Environmental influence on drawings of children in lower primary a study of selected districts in Ghana

Abstract

Children’s drawing activities continue to attract the attention of researchers globally. While a plethora of previous studies have examined the influence of children’s drawing activities on their social and cognitive development, children’s drawing activities and outcomes have also been interpreted by various studies. The current study examined the environmental influence on the drawings of lower primary school children (7-10 years) in selected districts, municipalities and metropolis in Ghana. It adopted qualitative inquiry approach guided by multiple case study design. Using expert, homogenous and heterogeneous purposive sampling techniques, the study gathered triangulated data from a total of twenty four (24) informants comprising; school children, cultural coordinators, teachers and parents/adult caretakers. Data collection instruments included; semi-structured interviews, field observations, spontaneous and directed drawing activities. An in depth thematic analysis of the data reveals that each of the different realities of the children’s environment have some influence on their drawings, with the most obvious being the common reality as the drawings of the children mainly depicted tangible objects in their schools, home and immediate physical environment. Also, there was a variance across the districts indicating that children in different parts of Ghana have different capabilities in what they are able to draw. In conclusion, the study contends that children’s self-efficacies and diverse environmental realities greatly influence their drawing capabilities and outcomes. The study, therefore, recommends that teachers and parents/caretakers in the study area should take note of children’s unique self-efficacies and diverse environmental realities and provide the convenient environment that nurtures their drawing capabilities.