Effects of multi-area art education on the artistic developments of mentally-handicapped students in special education classes

In this study, artistic development levels of mentally-handicapped students being educated in the Special Education Class were determined and effects of Multi-Area Artistic Education Method (MAAEM) on the level of artistic development was evaluated after implementing the said method.Since this research was performed using multiple survey design, which is one of the single-subject experimental methods, no cosmos or sampling was defined. Study was performed on three mentally-handicapped students with similar verbal, written, and communicational skills, in the same intelligence quotation and same gender. In the study, student identification form, Multi-Area Art Education Practical Questions, color and form chart, art works of Osman Hamdi Bey as selected by the researcher, art history text written by the researcher, paintings created using different materials, and games based on differences between paintings were used to collect data. Students were asked to create paintings before and during the implementation of the method, and paintings created thus were evaluated as regards picturing of figures-objects, application and knowledge of color-form and composition, and were shown as development graphics to determine the effect of the method on the level of artistic development.As a result of the study, it was found that MAAEM increased the artistic development levels of the trainable mentally-handicapped students towards those expected from their biological ages. Artistic development was ensured in picturing of figures-objects, application and knowledge of color-form and composition areas. Visual perception levels of students increased, and also it was found that their levels of picturing skills, interpretation, creating esthetic taste and judgment developed.At the end of the implementation, it was seen that MAAEM was more effective as compared to the traditional method used for mentally handicapped students in Visual Arts Education. It is recommended that this method should be used in Visual Arts classes.