Pupils’ attitudes towards art teaching in primary school: an evaluation tool

more importantly to responding to their motivations, prior conceptions and attitudes
towards the subject they are learning (Cochran, DeRuiter, and King, 1993).

This paper focuses on pupils’ attitudes towards art experienced in school. Attitudes play a
significant role in influencing and guiding action, emotions and knowledge processes
(Petty and Cacioppo, 1986) and thus in shaping learning and teaching processes.
Motivation to learn is higher when overall attitudes towards a particular part of the
curriculum are positive (West, 1997). In a fast changing world fostering positive attitudes
is the best way to ensure that individuals will pursue learning or will choose a particular
subject for further study later on (Chraska, 2000, Reid and Skryabina, 2002). Teachers
that aim at understanding what pupils ‘think’ about art are more skilful in organising
lesson plans and art activities that aim to challenge and expand their pupils’ attitudes
further and at the same time are more able to understand how and to what extent they
influence their pupils (Jeffers, 1997).

Sixth graders (11 to 12 year olds), the focus group of this study, are of special interest in
this regard and evaluating and responding to their attitudes towards art is crucial because
at this age children start to doubt their abilities in art, they become less confident in their
art making (Lowenfeld and Brittain, 1987) and need special support from their teachers to
continue to be involved with art and art making. In particular eleven to twelve year olds
show greater awareness of realism, exhibit interest in details, and are more self-conscious
about their work and more aware of their shortcomings in art. Therefore, failure to
support pupils at this crucial stage can lead to low perceptions of their abilities in art with

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