Pedagogical art criticism applications in high school-visual arts course: An action research

The study was based on sub-learning field of Artwork Assessment of Artwork Criticism and Aesthetic Learning of Visual Arts Course taught at high school education. In this sense; the aim was to provide students with such abilities as developing aesthetic consciousness, learning art history, learning art movements and conducting art criticism. It is important to offer students a visual art culture so that they can have an enlightened artistic background and individuals who love and understand art can be educated. In this study, the basic objective was to discover how processes of visual arts course taught at Girls' Vocational School could be applied and conducted through pedagogical art criticism method. The study, planned in action research, included a total of 14 weeks by offering theoretical teaching during the first eight weeks, pedagogical art criticism studies during the 10th-12th weeks and achieving student products during the last three weeks at Girls' Vocational School in 2018-2019 academic year. The study was done between the 13th of December, 2018 and the 28th of March, 2019 and the sample was consisted of 15 9th grade students selected through criterion sampling of purposive sampling techniques. Besides, the researcher joined the study as an observer. As data collection tools; video recordings, voice recordings, student diaries, teacher diaries, semi-structured interviews, work-sheets and student products were used. As a result of the study; it was identified that in the process, students could synthesize the knowledge related to art movements, could examine their products according to pedagogical art criticism method, achieved the learning outcome of "they can produce artistic products by being influenced by art work." and showed a positive attitude towards visual arts course.