Research in Visual Arts Education - The National Society for ...

MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO VISUAL ARTS EDUCATION
appears to touch down widely in the knowledge base of visual arts education
which Lindström displays.
It may be difficult to define the trends and themes (threads) in the small
but important tapestry that has been woven with Icelandic research in visual
arts education during the last ten years. Most of the studies connect in
one way or another to curriculum study in art education. Some are technologyrelated
while others use narrative approaches. It is clear that in more studies
the focus is on how art education is conducted rather than on how students
experience it, i.e. the art teacher’s side is examined. Although Rósa Kristín
Júlíusdóttir’s (2003) research about the role of art making in everyday life is
student oriented. The emphasis in visual arts education in Iceland is still to
a certain extent on the design process and on the promotion of creativity.
In her research project on art teaching in Icelandic compulsory schooling
Jóhanna Þórunn Ingimarsdóttir (2000) argues that art teachers think the
best way to get their ideas across is for students to learn as many methods
as possible to express their images and to become acquainted with as many
types of materials as possible.
Skills and procedures in making art have not played a large role in the
research in visual arts education within the universities in Iceland. The
Reykjavík School of Visual Art (RSVA) is a non-profit organization operated
by artists. It was founded in 1947 and has been recognized since the year
2000 by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture as a private school
at the upper secondary level. It also provides professional art education for
children and youth of primary school age based upon an agreement with
the Reykjavík City Education Service Centre. The faculty includes artists
and designers who are selected as teachers on the basis of their education
and artistic career. Most have received their master’s degree in visual art, design
or architecture as well as having completed pedagogy to receive a Post
Graduate Certificate of Education. Maureen Michael (2005), an educational
researcher, calls them “pedagogical artists” as they have commitments to
creative practice and facilitate learning experiences for others.
It can be argued that the experimental work, development projects and
research in visual arts education that take place within this school are significant
for the Icelandic research in art education. Since 1999 several research
projects have been carried out or are underway at RSVA. These projects have
involved collaboration with pre-schools in Reykjavík as well as the compulsory
schools. Research reports have been made by lecturers at both of the
teacher training universities, and have most often been conducted in a manner
that meets the requirements of an academic research report.
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