Learning in visual art practice
(2008)- Abstract
- The object of research in this thesis is learning within the context of a practice-based Master of Fine Arts program in visual art in Sweden. Research on learning in visual art practice within higher education is sparse, and we know little of the students’ learning processes. What qualities do the students actually develop during their studies? How may the development of these qualities be supported in a meaningful way? With these questions as a guide, the aim of this thesis is to contribute to the development of a theoretical reference frame for learning in visual art practice in higher education.
Three studies based on interview data (accounted for in Articles II, III, IV), are presented, along with a theoretical study (Article... (More) - The object of research in this thesis is learning within the context of a practice-based Master of Fine Arts program in visual art in Sweden. Research on learning in visual art practice within higher education is sparse, and we know little of the students’ learning processes. What qualities do the students actually develop during their studies? How may the development of these qualities be supported in a meaningful way? With these questions as a guide, the aim of this thesis is to contribute to the development of a theoretical reference frame for learning in visual art practice in higher education.
Three studies based on interview data (accounted for in Articles II, III, IV), are presented, along with a theoretical study (Article I). Contextual analysis was generally used in the processing of the empirical data. In Article I, different views of knowledge and of understanding artistic practice are discussed, and arguments are advanced in favor of a phenomenographic view on learning in visual art practice. The studies in Articles II, III and IV are based on a longitudinal empirical investigation carried out in the period 2001-2007. Ten students in a practice-based MFA-program in visual art in Sweden were interviewed three times during their five-year education. The three empirical studies are exclusively based on the students’ communication of their experiences. Article II focuses on artistic development, understood as changes in the relation between the student and his/her artistic work. Article III explores the students’ use of studio conversations, where the students’ power of initiative is seen as central among the qualities developed in these conversations. Finally, the subject of Article IV is the function of art students’ use of studio conversations in relation to their own artwork. This study may be described as an in-depth case study related to Articles II and III.
The results of the three studies are related to each other, and their implications are discussed, for learning in visual art practice in higher education, as well as for higher education in general. The studies all concern aspects of a highly self-directed learning situation, and the identified characteristics of this very special kind of self-direction are considered a main result of this thesis. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Popular Abstract in Swedish
Ämnet för denna sammanläggningsavhandling är lärande i en svensk konsthögskolekontext. Det finns sparsamt med forskning som avser högre utbildning i fri konst, och vi vet inte mycket om studenternas lärandeprocesser. Vilka kvaliteter utvecklar studenterna under utbildningen, och hur främjas utvecklingen av dessa kvaliteter? I linje med dessa grundläggande frågor, är det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling att bidra till en pedagogisk teoretisk referensram för det lärande som sker i högre utbildning i fri konst.
Resultaten från tre delstudier, baserade på intervjuer med konsthögskolestuderande, redovisas i avhandlingen i form av tre artiklar (Articles II, III & IV) tillsammans... (More) - Popular Abstract in Swedish
Ämnet för denna sammanläggningsavhandling är lärande i en svensk konsthögskolekontext. Det finns sparsamt med forskning som avser högre utbildning i fri konst, och vi vet inte mycket om studenternas lärandeprocesser. Vilka kvaliteter utvecklar studenterna under utbildningen, och hur främjas utvecklingen av dessa kvaliteter? I linje med dessa grundläggande frågor, är det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling att bidra till en pedagogisk teoretisk referensram för det lärande som sker i högre utbildning i fri konst.
