AD ALTA
JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
A BOOK´S PICTURE AS A VISUAL STIMULUS FOR INTERPRETATION IN THE FRAMEWORK
OF DEVELOPING CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING
a
ADRIANA RÉCKA
Constantine the Philosopher University, Faculty of Education,
Department of Creative Arts and Art Education, Dražovská 4,
949 74 Nitra, Slovakia
email:
a
arecka@ukf.sk
This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the
contract No. APVV-15-0368.
Abstract: The paper deals with the problem of visual literacy of university students -
the future teachers of Fine arts in relation to their critical thinking systematically
developing during their pregradual preparation within the disciplines focused on
theory and history of fine arts at the Department of Fine arts and Faculty of Education
at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. The paper looks into students´
qualifications of given area via questionnaire focusing on interpretation of book´s
picture as a visual stimulus to identify formal content and semiotic meaning. The
author explores the problem in relation to project goals supported by Slovak Research
and Development Agency, according to Act No. APVV-15 - 0368 in context of
present requirements of teacher training program in the area of critical thinking and
creativity.
Keywords: visual stimulus, fine arts education, interpretation, critical thinking
1 Introduction
Adriana Récka the author of this paper thematically and
contentually follows up the article published in the previous
issue of the journal Ad Alta (Récka, 2018). The paper in 2018
announced the analysis and interpretation of our research results
which were not dealt with in the article at that time. The research
was carried out during the winter semester of academic year
2018/2019 concentrating on competencies of our students -
future teachers of Fine arts, in area of visual literacy in relation
to presumed skills gathered during their pregradual preparation
in bachelor's and master's level of study, orientated on their
knowledge and skills gathered within theoretical disciplines
focused on theory and history of fine arts. Our aim was to find
out whether students are ready and competent to apply their
knowledge, wisdom and skills obtained during their studies in
relation to identification analogy (icon), factual coherence
(index) and convention (symbol) according to Pierce's theory
based on triadic semiotics known as an icon (Likeness, etc.) -
index (Sign) - symbol (General sign, In Bergman, Paavola, 2014)
in the form of interpretation of non artistic visual impulses -
photos presenting : 1. one apple, 2. two apples, 3. a closed book,
4. an open book, 5. an empty plastic box, 6. plastic box
containing a small object, 7. compilation of photos containing
photos 1- 6. Implementation of non artistic visual impulses
within our research was intentional. Our aim was to secure
perception, reception and interpretation of universal “picture”,
clear of any visual, artistic or historical experiences of students
thus test the effectiveness of our tuition performed within
disciplines focused on theory and history of fine arts. Except the
third and the fourth item - picture of closed and open book, we
presented in our paper partial results of our research in
quantitative and qualitative level in relation to chosen items of
our questionnaire and evaluation of hypotheses. This paper
primarily deals with the items carrying visual stimulus in the
form of a closed and open book and apart from the evaluation of
our hypotheses, we try to interpret the results of our findings in
broader context concerning issues in developing creative and
critical thinking.
1.1 Theoretical background
Theory in relation to researched issue was mentioned in our
previous paper (Récka, 2018) referring to famous authors in the
worldwide context dealing with visual literacy from different
aspects (Bristor and Drake, 1994, Sinatra, 1986, Stokes, 2002,
Zanin –Yost et Donaldson, 2005, etc.) We also mentioned the
author paying attention to this topic in Slovak environment
(Šupšáková, 2015). We also described interpretative approaches
of works of art applying comparative and semiotic analysis,
which we consider as relevant in the process of developing
visual literacy, with the focus on critical thinking in pregradual
preparation of future teachers of Fine arts (Zemanek, Nebrig,
2012, Van Tieghem, 1931, Wellek, 1969, Jauss, 1982, Wölfflin,
1915, Panofsky, 2013). We also stated, that the structure of study
programme for future teachers of Fine arts in Bachelor´s and
Master´s level of study in the context of practical and theoretical
disciplines at the workplace of the author of this article, creates
adequate conditions for development of visual literacy in future
teachers of Fine arts within the range of their pregradual
preparation. We also mentioned, that enforcement of basic
thought operations (such as analysis, synthesis, comparison,
abstraction, concretization, generalization, induction, deduction
and analogy), representing the essence of critical thinking, being
defined from the point of view of general psychology (Daniel
and coll., 2003), students have the opportunity to perceive in the
widest spectrum and in synthetic form within the disciplines
focused on theory and history of fine arts guaranteed by the
author of this article. Theories and approaches of aforementioned
authors within art education we consider as relevant theoretical
starting points for differentiation between formal, contentual and
semantic level of visual culture and understanding of these
differences from students´ point of view altogether with
realization of these approaches within education, we consider as
an adequate tool for development of critical thinking and
creativity of students. Referring to the theory of semiotician
Charles Sanders Peirce we perceive a work of art as a specific
complex of signs and their meanings in terms of a triadic relation
icon (Likeness, etc.) - based on analogy, outer similarity, or
objective conformity, index (Sign) - based on factual (causal or
physical) coherence and a symbol (General sign) - based on an
agreement, tradition or convention (In Bergman, Paavola, 2014).
The above mentioned approaches in Fine arts education we
consider as relevant theoretical resources for differentiation
among formal, contentual and semantical level in visual culture
and understanding of these differences from the students' point
of view altogether with implementation of these approaches
within the education, we perceive as adequate tool for critical
thinking and development of students' creativity.
2 A Book´s picture as a Visual Stimulus for Interpretation in
the Framework of Developing Creative and Critical
Thinking
2.1 Research objectives
The aim of our research was to find out what are the
competencies of our students - future teachers of Fine arts in area
of visual literacy in relation to presumed skills gathered during
their pregradual preparation in bachelor's and master's level of
study, orientated on their knowledge and skills gathered within
theoretical disciplines focused on theory and history of fine arts.
Our aim was to find out whether students are ready and
competent to apply their knowledge, wisdom and skills obtained
during their studies in relation to identification analogy (icon),
factual coherence (index) and convention (symbol) according to
Pierce's theory of signs, in the form of interpretation of non
artistic visual impulses - photos presenting :
1. One apple
2. Two apples
3. A closed book
4. An open book
5. An empty plastic box
6. Plastic box containing a small object
7. Compilation of photos containing photos 1- 6
As mentioned before, this paper analyses and interprets partial
results of our research in relation to chosen items of anonymous
questionnaire as a tool or rather a method of data gathering. In
relation to chosen items number 3 and 4 – a closed and an open
- 239 -