My positioning argument for this essay is how creative art subjects can help children that are less able e.g. SEN (Special Educational Needs) pupils develop adaptive and social skills therefore it is an essential part of the National Curriculum and teacher’s role plays a crucial part in this development. Creative art subjects refer to subjects within the curriculum such as Music, Dance, Drama and Art. Each subject helps develop different skills for learning. My intended outcome of this study is to establish how these subjects can aid children’s development ultimately these subjects are as important as traditional academic subjects for children who may require extra learning support. I will explore this by researching literature and highlighting the challenges faced by SEN children. I will further discuss dramatic changes within the curriculum and school environment including the teacher’s role to assist further in the past few decades in regard to creative art subjects and SEN pupils. Creative arts subjects can be seen as therapeutic, especially for those with SEN such as ADHD or Autism, Children from violent homes or who have been sexually abused or traumatised through illnesses. There has been progression from the view during the 1990s that SEN pupils are simply ‘mentally retarded’ to schools and local authorities having support in place for these children.
I am going to discuss why creative art subjects in Primary school is a vital part in children’s learning. I will explore how teaching subjects such as Music and Art can help children develop more than just knowledge of the topic, and how teachers can help influence shaping of social and adaptive skills. I will reflect on the importance of creative art subjects in the National Curriculum and how these subjects affect other aspects of their learning and development. Additionally, I will demonstrate how creative arts can be used as arts therapy and how this is effective in their academic progression. Creative arts subject is an essential part of primary education as it allows practical engagement of all pupils; they learn to paint, build, write, dance and learn music. Progression throughout each school year allows the connection of creative arts to deepen and allowing pupils to discover social and cultural as well as historical knowledge by referring to topics in each subject through the use of books, articles, videos and lessons. Creative art subjects allow pupils to develop imagination and allow them to apply this to their own life experiences; it can also allow growing confidence to communicate and express imaginatively, more so for SEN pupils as it develops kinaesthic, audio and visual skills.
The teaching of Creative art subjects (which include Art and Design, Design Technology, Drama, Music and Media) is an important part of education as it includes peer engagement within the classroom environment as they learn creative skills such as learning a musical instrument, learning how to draw or perform a dance sequence. Creative art subjects also help children express themselves and stimulate their imagination. ‘Art and design stimulates creativity. It provides visual tactile and sensory experiences and a unique way of understanding the world.’ (DfEE, 1999). Creative Art subjects also allow children with special educational needs to use audio, visual and kinaesthetic skills which help the children learn and achieve targets.
According to Scott, ‘School environments present special challenges for children on the autism spectrum: brightly lit spaces, mazes of hallways, crowds of people moving in various directions, large gymnasiums and/or cafeterias, and classrooms filled with desks, tables, chairs, and whiteboards.’ (Scott, 2017)
Zhang reinforces this idea by addressing that ‘Children on the autism spectrum may be distracted by the acoustic of the school environments’ Zhang & Griffin, 2007 in (Scott 2017).
These ‘maze of hallways’ may affect an Autistic student’s learning in school as they may feel uncomfortable and overwhelmed by the school environment therefore express this through lack of concentration and poor social skills. However, for example, a large gymnasium can affect adaptive skills of an autistic student as it may allow them to feel more comfortable in a larger space whilst being creative doing subjects such as Dance or Physical Education to express themselves and feel more comfortable in their environment.
Autistic children display a lack of social or emotional reciprocity. They have difficulty communication their ideas and feelings and have difficulty understanding the feelings of others and communicating both verbally and non-verbally (Smith 2017) however, with the use of creative art subjects within the classroom, children on the autism spectrum are able to express themselves in a therapeutic way. Relaxing music can decrease tensions levels. (Kersten, 1981) Music is a powerful, unique form of communication that can change how children feel, think and act. It helps accumulate feelings, intellect and enables personal expression, reflection and emotional development (DfEE, 1999). However, the importance of creative arts subjects in the curriculum has been through dramatic changes in the past few decades as music teaching was almost dismissed and non-existent in some schools. Previously, the teaching of these subjects were unimportant compared to traditional academic subjects such as English, Mathematics and Sciences.
In the National Curriculum in 1988 there was a major shift towards integration of creative arts subjects to be taught in the curriculum. In the yesteryears, music and art as a subject were taught privately to wealthier children which is a barrier for social classes. Art and Music were taught by musically talented teachers for those in gifted schools or those able to afford lessons. Teachers should also consider to accommodate for students with hearing or visual impairments and dyslexic students, this can be done by planning content through the use of resources such as audio and visual learning and demonstration and visual prompts through kinaesthetic learning. Active learning this way is will help SEN students interaction in their environment and promote cognitive development which will adhere to Piaget’s 4 stage theory which I will further discuss.