Resultaten från tre delstudier, baserade på intervjuer med konsthögskolestuderande, redovisas i avhandlingen i form av tre artiklar (Articles II, III & IV) tillsammans med en teoretisk studie (Article I). Den teoretiska studien ger exempel på tre olika sätt att se på en konstnärs arbete, samt tre olika sätt att se på lärande. Dessa synsätt relateras sedan till varandra och diskuteras, och en fenomenografisk syn på lärande i konst lyfts fram som ett fruktbart alternativ. De tre empiriska delstudierna utgår från en longitudinell studie som gjordes 2001-2007, där tio konsthögskolestudenter intervjuades vid tre tillfällen under en femårig utbildning i fri konst. Kontextuell analys har använts vid bearbetningen av datamaterialet, och alla tre studierna sätter studenternas erfarenheter i centrum. Article II fokuserar på studenternas konstnärliga utveckling, här beskriven som kvalitativa förändringar i de studerandes förhållningssätt till den egna konsten. ”Article III” fokuserar på hur studenterna använder sig av ateljésamtalen som undervisningsform, med betoning på den stora betydelse studenternas initiativ har för såväl innehållet i som formen för samtalen. ”Article IV” fokuserar på den interna relationen mellan ateljésamtalens funktion och studenternas konstnärliga arbete. Denna fjärde studie är även en form av fördjupning av de två föregående (Articles II & III).
Resultaten från de empiriska studierna relateras till varandra i kappan. Implikationerna av resultaten diskuteras såväl i relation till konsthögskoleutbildning som till högre utbildning i allmänhet. De tre studierna visar tillsammans på aspekter av en extremt självstyrd lärandesituation, och att identifiera några av huvuddragen hos denna speciella form av lärande är ett av avhandlingens huvudresultat. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1216457
- author
- Edström, Ann-Mari LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Professor Selander, Staffan, Stockholms universitet
- organization
- publishing date
- 2008
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- self-directed learning, studio art, phenomenography, higher education, contextual analysis, visual art practice, Autonomy, artistic development
- pages
- 201 pages
- publisher
- Lund University
- defense location
- Palaestra, hörsalen (nedre)
- defense date
- 2008-09-19 13:15:00
- ISBN
- 978-91-628-7568-8
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 435b471a-f9ce-4944-b294-5b436fc7cadf (old id 1216457)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 13:38:22
- date last changed
- 2021-03-08 10:29:32
@phdthesis{435b471a-f9ce-4944-b294-5b436fc7cadf,
abstract = {{The object of research in this thesis is learning within the context of a practice-based Master of Fine Arts program in visual art in Sweden. Research on learning in visual art practice within higher education is sparse, and we know little of the students’ learning processes. What qualities do the students actually develop during their studies? How may the development of these qualities be supported in a meaningful way? With these questions as a guide, the aim of this thesis is to contribute to the development of a theoretical reference frame for learning in visual art practice in higher education. <br/><br>
Three studies based on interview data (accounted for in Articles II, III, IV), are presented, along with a theoretical study (Article I). Contextual analysis was generally used in the processing of the empirical data. In Article I, different views of knowledge and of understanding artistic practice are discussed, and arguments are advanced in favor of a phenomenographic view on learning in visual art practice. The studies in Articles II, III and IV are based on a longitudinal empirical investigation carried out in the period 2001-2007. Ten students in a practice-based MFA-program in visual art in Sweden were interviewed three times during their five-year education. The three empirical studies are exclusively based on the students’ communication of their experiences. Article II focuses on artistic development, understood as changes in the relation between the student and his/her artistic work. Article III explores the students’ use of studio conversations, where the students’ power of initiative is seen as central among the qualities developed in these conversations. Finally, the subject of Article IV is the function of art students’ use of studio conversations in relation to their own artwork. This study may be described as an in-depth case study related to Articles II and III. <br/><br>
The results of the three studies are related to each other, and their implications are discussed, for learning in visual art practice in higher education, as well as for higher education in general. The studies all concern aspects of a highly self-directed learning situation, and the identified characteristics of this very special kind of self-direction are considered a main result of this thesis.}},
author = {{Edström, Ann-Mari}},
isbn = {{978-91-628-7568-8}},
keywords = {{self-directed learning; studio art; phenomenography; higher education; contextual analysis; visual art practice; Autonomy; artistic development}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Lund University}},
school = {{Lund University}},
title = {{Learning in visual art practice}},
year = {{2008}},
}