century in nigeria: challenges and prospects by nwombu

Port Harcourt Journal Of History & Diplomatic Studies |www.phjournalofhistorydiplomaticstudies.com Vol.6 N0.3 September, 2019

Dynamics of Teaching Art in 21st Century in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects 397

Dynamics of Teaching Art in 21st Century in Nigeria: Challenges and

Prospects

By

Nwombu, Ugochukwu Kingsley PhD

Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Faculty of Humanities,

Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt

Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Teaching and learning in 21st century is more dynamic than ever

before, resulting from the changes in the learning environment.

Technology which is the collection of techniques, devices and

materials developed by culture or people has not only influenced the

act but has equally modified and enhanced this very task. It has

changed teachers' practice, motivated the students and created

learning experiences. Technology helps the students to practice

concepts, engage them in high-order thinking, and problem solving.

Invariably, it helps teachers of art to help their students hone skills

and knowledge which can serve them for the rest of their lives. The

main aim of this study was to determine the dynamics of teaching

art in 21st century. Identify possible challenges and articulate the

anticipated prospects to both teachers and learners. The method

adopted is essentially expository and evaluative. It prescribes

effective art teaching strategies and the supporting and enhancing

role that technology can play in art instruction. This study

recommends that instructional strategies be fused together with

technology to create a dynamic learning environment.

Keywords: Dynamics, Teaching Art, Techniques, Technology



Introduction

Class instructions in 21st century is more challenging than ever before. In

United States, heeding educational leaders call for students to "learn how

to learn" in order to better prepare for the 21st century. Teachers now use a

common vocabulary to pinpoint the strategies of learning which they use

and teach their students Pitler, Hubbell and Malenosk (2017, p.1). Here in

Ignatius Ajuru University of Education Port Harcourt students have not

learnt "how to learn" in the sense that; it is difficult to have a full class each

time the lecturer goes to teach. Some will join the class when lesson is going

on, a situation that do not favour learning as the students’ performance

declines gradually. It becomes pivotal that we join the educational leaders

in United State and call on our students to “learn how to learn”. This clarion

call should extend to other universities in Nigeria for reawakening the

students to rise up to their task. In 21st century, the world has witnessed

advances in 'technology'. Education has incorporated technology into class

room instruction. Most teachers are eager to embrace new technology.

Teachers who have brought technology into their classroom are aware that

it provides an opportunity to differentiate instruction and turn the

classrooms into dynamic learning environments.

Technology from the vantage point of this study, is a collection of

techniques, a device, material or sequence of mathematical coded electronic

instructions created by a person's mind that is built, assembled, or

produced and which is not part of the natural world, http://wiktionary.org.

Technology enhances the goal-setting process by providing organizational

and communication tools that make it easier to clarify the learning

objectives. Technology also gives teachers access to resources that can help

them identify and refine standards and objectives.

Many teachers already use computer to plan their lesson and unit plans and

are familiar with the basics of word processing, organizing and

brainstorming software, data collection tools, web resources and

communication software. Other technologies that are vitally of use by



teachers are laptops, hand held devices like smart phones, tablets, palm

notes (note books), digital camera, projectors, tape recorders, the list is

endless. They all contribute towards effective teaching and learning. IGI

Global (2019) views teaching in education as the concerted share of and

experience which is usually organized within a discipline and more

generally, the provision of stimulus to the psychological and intellectual

growth of a person by another person or artifact. This is a 21st century

definition of teaching globally because of the technology that is with us. To

stimulate psychological and intellectual growth in a person, technology is

highly needed.

Teaching is a process in which one individual teaches or instructs another

and is considered as the act of impacting knowledge to the learner in the

classroom situation, physicscatalists.com (2019). Definitions like this is

mundane. It is also the traditional type and not a 21st century working

definition of teaching. This conveys to us how crucial teaching is and how

dynamic it continues to remain.

Teaching art in retrospect

Art was first studied as master-apprentice system (apprenticeship)

Onuchukwu, (2001; p. 170) & Oloidi, (1985: p.1). Such a guild education

transformed the individuals and the culture they belonged. The artisans

(craftsmen) created utilitarian objects that served multi-purpose function in

the society, ranging from religion to education, entertainment to socio-

political, economic to cultural value preservation for the people. Art and

culture are intertwined in re-enforcing each other's identity in the social

environment. Art had and is still serving the society at the cultural

dimension. Its importance cannot be over emphasized as the society

transmits its knowledge from generation to generation believing that the

experience of such individual develops the head, the heart and the hands

(3h) called domains of learning, Obagah (2017; p.6). The essential method

in training was observant participatory. The content was composed of their

environment both immediate and the surrounding, of course nature was



still man’s lesson book. However, they served/functioned effectively in the

ancient culture. Art is being defined as the conscious production or

arrangement of sounds, colours, forms, movement or other elements in a

manner that affects the sense of beauty, especially, the promotion of the

beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium, http://wiktionary.org.

