Grade teachers educational needs cocerning art classes in elementary schools

ABSTRACT GRADE TEACHERS' EDUCATIONAL NEEDS CONCERNING ART CLASSES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Özge ÖZER Anadolu University Graduate School of Educational Sciences Department of Educational Sciences Curriculum and Instruction Program September 2001 Supervisor: Prof.Dr. Mustafa SA?LAM In elementary schools, students could get the oppotunities of expressing themselves simply via art, improving their creativity, having esthetic personality and understanding the value of art in art classes. Art classes, in elementary schools, are administered by grade teachers whose major is not art. However, studies have shown that grade teachers have serious difficulties, and have experienced various problems in teaching art. It is clear that a needs assessment study on training grade teachers in term of art teaching has become a priority which would help these difficulties be wiped out. Therefore, grade teachers should undergo a series of in-service traning programs that would meet the needs specified. The purpose of this study is to specify grade teachers' educational needs concerning art classes in elementary schools. The study was conducted with the data collected from 461 grade tecahers in 46 elementary schools in Eskişehir in the academic year of 1999-2000. The data of this study were collected through a questionnaire designed for grade teachers. With the questionnaire consisting of 47 articles, the grade teachers' opinions in general of art class and certain difficulties in the course content, in the process of teaching art and in VIthe evaluation of the works by the students were revealed. Next, in light of the data relating to the difficulties aforementioned, the educational needs of the grade teachers in elementary schools were determined. The analysis of the data for this study was carried out by the SPSS computer program, and of statistical techniques the figures and perantages were used. As a result, it has been understood that grade teachers in elementary schools need to be given Ixaining on the importance of the art class with regard to the development of the art skills of the students as well as the objectives of teaching art. Furthermore, it has been realized that teachers may well come to a new pespective in what they have been teaching. Beside the point, it has been clarified that grade teachers have difficulties on varying levels in many subjects of the course content, teaching process and the evaluation of the works by the students. Consequently, it has been put forward that grade teachers have thorough educational needs as a natural consequence of these difficulties. vn