The National Curriculum is a set of subjects and regulations used by primary and secondary schools which covers standards children should reach at a certain stage organised into years called ‘Key Stages’ in each subject in which the teacher would formally assess children’s performance to standards through a range of assessments in locally authority-maintained schools. The National Curriculum was introduced through the Education Reform Act (1988)
which included traditional academic subjects such as, English, Maths and Science. However, the introduction of creative arts subjects including music education was recognised in the National Curriculum in 1989; this enabled a shift in the curriculum and a break-down of social class barriers with the notion that creative music lessons were only for those who were relatively gifted or those who were able to afford private lessons.
The development of music education was first evident in the National Curriculum in 1989, however, the creative subjects were listed as ‘foundation’ subjects as part of the teaching curriculum. This highlights a shift in primary education teaching, despite creative arts being a low priority subject as they were not referred to as ‘core’ subjects which were still traditional academic subjects. The emphasis on ‘no such thing as a completely unmusical child’ has shifted to ‘emphasis on performance for relatively gifted’ to emphasise on performance and passive listening to encompass composition, performance and critical appraisal part of musical education of every child. As a person who has suffered anorexia and depression from a young age I can relate to the development of academic subjects through music education. Playing the violin whilst in school as a SEN pupil, it allowed me to release feelings and helped me to maintain focus on other subjects and enjoy primary education, therefore music education should be considered conclusive to a desirable learning environment especially those who are SEN for a better social and mental well-being.
APPENDIX A (NC 1989)
However, in present time, the National Curriculum integrates Music into other areas of the curriculum, additionally monitoring implications that benefit development such as improved concentration and behaviour. (Glover and Ward, 1998) this may be considered as desired learning environment due to integration of subjects and focus on social development and well being of children, especially SEN pupils.
APPENDIX B (NC 2017)
In terms of the National Curriculum, teachers questioned the viability as it moved away from more academic topic based learning. They had felt as if by focusing on topic rather than specific academic subjects which proved more interesting for children who tend to interact in these lessons. In contrast, handful of educationalists criticised the topic based approach because of its lack of objectives and limited focus on specific achievement and the national curriculum sought to address this. Today the best practice is considered to be in between those two approaches: subjects that are distinct from each other yet there is a link between different disciplines as it is in this environment where incorporating creative subjects into cross-curricular activities can be particularly beneficial to academic development for all pupils as well as SEN pupils.
This is evident of the shift in importance of creative subjects within the national curriculum. In the past decades there has been a considerable change in the implementation of music education which can be beneficial for SEN pupils, relaxing music can decrease tension levels (Kersten, 1981). Plowden report (1967) highlights the importance of ‘non-specialist’ teachers being able to teach music education. However, Schools vary different approaches with some valuing teachers with an artistic or creative background; some schools just pay ‘lip-service’ to paint classrooms and walls. Leaving SEN pupils with creative talents laying dormant and unexplored. (King’s College, 2015). It was after a couple decades where the importance of non-specialist teachers began to be implemented; meanwhile schools relied on trained musicians which led to a detachment from other subjects being taught in the curriculum. Non-specialist music or skilled musicians teachers have a responsibility when education SEN students, they may not be trained to react in the presence of problems or learn to help compose music to each SEN student’s individual needs, they need to be informed and take appropriate training concerning the learning and teaching of an SEN pupil which is as important as whether they are qualified or not. This can be dealt with by cooperating with music therapists through training or consultations. However, Gillard (2005) criticises the Plowden Report , claiming it has at times focused on Piagetian approaches.
Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development; the second and third stage specifically for primary school; the Pre-operational stage (Ages 2-7) which is where children begin to think symbolically and learn use of words and pictures to represent objects, children are egocentric yet are more skilled in pretend play and use more semiotic functions and Piaget viewed children’s thinking and behaviour as to be illogical. Piaget believes their development through use of symbols derives from mental imitation (Snowman and Biehler 2007). The Concrete Operational stage ( Ages 7-11) during this stage children begin to think more logically. They under the concept of conversation using logic, reasoning and information from experiences. However, they are still limited to objects and tasks. Through formal instruction, experiences and maturation and their social environment, children are less egocentric as their previous stage however, Piaget still suggests that the children in this stage are not capable of having hypothetical thinking; which may adhere to the view of teachers who support SEN pupils. However, whilst Piaget’s theories is popular it can be criticised as it does not differentiate pupil’s specific needs and stage of development as this varies from child to child specifically SEN pupils. In contrast, it can be argued that Piaget’s theory can be applied to music education as it emphasis on working collectively in ensembles to develop understanding of other’s perspectives or learning by experience through instruments and sounds.
