Edith Cowan University
Research Online
Theses: Doctorates and Masters
Theses
2001
Creating non-representational art by students who
are severely intellectually disabled through a
pictorial and musical program
Jane Riddoch
Edith Cowan University
Recommended Citation
Riddoch, J. (2001). Creating non-representational art by students who are severely intellectually disabled through a pictorial and musical
program . Retrieved from http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1050
This Thesis is posted at Research Online.
http://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1050
Edith Cowan University
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ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this research study was to investigate the worth of a
recently developed Pictorial and Musical art program for severely intellectually
disabled students, and to compare the non-representational art work produced
by lower primary students in a special education school to similar art work
being produced by lower primary students in a regular school, when taught in
the same program. A subsidiary purpose of the study was to investigate
teacher reactions in the art classroom of each participating school, and to
observe the extent of the Pictorial and Musical program interventions on the
students' attitudes and pr.x:luction of their art work.
Twelve participants were chosen from each school to take part in the
experimental art program. This involved the use of pictorial and musical
interventions to test the outcomes, and by utilising a quantitative methodology
to determine the relationship between variables. Each group of students in the
study was subjected to three different art experiences within the Pictorial and
Musical program, that is, Pictorial only, Pictorial with Rock music and Pictorial
with Oassical music. All the participants supplied the researcher with an
original non-representational painting from each segment of the program. The
non-representional paintings were then marked by three independent teacher
markers, and the marks of the 72 paintings produced by the students were
analysed in a 2 way ANOVA, to ascertain if there was any comparable
difference in the non-representational artwork of children with special needs
and regular primary students.
The descriptive statistics showed that the regular students scored higher marks
for art quality than the special students, when the Pictorial only method was
used, and there was more variation in the regular students. marks than in the
special students marks. There was no significant difference between the scores
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of the regular and the special students when the Pictorial and Rock music
method was used, but the regular students scored higher than the special
students for the Pictorial and Classical program, although variation was about
the same for both. The observed attitude to the musical additions were similar
for both the regular and the special students. There were marked changes in
the students' attitudes during the Pictorial and Rock music method. Both
groups became agitated and overexcited during this segment and initially
refused to keep on task, preferring to sing and keep time with the music than
to go on with their painting. The Pictorial and Oassical music program had the
opposite effect on the students, helping to create a calming atmosphere in
which they were willing to return to their task, and appeared more stimulated
and creative, completing better quality non-representional paintings than
before.
It is anticipated that the outcome of this study may provide significant
evidence of the importance of pictorial and musical interventions in art·
programs, and may lead to further study on this subject. The introduction of
the Pictorial and Oassical music program to students with severe intellectual
difficulties may become an additional aid in the production of their artwork.