Browsing by Subject "visuality"

The goal of this thesis was to find out what kind of visual representations the sixth graders classrooms have. The aim also was to research how and by whom the visual representations are formed and what kind of aims objects and pictures of classrooms have from the point of teaching and education. In addition, this thesis is looking for an answer to what is a dream come true classroom in pupils visions. There are only few studies about classrooms from the point of visuality or aesthetics. The data were collected in May 2011 in Kainuu and in May 2012 in Helsinki. Six sixth graders classrooms were photographed and six class teachers working in photographed classrooms were interviewed. According to that the data was also collected by interviewing ten pupils from three classrooms in Helsinki in May 2012. The visual data was analyzed by content analysis and the interview data by discourse analysis. The visual representations in classrooms have been formed from basic school furnitures and from the objects and pictures which teachers have brought to the classrooms or which have been in the classrooms before teachers even have been working in there. Also the seating arrangements affect to visual representations forming. Pupils' role is to make art, presentations and posters and in some cases also hang them on the classroom walls - but often following rules given by the teacher. Visual representations with pedagogical goals are such as student work, maps and books. Those pictures and objects are teaching and learning tools. Visual representations with educational goals are for example student work, timetables and common rules of the school. The educational goals seem to relate to behaviour control and evaluation. Pupils dream about classrooms that support action. On the basis of the collected data, it seems that teachers are not aware of the visual impact of their classrooms visual representations and neither of the visual representations possibilities in teaching and education. This thesis gives information about sixth graders classrooms as a visual learning environment. It also points out the areas where teachers should pay attention when organizing and decorating classrooms in the way that supports learning and increases school enjoyment.