06 October 2010

Evaluation of Artwork in Primary Education System

Art is a subject based mainly on the criteria of individual perception and appreciation. It has meet criticism and controversy on objectives evaluation.
According to Popham evaluation is to determine the worthness of something or system.Usually the teachers award marks or grades as a way of evaluating their teaching and learning process.
Albert Ozigi says ,to evaluate is to appraise or to determine the value of something is good or bad,better or worse ,excellent or poor when placed against a standard.
To teachers this concept is not new ,they oftenly evaluate their teaching and learning process.
But some are they doing it correctly?
Evaluation of a lesson is an assessment of the teaching of a wide knowledge of pedagogical principles.It should view the lesson as a pedagogical problem and a genuine investigation into various aspects of teaching.It should result in a series of recommendations or suggestions.If carried out ,evaluation should provide a detailed study and critical appraisal of the planning ,preparation and presentation.All should be carried out in the context of the learner.It should appraise the whole teaching exercise in the light of theoretical ideas and human learning .It should not be descriptive ,but should rather make suggestions for the future plan of action in the light of what transpired during the lesson.
For effective evaluation one must critically question one's every move as the lesson progresses.Here are a few suggested questions a teacher should try to give a response when evaluating a lesson:
♦Did I teach the lesson or the children?
♦What caused the learners to learn?
♦If you feel you have not achieved your objectives,examine why you have failed .What hindered the children 's learning?
♦How would I correct my mistake(s) if I were to teach the lesson again?
♦What were the weak and strong points of the lesson?
When going through all these questions,the teacher will be in a position to look at the objectives of the lesson whether achieved or not.If identified that the objectives aren't achieved then should examine why failed? In this case should consider the lesson presentation and the aids you used during the lesson.
Art just unlike some other subjects,has no numerical measurement which can be counted on to determine the achievement of the child.
Teacher without informed stratergy cannot mark artworks produced by pupils, resulting in poor awarding of marks.Subjectivity in marking children 's work in Art makes it difficult for them to understand why do they do Art?
Furthermore ,it becomes very difficulty for them also to understand why they have achieved their marks? Clement argues that,"... many teachers would argue that it is virtually impossible to evaluate or assess children's work in Art in the same way or on the same terms that other subjects are assessed."
Evaluation in Art should be done with much positive and encouragments to motivate learners to continue cultivate the much zeal in their Art skills development.But how should this be done?
Teachers should accept and reinforce every piece of work produced by the children in Art lessons. Hence regards it as complete whether it is sketch or completed work.
As pointed by Jenkins ,when teachers evaluate children's work negatively ,children normally grumble inwardly . And adults never understand anything by themselves and it is tiresome for children to be forever explaining things to them.The crude and crumpled things the child holds to teacher's view is incarnation of his/her dreams. Therefore a teacher may fails to see the child 's idea.There arises a great wall between the teacher and the learner.
A teacher should ,however awards marks and grades at times. So that children have a general desire to complete their artworks and would make some comparisons.
Ogunny views the awarding marks or grades at regular intervals tends to motivate students to work hard in order to perform well. If one teacher finds it difficult to evaluate numerically ,then a code of letters (eg.,A,B,C,and D) would be a better replacement.
This would provide a fairy manageable range of measurement or assessment.
The teacher should:
Compare children's work with that of other children in the class. Both current work and work done previously.Make judgements regarding the ability of pupils to understand task with specific objectives and employ manual skills in the use of subject related tools and materials ,such as paint ,crayons,clay,paper and so on. Teachers should also consider how effective the child uses and composes elements of visual form.
Here are some recommendations:
♦Teachers should display children's work to provide some achievement motivation among children .Display of children's work should not be restricted to a few as it might discourage other children.And should also be flexible with styles of evaluation ,rather than use of a method as a complete for evaluation.
♦Children should be given the chance to praise or criticise their performance.
♦There is a need to produce criteria for evaluating children's work taking into account stages of development,current and previous performances,hand skills and use of elements of visual form,comments should state child's strength and weakness.

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