Theory-based meta-analysis (instructional strategies)

100 research reports in 30 years to identify categories of instructional

strategies by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)

that have the most profound effect on students’ achievement. The analysis

revealed nine categories of instructional strategies that have the high

probability of enhancing student achievement for all students, in all subject

areas including “Fine Arts” and at all levels. A report describing the

findings, a theory-based meta-analysts research on instruction published in

1998, www.mcrel.org/instructionmetaanalysis. In 2001, Robert J. Marzano,

Debra Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock wrote Classroom Instruction that

Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Students Achievement.

The book presented the research first identified in McREL's report of 1998,

and also offered explicit examples, suggestions for classroom practice.

What is meta-analysis: A meta-analysis combines the results from a

number of studies to determine the average effect of a given technique.

Nine categories of instructional strategies were identified. Marzano et al

(2001; p.6).

The tables below, both the nine categories of instructional strategies and

their definitions were sourced from Pitler et al (2007; p.8-9)

http://wiktionary.org/

http://www.mcrel.org/instructionmetaanalysis



The nine categories of instructional strategies that affect students’

achievement S/n Strategies Average

Effect size

Percentile

Gain

Number

of

Studies

1. Identifying similarities and differences 1.61 45 31

2. Summarizing and note taking 1.00 34 179

3. Reinforcing effect and providing recognition 1.00 34 179

4. Homework and practice 77 28 134

5. Non-linguistic representation 75 27 246

6. Cooperative learning 73 27 122

7. Setting objectives and providing feedback 61 23 408

8. Generating and testing hypothesis 61 23 63

9. Cues, questions and advance organizers 59 22 1251

Definitions of the nine categories of strategies Category Definition

Identifying similarities and differences Enhance students' understanding of and ability to

use knowledge by engaging them in mental

processes that involve identifying ways items are

alike and different

Summarizing and note taking Enhance students' ability to synthesize information

and organize it in a way that captures the main ideas

and supporting details

Reinforcing effect and providing

recognition

Enhance students' understanding of the relationship

between effort and achievement by addressing

students attitudes and beliefs about learning.

Provide students with rewards or praise for their

accomplishment related to the attainment of a goal

Homework and practice Extend the learning opportunities for students to

practice, review and apply knowledge. Enhance

students' ability to reach the expected level of

proficiency for a skill or process

Non-linguistic representation

Enhance students ability to represent and elaborate

on knowledge using mental images



Cooperative learning Provide students with opportunities to interact with

each other in groups in ways that enhance their

learning

Setting objectives and providing

feedback

Provide students direction for learning and

information about how well they are performing

relative to a particular learning goals so that they

can improve their performance

Generating and testing hypothesis Enhancing students' understanding of and ability to

use knowledge by engaging them in mental

processes that involve making and testing

hypothesis

Cues, questions and advance

organizers

Enhance students' ability to retrieve, use and

organize what they already know about a topic

Dynamics of teaching Art in 21st century

What will students learn in art (in planning process)? What knowledge and

skills do I want my student to have at the end of this lesson/class, or unit?

As a teacher, you must know the specific standards, the basic and

supporting knowledge that students are expected to learn.

Instructional strategies should come to mind. The first to be considered is

that you set objectives right. The objectives must be specific but flexible.

This establishes the direction for learning. Setting goals or objectives is a

skill that successful people have mastered to help them realize both short-

term and long-term accomplishments, Pitler et al (2007, p. 17).

The flexibility of learning objectives will allow students personalize the

objectives or goals thereby be motivated to pursue the set goals (Horn and

Murphy, 1983; p. 275-285). Considering these statement with KWHL

acronym

KWHL: K - know about a topic; W - what they want to learn about that topic



H - how they plan to learn it; L - what they learned at the end of the unit or

activity

Therefore, what you know about a topic; what you want to learn about that

topic, how you plan to learn it, and what you actually learnt at the end of

the activity is the emphasis of KWHL.

KWHL Template

Drawing

Content for art teaching

What is there to teach, can also mean is there a particular content unique to

art that is not encountered in other fields of study? This important question

demands a correct answer. The major goals (objectives) of teaching art

satisfied the claim that art belongs to curriculum because the purpose of art

is similar to that of other subjects. Works of art are forms of expression that

evoke response. We need to ask ourselves, what is expressed? And what is

responded to. They are as follows:

What do

you

Know?

What do

You want

To know

How will

you find out

What did

you learn?

I know how

To sketch and

Outline images

I want to

Learn more

About drawing

I am going to

Start with drawing

Simple objects

I have

Learnt

Drawing



(1) Subject (2) Theme (3) Medium (4) Product (5) Function (6) Design and

(7) Style.

Almost anything anyone can say about a work of art or any art processes

involves these features.

Subject(s): refers to any and all recognizable objects in a piece of work

(artwork). It may be

natural or manmade.

Theme: the ideas, moods or symbolic meaning expressed by the work of

art.

