Making Art Together: A Class's Collaborative Art Experience

This action research project explores the impact of a collaborative lesson on the behavior and relationships of students in a combined 3/4 grade class at St. Mary of the Lake School in Chicago. Students in this class exhibit immature behavior and unhealthy habits of relating to one another. The research aimed to discover the effects that working collaboratively might have on students’ behavior and relationships. Using principles of cooperative learning and community art, the researcher designed a collaborative lesson for a unit on symbolism. Students used bottle caps to create a large hanging mural of a class symbol. The results of this study support the results from other studies that indicate that cooperative learning can have positive effects on students’ relationships and motivation, but negative effects are also likely. The results also indicate that thorough planning and preparation is necessary for collaborative art lessons to be a success. Keywords: cooperative learning, collaborative art, elementary art, community art MAKING ART TOGETHER iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to my family and friends for their unwavering support and understanding when I disappeared from social events for extended periods of time to write. I owe a special thanks to Sharon for her eagle-eye final edits and to Mike for reading every chapter and for being patient and encouraging during particularly stressful weeks. Thanks to my classmates, especially those I met through Summer Studios, for sharing their excellent ideas and teaching insights throughout the last two years. I have been humbled to collaborate with dedicated artist-teachers who inspire me to take risks, try new approaches, and remember why I teach art. Last, but certainly not least, I am indebted to my professors and course facilitators, particularly Marion, whose kind words and constructive criticism kept me motivated in the eleventh hour. The thoughtful design of the MA in Art Education program stretched me both as an art educator and an artist. I have learned a great deal over the last two years and I know I will continue putting this knowledge to good use in my own classroom for years to come. MAKING ART TOGETHER iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . iii TABLE OF CONTENTS. iv CHAPTERS 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY. 1 Background to the Study. 1 Research Goals. 2 Research Questions. 3 Conceptual Framework. 3 Theoretical Framework. 4 Significance of the Study . 6 Limitations of the Study. 7 Conclusion . 8 Definition of Terms. 8 Collaborative art. 8 Community art . 8 Social justice . 8 2. LITERATURE REVIEW . 10 Research Question . 10 Conceptual Framework. 10 Literature Review. 12 MAKING ART TOGETHER v Community art . 12 Rise of community art. 13 Social relevance . 14 Community empowerment. 15 Role of the community artist/teacher. 16 Cooperative learning. 16 Benefits of small group work. 17 Potential problems . 17 Integrating collaborative art making in the classroom. 18 Plan and prepare. 18 Delegate responsibility to students . 19 Facilitate positive student interactions. 19 Conclusion . 20 Tacit understandings . 20 Theoretical understandings . 21 3. Methodology . 22 Design of the Study. 22 Research Methods. 26 Data Collection . 27 Research context . 27 Observation and field notes . 28 Questionnaires and interviews . 29 Data Analysis . 30 MAKING ART TOGETHER vi Conclusion . 32 Tacit understandings . 32 Theoretical understandings . 32 4. Results of the Study . 34 Significance of the Study . 34 Bias and Validity. 35 Analysis of the Data. 36 Results. 37 Positive changes in some students’ behavior. 37 Student 1 . 38 Student 2 . 39 Student 3 . 39 Student 4 . 40 Positive behavior changes conclusions. 41 Impact of antisocial behaviors . 41 Student 5 . 41 Student 6 . 42 Impact of antisocial behaviors conclusions . 43 Increased value of teamwork among students . 43 Lesson design. 44 Lesson successes. 44 Flaws in lesson design . 45 Conclusion . 45 MAKING ART TOGETHER vii 5. Discussion and Conclusion . 47 Personal Impact of the Study . 47 Rationale for the Unit. 48 Recommendations. 48 Conclusion .