Technology has advanced and the use of creative subjects are becoming more accepting in society which is contrast to the traditional idea that creative subjects are simply for ‘fun’ or ‘unimportant’ therefore lacks qualified teachers (Plowden Report 1967) where there was no mention of a vast variety of the creative subjects taught in modern day. Additionally, Top universities such as Oxford and Cambridge now offer creative art subjects such as creative writing, fine art and music, which may enable SEN students to further their education should they have a passion for creative art subjects as it provides them options compared to traditional academic subjects and universities now offer more support for those who have Special Educational Needs through the use of Student Well Being. This highlights futuristic goals for SEN students to go into further education and highlights the importance of creative art subjects.
Piaget’s theory can occur at different stages for each SEN individual as their maturity age in particular those with disabilities and autism, may differ to their actual age, therefore Vygotsky’s development theory (Vygotsky, 1978) suggests children learn through a experience and instruction is somewhat more suitable for developement. Taking into account of social and cultural environment, he proposed that the children’s development deepens as a result of interaction with others. Vygotsky’s theory adheres to theories in regard to learning expressions through spoken word. Barrett (1996) suggests through research, how learning of oral language is explored to construct a framework which is where the learning of music may take place successfully e.g. phonics, Barrett (1996) further suggests language is practiced around a child, therefore music should too with parents helping to demonstrate good practice as well as teachers, similarly, the constructivist approach ‘maturation’ suggests children should be left to learn through the instruction of others, therefore a teacher’s role in a child’s education is important especially those have special educational needs. Additionally, Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (INSERT APPENDIX) is a major concept of learning, Vygotsky argued that that the world is a learning process and this can be done so by experience and children gained knowledge through conceptual tools transferred to them by those who already have the intellect, this may be parents, teachers or peers. Vygotsky’s theory is supported by Slavin (2006) who suggests that with assistance of a more intellectual individual such as peers or teachers and through collaboration and conversation, the individual (SEN pupil) can achieve higher mental functioning and complete a task that has not yet been learning, however, it is the teacher’s role within schools to assess these experiences of the SEN pupil which may suggest the next stage of development for the pupil, each stage will prove useful to an SEN student’s development from adaptions of schemes to assessments to stages of cognitive development the SEN pupil in the provision of education.
SEN pupils and children in an environment will copy desired behaviour from their peers and will allow SEN pupils to follow and act independently. In favour of this social learning concept, Slavin (2006) also suggests that scaffolding in a form of leading questions can help the SEN pupil develop their ZPD. Bruner (1983)’s scaffolding theory provides a support system to help assist SEN pupils during an early stage of a task and gradual responsibility to the SEN pupil which can help advance cognitive development.
Teacher’s role plays a crucial part in a SEN pupils development within the school environment, to assist this, schemes of work are available particularly for those who are inexperienced in the subject they are teacher e.g. less-musically experiences teachers. Planning is crucial to enable coherent development assessment for SEN’s individual educational plan. Slavin (2006) suggests that the plan assesses individual’s needs and sets out actions that need to take place to fulfil these. Those involved in the SEN’s pupils welfare within the educational system alongside parents should be encourage to help set out and establish the plan. These should include teaching strategies that should be used to fit around development goals, provisions that need to be in place, long term and short term targets for the pupil, outcomes and review meetings yearly. However, teachers that may lack training to dealing with SEN pupils may find it difficult to adapt as it is not sufficient to rely on skills but knowledge and preparation to be able to deal with SEN pupils.
On the other hand, teacher’s expectations through league tables and assessment results may prove to be additional stress on top of training for development of SEN pupils. “Staggeringly high” numbers of teachers are ready to quit the profession, a leading education researcher has warned, as growing pressures placed on staff and schools make the job “just too big an ask” (Independent 2017), the lack of experience in subjects may prove too much work for some teachers hence the growing drop out rate, In the survey of more than 3,000 teachers under the age of 36, almost half said mental health concerns could force them to resign, with heavy workloads and lack of support cited as key problems (Independent, 2017). This may mirror the fact of the growing demand for special assistant for those with SEN in education as many teachers may find it hard to manage behaviour of some SEN pupils particularly those with ADHD or Autism. Integration in local authority schools may not be a good idea for those with distractive behaviour, according to the National Autistic Society ‘1/3 of parents would favour their child to be education in mainstream education, 1/3 would prefer their child to attend special needs school where they could receive sole attention and 1/3 preferred a mix between the two types of schooling’, however, SEN pupils may lack the cognitive development if not around and supported by same age peers and may delay development although they have sole attention in special needs schools, SEN pupils may feel different and may feel as if they didn’t receive same learning environment and opportunities as their peers their age. Additionally, SEN pupils with siblings similar age may feel distant from their siblings who can aid their development in school as they may feel more comfortable.
There are strategies to help manage behaviour of SEN pupils that teachers can adhere to help prevent deviation from their own and their peers development as a result of disruptive or emotional behaviour. Behavioural analysis and support plans can be put in place as well as teachers being trained on reinforcement which is a method to modify behaviour.