Media: refers to the physical materials used to give a work of art its material

form such as clay, paint and plastic. It is also referred to the process by

which these materials are given forms, such as glazing, stenciling, and

chiseling. Materials are physical substance, but when the artist exploits

their visual qualities to express an idea, theme, or feeling they become

media. That is the means through which the artist's idea is realized.

Product: is the work of art such as drawing, painting, textile, pottery, alter

pieces, architecture and the like. Discussions of products usually arise when

painting is compared to sculpture or textile is compared to graphics.

Function: the various uses for which works of art have been made, such as

amusement, commemoration, communication, worship etc. objects such as

textiles, potteries, paintings can be described in terms of their utilitarian

function but all art has an expressive function.

Design: refers to the structural and formal element of art such as line, shape,

form, colour, texture, space, value, and movement. The principles by which

these elements are organized, such as rhythm, balance, emphasis,

proportion, unity and variety, the formal analysis of a work of art involves

a discussion of the work's design.

Style: refers to the name given to group of works seen as belonging together

because they resemble each other in one particular way. Style names

sometime are identical with the culture that produce the works such as

Benin art, Ife art, Roman art, Egyptians art and so on.



Evaluation of works of art

Evaluation involves the determination of the attainment of clearly defined

educational goals and objectives. Instruction in art involves the

specification of the behavior and the achievement level to be attained at the

end of a given period; careful formulation of conditions which will make it

possible for the student to behave in the desired manner and means for

assessing whether or not the behavior has been achieved. It is expected that

specific objective be set for the productive aspect of art, Uzoagba and Ogboji

(2008: p.18).

Gaitshell and Hurwitz (1975) attempted to use Bloom’s taxonomy to

analyze the art programme. In doing so the cognitive domain was sorted

into eight levels;

1. Knowledge

2. Comprehension

3. Application

4. Analysis

5. Synthesis

6. Receiving

7. Responding and

8. Valuing

1. Knowledge: Students are expected to learn facts about art history,

art terminology use of materials and tools and principles of design.

2. Comprehension: The students have to recognize styles, and

symbols; understand key ideas in design and history and roles of the

visual arts; and direct ideas to specific visual references.

3. Application: Students are expected to apply the visual principles in

their work.

4. Analysis: They are supposed to be able to identify design

components and the relationships of elements of design.

5. Synthesis: Students are supposed to be able to use the knowledge of

design, tools and materials in their work.



6. Receiving: The student should be capable of accepting the teacher’s

criticism, comments of his classmates and various views of experts

in the field.

7. Responding: The student should be capable of discussing and

exchanging opinions about works of art.

8. Valuing: This involves the student to appreciate and constructively

criticize works of art using the aesthetic categories.

Conclusion

Teaching of art in 21st century like every other discipline of learning is more

challenging because of the attitude of students towards learning. In line

with the demand that students should learn how to learn by education

leaders in United States, the teachers in Nigeria are making similar charge

to students in order to fit properly in the 21st century demands.

Education has incorporated technology into classroom instruction. Since it

has become a welcomed development, teachers who brought technology

such as computers, hand held devices into their classroom are aware that it

enhances instruction and turns the classroom into dynamic environment.

Teaching in education is a concerned share of experience which is

organized within a discipline. It provides stimulus to the psychological and

intellectual growth of a person by another person, IGI Global (2019).

Technology should be understood and respected for its importance in the

society.

On the historical survey of art teaching in Nigeria, a master apprentice

system (apprenticeship) was identified. This type of education transformed

the individual learner and the culture he belonged. The works of art

produced were useful and served multiple functions in the society, ranging

from education, entertainment, economic to worship (religion). The

knowledge and skill which were transmitted to the learner developed the

head, heart and hands (3h). This made him serve effectively in the ancient

society.



Following a theory-based analysis of several years’ research by Mid-

continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) published in 1998.

In 2001, Amarzano et al identified nine categories of instructional strategies

that work in classroom instruction. They are

i. Identifying similarities and differences

ii. Summarizing and note taking

iii. Reinforcing effect and providing recognition

iv. Homework and practice

v. Non-linguistic representation

vi. Cooperative learning

vii. Setting objectives and providing feedbacks

viii. Generating and testing hypothesis

ix. Cues, questions and advance organizers.

In art teaching, objectives are set right objectives much be flexible to

establish direction for learning. The content for art teaching are the seven

features of any work of art (a) subject (b) theme (c) medium (4) product (5)

function (6) design and (7) style.

To determine the attainment of set objectives, those behavior and

achievement levels to be attained at the end of a given period must be

assessed whether or not attainment has been met. It is expected that specific

objectives be set for the productive aspect of art. In analyzing art

programme the following criteria were suggested: Knowledge,

comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, receiving, responding and

valuing.

Recommendation

1. This study recommends effective art teaching strategies

2. Supporting and enhancing roles of technology to art instructions

(teaching)

3. Instructional strategies should be fused together with technology to

create a dynamic learning environment.



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century in nigeria: challenges and prospects by nwombu

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