The below contains my 2 Likert scale responses from my students. One of the Likert Scales is in relation to intervention one: the experimental drawings. The second Likert Scale is in response to the second intervention: the NVC communication techniques that I attempted to implement throughout the ARP.
Following that is the email questionnaire responses from another student which gives more of an overall feedback on both of the intervention methods used.
Likert Survey Scales
Likert Scale Responses: Experimental Drawings: Student Y
Student Y has come from an education background in China but is also currently studying on Foundation at a UK College. They took the questions home with them and returned the following lesson with their responses. As the student is over 18, verbal agreement for the Likert survey results to be used in the ARP was given. They scored their responses to the above questions as follows:
For one of my data gathering research methods, I used a Likert scale and asked the student to score their responses from 1 to 5 with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree on the following questions:
| Rating from 1 – 5 with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| A | I have found the experimental drawings to be a new way of working? | X | ||||
| B | I understand the thinking behind why we are doing the experimental drawings? | X | ||||
| C | I have found the experimental drawings to be generative in new ways of thinking about making my work? | X | ||||
| D | I have found the techniques used in the experimental drawings to be useful in making my work? | X | ||||
| E | This way of working has opened new things for my work? | X |
I feel pleased with these responses to the questions from student Y. I believe that the student has also got a lot more confident and comfortable in making the experimental drawings, having initially seen them as a bit silly and not useful for their main concern which is generating a portfolio to get onto a UAL BA Fine Art course. I feel that the student has been surprised by some of these exercises and that their experimental drawings have improved alongside their other work. I also feel that the changes in thinking towards the experimental drawing has helped the student to take a less results-oriented outcome and to see that sometimes in order to get from A to B, it can help to try out a few different options.
Below are some examples of the experimental drawings by student Y. Drawing 1 is the blind drawing, drawing 2 is holding the object above the eye line and not looking down at the page whilst drawing, drawing 3 is the traditional observational drawing, drawing 4 is the drawing from memory. Each drawing is five minutes long.
Likert Scale Responses: NVC communication technique with student B
For one of my data gathering research methods, I used a Likert scale and asked the student to score their responses from 1 to 5 with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree on the following questions:
Student B has come from an education background in England but is also currently studying on Foundation at a UK College. They took the questions home with them and returned the following week with their responses. As the student is over 18, verbal agreement for the Likert survey results to be used in the ARP was given. They scored their responses to the above questions as follows:
| Rating from 1 – 5 with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| A | Did you feel empathetically supported in your studies? | X | ||||
| B | Do you feel that I made observations rather than judgements when discussing your work? | X | ||||
| C | Do you feel more connected to your work by being asked how you felt about your own work? | X | ||||
| D | Did you feel more motivated by being asked what you felt about your work rather than being told by me? | X | ||||
| E | Has this way of communicating opened new things for your work? | X |
I feel pleased with these responses to the questions from student B. I feel that one of the most important aspects of teaching is holding empathetic space for a student. In fact, I think it is very important to be able to do this in all of life.
In combination with the experimental drawings, the NVC communication technique allowed me to help student B feel less performance anxiety and self judgement when making work. The student was able after several sessions to recognise when they were making work that was of a higher quality than the initial work they made. This self realisation allowed student B to be much freer and more open to their own creative impulses which was seen in a new desire to work with and on different materials. This has led to a less results-oriented outcome and allowed the student to work in a more free and joyful way.
Email Interview with student J
For one of my research and data gathering methods, I asked a student a few questions regarding how they are finding the sessions that we are having. Student J was the most happy to do this. The sessions with student J began in September, are one to one, are weekly and last for 6 hours. This student in particular has the most natural talent of the four students whom I work with regularly and has taken most seamlessly to the student led method of teaching that I am offering.
Student J has not done a Foundation course, in our sessions we are working towards building a portfolio for BA application. So far the projects have been built around working through an array of still life set ups. These still life set ups and the style they are painted are linked to particular artists such Pieter Claesz, Giorgio Morandi, Patrick Caulfield, Gang Zhao, Hilary Pecis and others. The idea here is that the students contextual and technical knowledge is built at the same time.
At the start of each session, we do the experimental warm up drawings. Student J has always enjoyed these and often will use some of the techniques in these drawings in her paintings or other work to obtain a different type of line or mark.
Student J is over the age of 18, was advised of the PGCert scenario and signed the requisite consent forms.
Email Questions:
T: How did you find the experimental drawing warmups at the start of sessions? Did they influence the observational drawing that you made afterwards?
J:The first session of experimental drawings was challenging, but by the next session I found them to be a fun and interesting experiences. I often choose to use the experimental dawing techniques in my paintings as well if I am a little stuck or unsure how to make something.
T: How do you feel being asked to learn by looking?
J: It helped me to feel connected to what I was making, and I was able to work for a much longer time on each work. Being asked to look more meant was more to work with in each still life painting and drawing that I made which I really enjoyed.
T: Looking at your drawings and your work, do you feel your work has changed with this way of looking and making?
J: I feel much more confident with my work, and in these sessions, I have made my best work so far. I think this is because I am thinking about how to describe each object that I make rather than judging how well I am copying it. I enjoy working this way too and I feel more responsible for my own work!
Analysis
I am aware that student J would be likely to give me positive feedback as they are a nice person, but nonetheless, I am really pleased with the responses. Most of all, I am really pleased that student J has found this way of looking and making to extend the time that they can spend making. I know from my own studio practice, that what I want most is to be able to work on a painting for a long time, to be able to keep going into it and have an extended enquiry with the making process.
Student J does have the most “natural” talent as a maker and also comes from a family with an artist, so is the most predisposed to being open to a less instructional way of working. Nonetheless it is very pleasing for me to receive feedback that shows that the student is feeling more confident with their work and also enjoying the process of making in this way.