INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Introduction
Art and life is always interrelated. What we needs in the physical
needs according to the hierarchy of needs theory by Maslow, (1970) such as food, clothes and living place, also many
associated with the fields of arts. Thus, in addition to providing education in
the form of intellectual, as an educators we also need to emphasize the lesson
that requires creative thinking. Therefore, the arts in education is also
important to be taught in schools. However, recently the minister of education
in Malaysia is more giving emphasis and focus on the subject that related to in
science, mathematics, technology and giving less attention to the visual arts
education.
Basically, the core
subjects in Visual Arts Education is divided to four core subjects which is art
history, art productions, art criticism and art aesthetics. This core of subject is stated in the
Discipline Based Art Education (DBAE). In this core subjects, basically students
will be learn about the history of art that more focuses in the west art
history yet will also learn a little bit about the history of art in Malaysia.
In the art productions, students will be explored and learn the skill in making
paintings, sculptures, printmaking’s, drawing, arts craft, designing and so on.
Supplemental yet, in the art criticism, students will be learn how to interpret
an artworks and how to appreciate the artworks. Next, in the arts aesthetics,
students will learn the value that have in every artworks that produced.
The research in
this paper is about the study towards the level of emphasis in teaching visual
arts education in Malaysian schools. Learning the visual arts education will
encourage the students to develop their imaginations and creative thinking
which good to express their idea and emotions. Moreover, the students also can use the arts and their creativity skill to
helping them in making the mind mapping notes to enhance their memory in
remembering the lesson in others subjects that related to the facts and text. From
this research we will study on why the visual arts subject is important to be
emphasized and why the visual arts education often being ignored and getting
less attention in the education field.
1.2 Background of the Study
Visual arts education in Malaysia is taught at all levels. Whether
in primary, secondary schools or in the higher education system. However, there
is some argued that arts education is not important and only a trivial thing to
be learned and taught. It is not acceptable because the education system should
emphasize the both of subject which is science subject and the subject of
social science. Not only focus on the science subject.
Moreover, in a review of an article about “The Multiple Faces of
Visual Arts Education” by Lindstrom, (2010)
stated that the natural sciences, theories claim to describe how the world is;
we assess them as being right or wrong, rather than as say modern or post-modern,
traditional or progressive. In the social sciences, theories of teaching or
learning themselves contain normative assumptions about how human beings should
develop; it is not obvious that these theories can be true or false in the same
sense as theories in the natural sciences.
From that statement, we can concluded that science is the study of
the world around us that we can learn all about the world that we live in. For
example we can learn about “how things work”, “what living things there are”,
“how things happen” and etc. However, in arts education, we can learn about how
to appreciate the world with other perspectives.
In the same review in the article about “The Multiple Faces of
Visual Arts Education” by Lindstrom, (2011)
it stated that according to Gunther Kress et.al,(
2006), learning involves the transformation of information across different
communicatives systems (‘modes’), for example from speech to image. In other
words, we can conclude that, it is important to have a picture or image to
explain what we want to convey that cannot be described by just using a verbal.
1.3 Statement of the Research
Problem
The purpose of this study is to see the level of emphasis in
teaching visual arts education in Malaysian schools. Visual art education is a
subject that needs to be emphasized because the students also need to use their
right brain which is produce creative ideas to generate their mind and their
thought. In a research that done by Gates, (
2007) he stated that there is a positive relationship between students who
enroll in arts education courses and students who excel academically. Therefore,
if the students being exposed to the arts subject, they will become more
intelligent for the both of field which is sciences field and social sciences
field.
Moreover, in a statements that stated by Reid, (2005) he was also stated that arts education allows students
to develop creativity, social skills, self-discipline, and self-esteem, which
can help the students become more productive citizens in an ever changing
global society. Therefore, in this study it can be proven that visual arts
education is can be a tool to develop students personality to become a more
productive and charismatic citizens.
Furthermore, the need to emphasize the visual arts education is
because, according to an article entitled “Arts Educators’ Perceptions
Regarding Decreased Administrative Support for Public School Arts Education: A
Phenomenological Study” by Waters, (2007) “Participation
in arts education may also significantly reduce student discipline problems and
dropout rates”. In this statement we can clarify
that, by doing something that related to arts, students will can express their
emotion and pressure that faced through the artwork that produced. Therefore,
it will be the best medium to do an art therapy for the students that have a
discipline problems to cope with their problems with the right way besides they
are also can produce an amazing artworks. Hence, in this study, the researcher
wants to determine the other needs factors that can lead Visual Arts education
to be emphasized. (Figure 1.3.1 explained the others factors that lead to
the needs of emphasis Visual Arts education)
1.4 Research Objectives
Some of the main objectives of this research has been identified to
lead the research and to understand the whole concept of this research. The
research objective are:
i.
