A comparative study of the effects of an art education program on the shape perception abilities of disadvantaged elementary school children

The purpose of this study was to show that personal involvement in an art program, initiated by a qualified art teacher, serves to further the growth of the shape perception abilities of the disadvantaged child.

After a review of related literature, a study was conducted in the Blount County School System to compare the shape perception abilities of students who had participated in a planned art program by a qualified art teacher (Group A) with the shape perception abilities of students from a school with no planned art program or certified art teachers (Group B). Both groups were designated as disadvantaged as defined in this study.

All of the students in this study were given the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) in order to compare their shape perception abilities. Also, prior to this study, they were given the Otis- Lennon Mental Ability Test. First, the VMI scores of both groups were compared by means of an independent t-test. Although the results of the t-test (1.96) did not show a significant difference, the VMI mean score of Group A was considerably greater than that of Group B. Next, the Otis-Lennon scores of the two groups were compared by means of the independent t-test. These results (.43) did not show a significant difference. Finally, the VMI scores of each group were compared with their Otis-Lennon scores to determine if the art classes made a difference in the VMI scores and shape perception abilities of Group A or if their VMI scores were merely indicative of greater age or higher mental ability as shown by the Otis-Lennon test. According to the results of the Pearson product-moment correlation, there was apparently no significant correlation between the Otis-Lennon scores and the VMI scores and chronological ages of the subjects of either group. Also, Group A did not have a significantly higher mean chronological age nor a significantly higher mental ability score than Group B. Therefore, the art activities appear to be the primary cause for the considerably higher VMI scores obtained by Group A.

This study also attempted to show the importance of a qualified teacher of art in bringing about changes in the perceptual abilities in disadvantaged learners. Therefore, a survey was made to determine by questionnaire the following information about the teachers of art and the art classes of each of the schools involved in the study: the amount of formal art training of each teacher, their opinions about art in education, and the types of activities and experiences included in their art classes. The results of this survey indicated that many of the classroom teachers feel inadequately trained in the teaching of art. As a result, they limit their a art activities to only an occasional art project, usually. with only paper and crayons. Obviously these teachers would benefit from guidance in art education and a planned program with an art supervisor.

The main conclusion drawn as a result of this study was that art in education could help the disadvantaged child's visual perception by teaching him to recognize and draw various shapes and by encouraging him to become more visually aware. However, in order for a teacher to help the disadvantaged child through art in education, he must be well qualified in his subject matter along with a knowledge of the child's particular needs.