Abstract:
Although environmental artworks are regarded as one of the forms of communication, their
huge educational powers as social, historical, cultural, creative and communicative skills as
well as cognitive development have been ignored in schools; especially among children. In
Ghana, even though creative arts subject is taught at the basic schools, no attention has
been given to pupils to interact with environmental artworks. It was based on this that the
study commenced to identify and assess pupils’ reactions and understanding to
environmental artworks displayed on Takoradi Polytechnic’s main campus. The study
made use of qualitative research method in data collection, analysis and discussion; with
two basic schools selected as a case study. The researcher employed observation, interview
and visual documentation as data collection instruments. Photographic camera was also
used to take pictures of selected environmental artworks interacted and observed by the
pupils. The main findings of the study among others are that, pupils do not interact with
environmental artworks during creative art lessons; there is the need to value pupils’
responses to artworks and to provide them with the opportunity of expressing themselves
through environmental artwork since it promotes the cognitive, language, social, creative
and emotional development of pupils as well as developing their motor skills. It is therefore
suggested among others, that Creative Art teachers should periodically organize
educational trips for pupils to visit art galleries and museums, public places and other
recreational centres where environmental artworks are found so that the artworks could
influence their level of interest and enjoyment. Observation of environmental artworks
should form part of basic schools’ curriculum activities, since through interactions and
observation of environmental artworks, pupils could make their thoughts and intentity
about Ghanaian cultural values known as well as enhancing their intellectual and creative
abilities.
Description:
A Thesis in the Department of Music Education, School of Creative Arts, Submitted
to the School of Graduate Studies, University of Education, Winneba in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Doctor of Philosophy (Arts and
Culture) degree
© Department of Music Education
May, 2016