The recording of artistically talented pupils in primary schools

My Master's thesis focuses on documenting artistically gifted pupils. The goal is to find out how the documentation of artistically gifted pupils is carried out in primary schools and to lay down systematic guidelines for the identification of artistically gifted pupils which are based on artistic and theoretic framework. The theoretical basis of my master's thesis first focuses on gifted pupils and the process of the documentation of gifted pupils in primary schools. I have described the segments of artistic talent, signs and viewpoints which define artistic talent, the artistic development of a child, children’s drawings and artistic language as a key factor, which can help us in documenting artistically gifted pupils. Furthermore, I have focused on problems which occur in documenting artistically gifted pupils and have posed myself this question – what is the role of art as a school subject in this process? The biggest challenge for me was how to include the professional judgment of teachers in the process of documentation, which is based on artistic language and expression. Because the problems relate to professionally lacking viewpoints, I have created artistic and theoretic criteria for the documentation of the complexity of artistic compositions in my master’s thesis, on which the documentation and identification of artistically gifted pupils can be based. My research approach consisted of theoretical research with the study of professional literature. I was interested in the process of documentation in the empirical part – who it is carried out by, which problems occur, what are the standards which are currently valid and what is the role of an artistic pedagogue in this process. I have also tried to find out how teachers assess the complexity of pupils’ artistic compositions and consequently the potential for artistic talent in reality and if their expertise is sufficient for the professional and founded judgment. I was interested in finding out if the pupils, which are documented as artistically gifted by teachers, are justifiably documented as gifted regarding systematic artistic and theoretic framework, which is presented in the theoretical basis. I have used nonexperimental causal method in the empirical part and have reached goals empirically. I have used qualitative analysis in my research approach. I have not noticed so far the systematic viewpoint and artistic language guidelines for the documentation and identification of pupils’ artistic talent. I hope my master’s thesis will help teachers with the assessment of the complexity of artistic compositions and with their work with artistically gifted pupils