achievement in individual assessment tasks. The project is also interested in finding out and reporting on how students regard the learning area in general. Students' attitudes, interests and liking for a subject have a strong bearing on progress and learning outcomes. They are influenced and shaped by the quality and style of curriculum delivery, the choice of content and the suitability of resources. It is also known that the expectations of significant people in students' lives, the life opportunities and experiences they have, and the extent to which they have feelings of personal success and efficacy are important influences on their achievements.

Art Survey The national monitoring art survey sought information from students about their curriculum preferences and their perceptions of personal application, achievement and potential. They were also asked about their involvement in art related activities both within and beyond the programmes offered in the classroom or school. The survey was administered in a one-to-one interview setting, with some questions requiring short written answers and others a spoken response. In all curriculum areas there are numerous research questions that could be asked when investigating student attitudes and engagement. In national monitoring it has been necessary to focus on a few key questions that give an overall impression of how students regard a learning area in relation to themselves.

Year 4 Student Responses to Art Survey Questions
% responses
 
How much do you like doing art at school? 83 12 4 1
heaps quite a lot some very little
How much do you think you learn about art at school? 42 40 16 2
more about same less
Would you like to do more or less art at school?   79 18 3
lots sometimes never
How often does your class do really good things in art?   45 53 2
How good do you think you are in art? 38 54 6 2
How much do you like doing art in your own time, when not at school? 60 27 6 7
  lots some never
Do you do some really good things in art in your own time when not at school?   39 54 7
yes maybe no
Do you want to keep learning about art when you grow up?   65 28 7
Do you think you would make a good artist when you grow up?   33 53 14

A high percentage of year 4 students have a strong liking for doing art at school, and a similarly high number would like to do more. They are divided in their views about the frequency with which they do really good things in art at school or in their own time. Very few students do not wish to continue learning about art as they grow older, and a relatively small percentage don't think they would make a good artist when they grow up.

Accepting that young children's ideas and impressions are closely related in time with their experiences, the survey does show that year 4 students are eager and motivated to do art, and that they have positive view of their own abilities.

Year 8 Student Responses to Art Survey Questions
% responses
 
How much do you like doing art at school? 65 26 7 2
How do you like art compared with other subjects? 48 39 9 4
heaps quite a lot some very little
How much do you think you learn about art at school? 21 55 20 4
more about same less
Would you like to do more or less art at school?   63 33 4
lots quite often sometimes never
How often does your class do really good things in art? 14 40 41 5
How good do you think you are in art? 18 63 14 5
How proud are you of your best work in art? 58 35 6 1
  lots some never
Do you do some really good things in art in your own time when not at school?   39 54 7
heaps medium very little  
How much of your own time do you like to spend learning about art, doing art, talking about art? 27 53 20  
  yes, lots yes, quite a lot yes, some no, never
Have you done some really good art things in your own time when not at school? 22 32 40 6
  yes probably maybe no, never
Do you want to keep studying art as you get older? 30 33 32 5
Do you think you would make a good artist? 6 27 48 19

Year 8 student's ratings of art education show some differences emerging when compared to year 4 ratings. The percentage of students who like doing art at school remains high, with only 2% selecting the lowest rating on a four point scale, and art enjoys a generally high preference in relation to other school subjects. A third of students are happy to continue doing about the same amount of art at school, while almost two thirds would like to have more. Only 14% say they do lots of really good things in art at school compared with 45% at year 4.

Self-ratings of ability in art are generally positive, with 81% rating themselves at one of the top two points on the four point scale, and 93% marking one of the top two points when asked how proud they are of their best work. Overall, a reasonably high number indicate that they want to keep studying art as they get older, with about one third being tentative and 5% saying they do not wish to pursue the study of art. About one third are positive about their prospects of becoming good artists, almost half are undecided, and close to one fifth have no such confidence.

The survey shows that compared to year 4, year 8 students are becoming more discerning in their judgements about art education and their own abilities, but a large majority nonetheless have a positive view of the subject and their own performance.


[ Art Report 1995 | top of the page ]