Why are we listening to these puppets? How giving students guided instruction through modelling sketchbook practice could help students to be self-motivated in the design and development process.

The purpose of this action research project is to investigate how guided instruction through a modelled sketchbook practice supports junior cycle students’ self-motivation during the design and development art process.

The study is firmly placed within the Junior Cycle Visual Art Curriculum (2016).  The new curriculum requires students to create and maintain a visual art sketchbook to show a ‘personal record of their creative journey’ and should capture their ‘ideas, creativity, experiments and explorations and even realised work’ (NCCA, 2016, p. 25). 

The Research aims to address students need for decision making and how the scaffolding practice of guided instruction offered students the space and the time to make those decisions. Also explored were the benefits of using guided instruction through modelling my own sketchbook and making practice for novice students. Also investigated was the importance of self-motivation and self-reflection and how it can lead to improved work. The study investigates literature that examines modelling and guided instruction techniques to help scaffold learning.

Action research was the methodology used to conduct this study. To gather the findings I used questionnaires, focus groups, image-based data and observations to collect and analyse data.

In conclusion what emerged from the findings showed that modelling my sketchbook practice along with guided instruction for novice students fostered the development of student’s skills and abilities which gave them more time to focus on their own personal creative choices. It was evident from the study that students stayed motivated and worked more effectively when they had a personal interest in their work. The sketchbook was revealed as an important tool supporting students reflections and artistic development.