Theories of photography in the visual arts classroom

This thesis represents the findings from a series of experimental investigations that explore young people's transition from socially constrained image making to innovative photographic practice within the art education context. It identifies the constraints young peoples' vernacular theories about what makes a good photograph, have on their own photographic origination. It draws on the work of Berti and Freeman (1997) and Karmiloff-Smith (1992) and accepts underlying descriptions of theory of mind development in young children (Wellman 1990). The data was collected from 117 adolescents (72 girls and 45 boys) aged between 10 and 17 years old, who were attending government primary and secondary schools in Sydney Australia between late 2001 and mid 2003. The schools were located in and around Sydney's eastern, western and south-western suburbs and ranged from the inner city to the semi-rural hinterland. The students represent a range of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.Participants' theories about photography and what makes 'good' and 'bad' photographs was ascertained by asking a series of structured questions at interview and analysing written responses to a questionnaire Five experimental situations produced 1344 photographs which were coded and analysed using ANOVA to establish between age-group and experimental task differences. The photographs were judged by expert photographers, for levels of innovation. Adolescents' explanations about the photographs they made were analysed for reflexive thinking. In order to map any shift in representational development throughout adolescence the data were divided into three age groups. 10-13 year old (n=40), 14-16 year olds (n=69) and 17 year olds(n=11). The study produced evidence that adolescents aged 10-13 years old had a naïve theory of photography, and that 14-16 year olds had an emerging reflexive theory of photography, but they were constrained by both procedural understandings and social conventions of photography. Expert 17 year olds and adults have a reflexive theory of photography as evidenced by higher percentage of innovative images and more reflexive statements about their photographs. The findings provide baseline understandings of the cognitive processes implicit in photograph origination by adolescents and suggests implications for further research into the teaching and learning of photography as a creative medium in the Secondary School Visual Arts classroom