Reflections

This class has been an eye opener for me! I had done research before but never really understood or knew the depths of it. I knew that for research you had to look at sources and create your own idea of them, but never did I know how many different ways that could be done. I have learned there’s more than one way to conduct research and find what you are searching for. Learning about all the different options for research sort of overwhelmed me and put me at ease at the same time. I felt I now had a better idea of what I was looking for and how exactly I was going to find it. This course truly helped me find what I wanted to know. I now know what I want to research for my capstone project. I came in with an idea, but not really as specific as I knew it needed to be. This class taught me to dig deep within myself and find what I was truly looking for, not what sounded good on paper.

I now know as I leave this class what my research topic is, which is “using art as a tool of personal reflection in traditional art curricula.” Now knowing my goals, and what I am wanting to research by laying out my plans in my research proposal, I feel I am ready for the next step. After this class, I will begin my research during my independent study. It helped doing my pilot study in this class so I could learn from my mistakes and also learn from what worked. I now know how to conduct my study and what techniques I will use, it is now just time to do it. I know now I will use quantitative methods to collect my data, such as journals, interviews, artwork, surveys, etc. Before this class, I didn’t even know they were considered a part of a specific method of research. This class has helped me see the full world of research I never knew existed. I am thankful I have taken this class, because it taught me not just about research but also about my own research. It helped me learn to think more clearly and to problem solve by asking more than one main question. It helped me realize I can have more than one question I want to answer in my research study, but they can all be answered by possibly one overarching idea/question.

In all, this class definitely stressed me out and made me feel ignorant or stupid at times, but leaving, I now feel scared, but ready to move on to the next step. This class has empowered me with valuable tools that I am sure I will continue to use through out the rest of my career as an art educator as I strive to improve my own practice.

Reflecting

Since being in this class and reading the articles, studies, and essays we have been assigned, I have become more clear in my understanding of research and what I plan to do for my capstone project. So far, I have found that what would work best for me is the qualitative research method because I will be studying human behavior using a various types of collection methods such as observation, artworks, interviews, and journaling. The reading I found that helped me most in deciding this wa Qualitative forms of research methods (Stokrocki, 1997). All these data collection methods will be beneficial for my study where I will be trying to find if expressive art activities are beneficial for helping students relieve stress. I also found that I will most likely be doing action research as part of the larger art education community working to improve our own practices as educators for the good of our students. I have found from Teachers-as-researchers" or action research: What is it, and what good is it for art education? (May, 1993), that action research is the best way for me to go for my capstone project. I feel my capstone project will benefit art education as a whole, my individual practice, and my students overall mental well-being.

May, W. (1993). “Teachers-as-researchers" or action research: What is it, and what good is it for art education? Studies in Art Education, 34(2), 114-126.

Stokrocki, M. (1997). Qualitative forms of research methods. In S. D. La Pierre, & E. Zimmerman (Eds.). Research methods and methodologies for art education (pp. 33-56). Reston, VA: NAEA.

Keep Rolling On.....

There is a lack of research in the area of art education that studies expressive art activities with in the art curricula that could serve as an outlet for students to express their problems and emotions. With this, we need to study and collect evidence on what expressive art activities are most beneficial to improving a student’s overall emotional wellbeing. We need to prove with our studies that these art activities would be beneficial in our schools and work diligently to get them integrated into the art curricula as soon as possible. We also need to research what types of trainings/classes would aid teachers in implementing these art activities into their classrooms effectively and properly. I plan on using qualitative research for this study because most of my data will come from interviews, journals, observations, and artworks, which you can’t really put numbers to like quantitative data uses.

Stokrocki, M. (1997). Qualitative forms of research methods. In S. D. La Pierre, & E. Zimmerman (Eds.). Research methods and methodologies for art education (pp. 33-56). Reston, VA: NAEA.

Research Methods

Blog Reflections

Most likely for my research I plan on using Qualitative research as a means for collecting my data. I plan with my research to collect date using field notes, participant/ non-participant observations, journals, surveys, structured interviews, and analysis of drawings/paintings. All these I feel will help my study to be well rounded and backed up with enough data. The reason I will be using these forms of collecting data is because they all are helpful when trying to observe emotions from the outside and in. With observations, I can observe how a student is feeling or how they are reacting to the activity. With the interviews, journals, and surveys I can get a look at their own perspective and feelings on how they feel about the activities.

Stokrocki, M. (1997). Qualitative forms of research methods. In S.D. La Pierre, & E.Zimmerman (Eds.). Research methods and methodologies for art education (pp. 33-56). Reston, VA: NAEA.

RE-Amping my research question

So, after talking to Leslie, her and I figured out that ART THERAPY is too loaded of a word and practice itself to be talking about when I have no experience in it. Instead, I am going to change where ART THERAPY is no longer used in my vocabulary in my research except for when drawing on studies or prior knowledge. I will instead use possibly " art as a way for students to deal with issues and use as a tool of reflection." This is just an idea. I plan on defining my research question more clearly this week. So if you read anything of mine, discount the word "ART THERAPY." It will soon be disappearing from my proposal and maps, etc.

Important Sources

These are some imporant sources I have ran across so far that have supported my topic and are relevant to it. Some of these are studies that have already been done in the art education/ art therapy field with in schools.

McCulloch-Vislisel, S., Neece, S., Rosal, M.(1997). Keeping students in school: An Art Therapy Program to Benefit Ninth-Grade Students. Art Therapy, 14(1), 30-36.

Roje, J. (1995). LA 94 Earthquake in the eyes of children: Art therapy with elementary school children who were victims of disaster. Art Therapy, 12(4), 237-43.

Malchoiodi, C (2003) Handbook of Art Therapy (pp.281-293). Guilford Press: New York, New York.

St.John, P. A. (1986). Art Education, Therapeutic Art, and Art Therapy: Some Relationships. Art Education, 39(1),14-16.

Efland, A. (1976). The School Art Style: A functional analysis. Studies in Art Education, 17(2).

Kay, L. (2008). Art Education pedagogy and practice with adolescent students at-risk in alternative high schools.Northern Illinois University:Teaching and Learning, 216.

Mifsud, D. E. (2007). Implementing art therapy in a school setting: A case study of adolscents in an alternative program. Ursuline College, 155.

More to come... but these are some resources I have so far.