Master of Education in Art & Design
Ann-marie O ‘Connor
This qualitative research study seeks to explore the advances that can be made at achieving some of the key skills employed for the Senior Cycle Visual Art Curriculum as well as improving the fundamental cognitive practices of students in second level education (NCCA 2020). Curriculum has become gradually more student centred, and with this increased active role that students play in their learning comes more expectation for subjectivity in students input. The ability to navigate the way in which one comes to a devised conclusion by themselves is a skill that has been progressively lost through an overly prescriptive delivery of course work and rote learning. The study seeks to challenge rote learning approaches of the past and to give students a diagnostic tool to aid them in the practice and improvement of critical thinking. In a world that is becoming progressively more visual, it is imperative that students are provided with the opportunity to further develop their visual literacy skills post primary school.