To
identify the effectiveness of emphasizing the arts subject to the students.
ii.
To
determine whether students understand the objectives of visual arts education.
iii.
To
identify the students understanding of the importance of learning visual arts
educations.
iv.
To
investigate student’s perception towards learning in the visual arts education.
1.5 Research Questions
The research questions are:
i.
How
does effective of emphasizing the arts subject to the students?
ii.
Is
the students understand the visual arts education objectives?
iii.
How
does the students understanding towards the importance of learning visual arts
educations to generate their creative thinking?
iv.
What
is student’s perception towards learning in the visual arts education?
1.6 Operational Definitions
1.6.1 Visual
Visual is a terms that “connected with seeing” that was cited
according to the same dictionary of books by Steel, (2006). It is means that
visual is a something that must be related to our sight.
1.6.2 Art
In terminology that stated in The Oxford Dictionary of current
English for Malaysian Students by Ruse, (1988),
art is defined as a “creation or expression of what is beautiful, especially in
visual form; great skill or ability in such expression and a skill in which
imagination and personality are important”. In simple word, we can conclude
that arts is always related to the splendor and something that relates to the
creativity and imaginations.
Moreover, according to art fundamental stated by Cheney, (2009) art is “The formal expression of
a conceived image or imagined conception in terms of a given medium”. Therefore,
arts is always related to how someone express their emotion and their thought
through an artworks.
1.6.3 Art Education
According to Field, (1970) in
a book entitled “Change in Art Education” he was stated that, Art Education is
a kind of portmanteau phrase, sometimes meaning art in schools of general
education, sometimes art in schools of art, and complicated by all the
overtones of art in education or art as an educational means. Ironically, we
can clarify that Art Education is a terms for art that be teach in general
education or at the schools of art. We are also can interpret it as arts that
relate to the education fields.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
The limitations of this study are:
i. Elements
of bias may surface during the research process. Therefore, in an effort to
reduce bias and remain focused on the answers of the participants, the
researcher refrained from making superfluous comments during the interview
process (Agnew, Powell, & Snow, 2006)
ii. Some
of the students were ashamed to be interviewed and feel afraid if the answer
given is wrong as their school will get a bad reputation from higher authorizes
if the interview will being evaluated. The researcher then convinced them that
the information provided would be confidential will only to use for the
research purpose.
iii.
As
the goal of this research is to see why the visual arts education is importance
to be emphasized, there is some of the teacher who are teach in art subjects
that being interviewed are not actually majoring in the arts field and they are
not really know further about the arts education. Therefore, the answer given
not really reach the goal that researcher wanted.
1.8 Significant of the Study
From this study, Art educators especially the arts teachers in
secondary and primary schools will get the attention from the Ministry of
Education in Malaysia to emphasized the subject of arts in the curricular
subject in schools. This is because, there is a very significant issue can be
seen, where visual arts education is given less attention from the Ministry of
Education. They preferred to emphasize subjects related to science and math compared
to subjects in the social sciences category.
Recently, in vitro
studies by Walling, (2001) have shown that
the changing priorities of schools, in particular the ascendancy of math and
science, pushed art education to the fringe of the curriculum. Ironically, now
science -- coupled with high standards, an altered world view, and new
understandings about teaching and learning -- is pushing art education back to
the heart of the curriculum. Therefore, in this study, it can be proven that
the Visual Arts Education is getting less in the limelight not just in Malaysia
but in whole world also. All of these occur because of the Ministry of Education
more emphasized on paradigm shift in
math and science subject.
In addition, if
this trend continues occur it will feared that society and especially the
students will be depressed against the things analytically and logical facts
that can makes students feel bored. Previous studies have reported the resulting boredom may lead to attendance problems,
increased dropout rates, and student disciplinary issues. Student participation
in arts education is likely to encourage students to attend non-arts classes
and develop a work ethic that promotes positive social relationships with their
peers, family, and future employers Deasy, (2003).
1.9 Conclusion
This research study provides an overview description about the study
towards the level of emphasis in teaching visual arts education in Malaysian
schools. The researcher identify that the Ministry of education and even though
the society in Malaysia not really think that the arts subject is important to
be learned and taught. The finding of the study enable researcher to came out
with potential alternatives in order to overcome the existing problems and at
the same time enhancing the society to accepted the visual arts education as an
important subject to be learned too.
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