Conceptualising a Visual Culture Curriculum for Greek Art Education
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DOCTORAL THESIS Conceptualising a visual culture curriculum for Greek art education Christopoulou, Martha Award date: 2008 General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 07. Oct. 2021 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND TO RESEARCH AND PROBLEM AREA Working as a primary school teacher in Greece for ten years and practising icon-painting, aroused my interest in teaching visual arts. From my masters level studies in Art, Craft and Design Education at Roehampton University, I learned that if art education is to be a meaningful experience and contribute to the life of my students art has to be taught as part of the culture in which it is produced. In addition, I started to think about the way students in present day society construct multiple and overlapping identities and live within complex social environments permeated by visual images that art teachers could use to enhance art content and practice (Freedman, 2003b; Duncum, 2002a; Pauly, 2001). The explosion in production and consumption of visual imagery in post-industrial societies everywhere along with technological and economic developments, has led to a significant rise in the influence of visual images on the construction of consciousness and creation of knowledge about self and the world (Tavin & Hausman, 2004; Boughton et al, 2002). On the other hand, the infusion of visual arts into daily life through advertisements, newspapers, magazines, television, and the Internet, raises questions about the role institutions play in presenting information and ideas, and about ways individuals can see and understand imagery and reflect upon what they see (Duncum, 2003b). Reflecting on these contemporary realities stimulated my interest in visual culture and ways in which it might be introduced into primary art education in Greece. So, I decided to investigate what kind of curriculum reform was needed. 1 ISSUES IN GREEK ART EDUCATION Art in Greek primary schools is a compulsory subject taught by generalist primary teachers on the same day each week, usually towards the end of the school day (Labitsi, 2000; Council of Europe, 2003). It occupies a small proportion of the total curriculum time. This results in it being regarded by a significant number of teachers as a leisure time activity, or a reward for students after ‘real school work’ is completed (Labitsi, 2000). According to Droulia (personal communication, January 4, 2004), many teachers engage their students in art activities that have little educational value (e.g. colouring in photocopied drawings), or use the time allocated for it in the national curriculum for supplementary teaching of other subjects, usually maths or language. Labitsi (2000, p.148) argues that it is quite common for generalist teachers not to plan art lessons. This probably happens because art is misinterpreted as a ‘play’ activity, or because its role in general education and child development has been undermined (Lancaster, 1990; Field, 1972). Moreover, the fact that art curricula in Greece lack structure, continuity and consistency means that students may be not given opportunities to achieve the goals set out in the national curriculum. According to Christopoulou (2004), and Labitsi (2000), the majority of Greek teachers mainly concentrate on two-dimensional practical work. It is likely they prefer drawing, painting, construction with paper and wood, and collage because two-dimensional materials are relatively cheap and easy to manage. According to Lancaster (1990), an imbalance between two and three-dimensional activities, such as printmaking, pottery and weaving, is commonplace in most education systems. Art appreciation, art criticism, and art history tend to be neglected in Greek art education because primary school teachers lack confidence in their ability to teach art theory (Droulia, 2004; Christopoulou, 2004). So, the art curriculum is rather narrow and unbalanced. Moreover, the content of the official ‘Teacher’s Guidebook for Aesthetic Education (1985), which was in use until 2003, was wholly practical. Whereas it recommended practical activities and provided practical guidelines for using media and techniques, it neglected art history, art criticism and aesthetics. However, until 2003 it was the only substantial assistance offered to Greek primary teachers by the state to help them teach art (Labitsi, 2000). 2 Droulia (2004), Christopoulou (2004), and Labitsi (2000) claim that generalist primary teachers in Greece lack confidence in their ability to teach art because of their limited or inadequate initial art training at pedagogical academies or education departments in universities. This training focuses mainly on acquisition of practical skills and knowledge about Western fine art movements and styles. It also focuses on the application of a few selected techniques and media suitable for use in primary schools, such as watercolours and collage (School Curriculum, 2005, Education Department at Aristoteleio University). So, it is not surprising that Greek teachers often restrict their art lessons to practical activities and offer narrow art education to their students. They have a limited practical and theoretical educational background, few opportunities for in-service training, and there is a lack of specialist art advisors or coordinators to help them. In addition, the absence of experimental work, curriculum research, and/or specialist art education journals means they are unaware of international trends and developments in art education. It is worth mentioning that educational websites for teachers in Greece (Appendix 1) offer extensive educational resources and articles for Maths, Language, Geography and History subjects but not art (www.e-yliko.gr; www.e-selides.gr; www.epyna.gr, www.daskalos.edu.gr). A search (April- June 2005) found only a few suggestions for practical art activities (18 for drawing, 16 for constructions with paper, and 3 for Christmas decoration, only in www.daskalos.edu.gr). They were how-to-do-it guidelines lacking any theoretical framework (Appendix 1a). In addition, a few suggestions for interdisciplinary projects that include art activities were found in South Aegean Educational Portal (www.epyna.gr; Appendix 1b). Recent Curriculum Reform Educational reforms in Greece are connected to socio-economic and political changes and usually involve modifications and adjustments to the structure and organisation of the educational system (Flouris, 1983). However, the national curriculum is not a subject to frequent reform. Although in the past fifty years five major educational reforms took place (1959, 1964, 1967, 1981/85 and 2003), the national curriculum was reformed only twice in 1981/85 and 2003 (Flouris, 1983; Vrettos & Kapsalis, 1997). 3 In 2003 a new curriculum proposed by the Greek Pedagogical Institute (PI) was published in the Government Gazette (FEK issue B, nr. 303 & 304/13.3.2003). According to Alahiotis (2002a, 2003), PI’s President at that time, this was a revision of a proposal submitted to the Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs (MNERA) in 2000 and published in Government Gazette in 18 October 2001 (FEK issue B, nr1366/18.10.2001 and FEK issue B, nr 1373-6/18.10.2001). This proposal was revised on the basis of feedback given by the educational community, e.g. teachers, educational advisors, and universities, and an evaluation of pilot studies conducted in 900 primary schools. However, according to Grollios (2004), neither the findings of the pilot studies nor the criticisms of the educational community were published. On the other hand, close study and comparison of the two documents reveal they do not have any marked differences in aims and content, or even writing style. According to Droulia (2004), a national curriculum reflects and tries to solve problems that occur at a particular point of time in a particular educational system. In 2002, an introductory note to the new national curriculum by Alahiotis described these as follows: The fact that we live in an information and knowledge society…Changes in social construction, the growing tendency for globalisation, multicultural reality and strong competition that appears in all sectors of social activity are conditions that make the redefinition of the role of the school necessary. At the same time, the aim of school education should be restated as follows: the development of a strong and pedagogically sound school environment that will facilitate the smooth and successful integration of pupils in society (p.5). The Greek Pedagogical Institute, who designed the NC, seems to take into account social, political, financial and cultural changes such as scientific and technological developments, and the immigration flux that happened in Greece and/or worldwide the past decades. However, Grollios