Anneli Embe, Special education teacher at the National agency for Special Needs Education and Schools

”Art does not have to be visual”

- Students with visual impairment and their art teachers about motivation in art

In this session you will learn about the possibilities and difficulties in including art education. The findings from this qualitative study reveals how creative tasks in art can support the memory and the acquisition of knowledge among students with visual impairment. Anneli will also discuss the consequences for students when art teacher lacks further training.

Anneli will present a study that aim to shed light on what may be motivating in art studies for young people with visual impairment or blindness with Braille as reading medium, in inclusive education, grades 7– 9. Questions for the study were: What are the students’ experiences of art studies with focus on their motivation? What are the art teachers’ ideas on lesson planning with focus on creating motivation in inclusive art education?

The study result showed that what basically motivated the students was creating together with sighted classmates, no matter how difficult it was. In art the differences become especially clear. Demands on planning and adapting are high and it is difficult to fully customize. Tactile experiences constituted strong memories that stayed with the student for many years.

To make art meaningful for a student with visual impairment or blindness lessons for the entire class need to be planned with focus on open tasks with different choices. Knowledge without demands on the visual sense is crucial and so is the creation with three-dimensional and tactile techniques.

Handout file (word, opens in new window)