Running head: QUALITATIVE RESEARCH PAPER

Qualitative Research Paper

Elisabeth Bregant
University of Missouri

Qualitative Research Paper

Qualitative Research Paper

The purpose of this investigation was to analyze a childs artistic development by

observing them drawing a picture, and recognizing which developmental stage they might be in.
According to Eisner (2002) the arts position in the school curriculum symbolizes to the young
what adults believe is important, meaning that the importance teachers and parents place on art
in an elementary classroom could influence how meaningful it is to a student. The importance of
this investigation was to use our findings as a resource to see where we might be able to help the
student grow artistically (Eisner, 2002). This investigation is part of a semester-long study of art
concepts across multiple core subjects like math, social studies, and language arts in an
elementary classroom. This investigation was to take place in my field placement classrooms,
and aimed to identify the stages of a students artistic development through observations. The
conclusion of this investigation is that a student in my first grade classroom may be in between
developmental art stages, and any source of art enrichment could contribute to her development.
Using resources from class, and observations from my one first-grade student, I found evidence
that shows she is in between the pre-schematic and schematic art stages.
Method
To begin this investigation, I participated in in-class activities to begin my exploration in
the subject of childhood art development. I became familiar with the process of observing
elements of a childs drawing by watching the video Heidis Horse (Fein), and analyzing a
childs drawing with my partner in class. By discussing the characteristics of developmental
stages, I understood what I was to look for when I conducted the investigation by myself. In my
field placement classroom, I selected a student who was willing to work with me one on one for

Qualitative Research Paper

this assignment. During the classs free period they are allowed to read or write, so my field
teacher agreed to let this student participate with me at that time.
The student is a seven-year-old first grader. I presented her with an explanation of my
project, which was to watch her draw and identify the elements of her drawing that show which
stage she is in. The student remained interested in my project, so I offered her a blank piece of
white paper and crayons. I asked the student to draw a picture of her and her family for me. We
had twenty minutes to work in the hallway, so for the next twenty minutes she drew a picture and
colored with crayons.

Findings
The investigation resulted in a picture of the students family from her own perspective.
My student explained to me that she drew herself standing next to her father; both were dressed
in t-shirts and shoes. Both characters are smiling with wide eyes, have stick legs, pointy arms,

Qualitative Research Paper

and scribbles for hair. The student colored the male figure in with what looks like a star on his
shirt, and hers with pink and purple swirls. The student drew a red heart and colored it in, and
there are several other sketches of a ball, an orange scribble, and dialogue bubbles for both
people. The dialogue bubbles say TC, and a picture of a heart. She did not explain to me what
the dialogue meant, but I could interpret it as a previous conversation she might have had with
her father.
My interpretation of the drawing is that she drew her with her dad having fun together.
There is a heart because when she thinks of her dad, it reminds her of love, and she feels happy,
so she drew people smiling. The drawings are not very complex; there is not much illustration of
a surrounding environment, and the people are stick figures. The drawings are mostly lines,
shapes, and colors, and in the middle of the page. I would interpret this student to be in an early
developmental stage. Based on how these observations align with the stages defined by Brittain
and Lowenfeld, this student is towards the end of the pre-schematic developmental stage,
transitioning into the schematic stage.
According to Brittain and Lowenfeld (1970), the students drawing has more elements in
the pre-schematic stage, like the people smiling and looking at the artist, arms that stem from the
head, and details of hair, clothes, and facial expression. The body is made of geometric shapes,
which is typical for the pre-schematic and schematic stage, but her proportions of her being
smaller than her father, and repeated schema for each person make me believe she is starting to
advance further into Schematic.
Conclusion
For this child, my findings mean that she needs more support to contribute to her growth
as an artist. She enjoys drawing and coloring, and has her own way of expressing images she

Qualitative Research Paper

sees. In the diagram from the Board of Education of Baltimore county in the 1974 Art
Experience Develop Visual Perception, suggestions for developing this students artistic growth,
as a regular classroom teacher, I could offer her more experiences to express herself through
artwork during the day at school (Baltimore County, 1974). I could organize class field trips and
other experiences and encourage her to put her thoughts and observations into pictures.
In 2009, Eisner wrote that we need schools to allow students to place their thumb-print
upon their work without a sense of redundancy, possibly through more artistic endeavors, and
less worksheets and exams. I think there is great importance of child art development for regular
classroom teachers to value. Incorporating art into the curriculum or projects and assignments is
appealing to students who have those strengths, and they are helpful ways for students to express
their thoughts (Eisner, 2009). By identifying the artistic development of students in a class, I
think that a teacher could better tailor classroom assignments and activities to incorporate more
art, so that students have the opportunity to further develop their artistic abilities.

Qualitative Research Paper

References

Board of Education of Baltimore County. (1974). Art Experience Develop Visual Perception, 69
Brittain, W.L., & Lowenfeld V. (1970) Creative and Mental Growth, 477-478
Eisner, E. (2009). Learn from the arts. Art Education, 5-7
Eisner, E. (2002). The lessons the arts teach. What the Arts Teach and How It Shows, 70-92
Wilson,F.(2010).SylviaFein,Heidi'sHorse,andchildren'sfirstdrawings. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV8k6oi0xxk