Art as research with health vocational high school students: An a/r/tographic inquiry

ABSTRACT Art as Research with Health Vocational High School Students: A/r/tographic Inquiry IIn this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of research-based artistic practices of Health Vocational High School students in the visual arts course on creating creative experiences and developing their empathy and sympathy skills. In the study, action research design from qualitative research methods and a/r/tography method from art-based educational research were used. The study group of the research consisted of a total of 27 students studying in the 10th and 11th grades at a Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Elâzığ in the 2023-2024 academic year. The implementation phase was carried out for a total of 8 weeks, 16 class hours and approximately 140 minutes of out-of-class time. Data were collected through various methods such as observation, unstructured interviews, semi-structured interviews, researcher diaries, photographs, phone messages, life writing and artistic works. The data obtained were analyzed by content analysis. According to the results of the study, through research-based art practices, students' interviewing with elderly individuals in their families and close circles, listening to their stories and then writing their lives created awareness in students about the experiences and feelings of elderly individuals. In addition, communication between students and elderly individuals through research-based art practices played a major role in students' understanding of elderly individuals and in developing empathy and sympathy towards them. In addition, students engaged in critical thinking and questioning through life writing in the visual arts course, produced meaning with their writing, and created creative and original artistic expressions using different techniques. Keywords: Arts-Based Education Research, A/r/tography, Empathy, Sympathy