Conditions for learning: partnerships for engaging secondary pupils with contemporary art.

Conditions for learning

We begin the analysis by looking at the pedagogic relationships between teachers and
pupils, artists and pupils and within pupils’ peer groups, before moving to a
consideration of the ways pupils do, or do not, take ownership of the project and their
own learning. Following this we examine motivational factors and ways educators
can deploy them strategically to encourage engagement with and ownership of
learning. (The number before each quotation indicates the participant’s school).

Adult expertise/support

The rhetoric of art and design in the National Curriculum promotes freedom as the
ideal condition within which pupils can develop as unique individuals: ‘Art and
Design is the freedom of the individual, the freedom of expression and the freedom to
fail without retort’ [7]. However, although pupils experience art lessons as different
to logocentric pedagogies they nonetheless note their constraints. The comments
below indicate that despite the emphasis on self-expression pupils appreciate a
structured and supported environment.

2/live-wire: Well, obviously there are wrong answers... I know people do it, just like
draw a line on a piece of paper and say ‘tha’ s art’. I think we re being taught art
really well because we’ve all got our own little projects, but we all still get the
teacher’s attention.

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