Contextual influences on learners’ artistic expressions and development : a case study- Masvingo District, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study explores the visual artistic expression and development of primary school learners in Masvingo District, Zimbabwe. The present study has identified a knowledge gap about learners’ contextual alienation in visual art and their expression in the existing visual art practices. The cultural context of the learner is an important factor in influencing artistic expression and development. However, it remains largely undermined in visual art practice and teaching. This study intends to gain insights into how contextual background influences the artistic expression of primary school learners. Despite that Zimbabwe has more than four decades of post-colonial, visual art subject is dominated by Western and Eurocentric practices. The research question that guided this study reads; how are learners’ artistic expression and development influenced by contextual background in Masvingo District Zimbabwe. I adopted a qualitative approach and a case study research design. I used interviews for primary school teachers, observation of visual art lessons and document analysis of learners’ visual art portfolios, visual art syllabus and schemes of work. Participants were purposively selected to participate in this study and I adopted a thematic analytical approach. These enabled me to identify the research foci, make sense of the data and meticulously construct multiple themes as I observed and identified emerging patterns developing into fully-fledged knowledge themes which provide the basis for my eventual formulation of the findings. This study was guided by a conceptual framework consisting of Bourdieu’s cultural capital and Vygotsky’s social-cultural learning theory. This study identified that the visual artistic expression of learners was found alien and significantly dominated by European and Western practices. It emerged that visual art teachers are less equipped in terms of pedagogical knowledge and content, there is a policy-practice contradiction and the subject is treated as inferior and non-academic. This study recommends that visual art teaching is meaningful and authentic to the learner, it requires a shift in practice towards an infusion of indigenous knowledge and culture, with a learner-centred approach to optimize its aesthetic value and benefits. This reconceptualization will empower teachers to be culturally competent, create an enabling environment, use indigenous materials and accommodate learners’ diverse cultural contexts.

Lona ngumsebenzi wocwaningo omayelana nobuciko obubonakalayo (virtual arts) nokuthuthukisa abafundi bamabanga aphantshi kwisifunda sase Masvingo District, e Zimbabwe. Ucwaningo olwenziwe kulomsebenzi luveza ulwazi gebe kanye nokuvalelwa ngaphandle kwabafundi kwi ngqikithi yobuciko obubonakalayo nokungakwazi ukuziveza kwabafundi kwizinhlobonhlobo zalobuciko. Usiko ne nqubo mpilo yabafundi ibalulekile kwindlela abafundi abaziveza ngayo kwezamaciko kanye nasentuthukweni yabo. Kodwa isiko nenqubo mpilo yabafundi ibukelwa phantshi kubuciko obubonakalayo kwala ngisho noma befundiswa abafundi. Imvelaphi yabafundi kulomkhakha ishaywa indiva. Inhloso yalolucwaningo ukuphanda luphinde luveze ukuthi usiko, imvelaphi kanye nenqubo mpilo yabafundi inomthelela kanjani kwindlela abafundi bamabanga aphantshi abaziveza ngayo kumaciko abonakalayo. Sekuphele iminyaka engamashumi amane (4 decades) izwe lase Zimbabwe lakhululeka kwingcindezi yabamhlophe kodwa ezobuciko namakhono obuciko obubonakalayo (Virtual arts) busaqhoqhobelwe izimfundiso nezinqubo zabacindezeli. Loluphando lubuza umbuzo othi usiko, imvelaphi kanye nenqubo mpilo yabafundi inomthelela kanjani kwizindlela abafundi abaviveza ngayo emkhakheni wobuciko obubonakalayo kwisifunda sase Masvingo District, e Zimbabwe. Kubuye kubhekwe izindlela zokwenza ucwaningo ezizosetshenziswa ocwaningweni. Kuvezwa ngamafuphi ukuthi ucwaningo luzokwenziwa kanjani. Kuphindwe kuthulwe izinjulalwazi (Theoretical framework) eziyisisekelo socwaningo okuyi Bourdieu’s cultural capital kanye ne Vygotsky’s social-cultural learning theory. Loluphando luthola ukuthi indlela yokufundisa kanye nokuziveza kwabafundi emkhakheni wobuciko obubonakalayo isaqhoqhobelwe izinqubo zabacindezeli abavela emazweni asentshonalanga. Kuphinde kuvele ukuthi nabafundisi kulomkhakhakha abaqeqeshiwe ngokwanele kanti lomkhakha ubukelwa phantshi. Loluphando luphakamisa ukuthi umkhakha wobuciko obubonakalayo bubalulekile kwintuthuko yabafundi, kodwa kubalulekile ukuthi amasiko, inqubo mpilo kanye nemvelaphi yabafundi ukuthi ingabukelwa phantshi kodwa ifakwe kwizifundo nenqubo yokudlulisa ulwazi lwamaciko abaonakalayo. Uphando luphakamisa izinhlelo zolwazi lwendabuko (Indigenous knowledge systems) kulomkhakha ukuze bonke abafundi abavela kumasiko ahlukene kanye nenqubo mpilo ezahlukahlukene bazizwe bemukelekile baphinde bathuthuke.

Hierdie studie eksploreer die visuele artistiese uitdrukkings en ontwikkeling van primere skool leerders in Masvingo Distrik in Zimbabwe. Die studie identifiseer n kennis gaping omtrent leerders se etnografiese bevreemding in visuele kuns en hul uitdrukkings in bestaande visuele kuns praktyk. Die etnografie van leerders is n belangrike faktor wat artistiese uitdrukkings en ontwikkeling beinvloed wat hoogstens ondermyn word gedurende die onderrig van visuele kuns. Hierdie studie beoog om n dieper verstaning te kry oor die rol van kulturele invloede op die artistiese uitdrukkings van primere skool leerders. Ongeag die feit dat Zimbabwe meer as vier dekades van post-koloniale regering agter die rug het, word die onderrig van visuele kuns steeds gedomineer deur Wes-Europese praktyke. Die navorsingsvraag wat hierdie studie wil aanspreek is naamlike: hoe word leerders se artistiese uitdrukkings en ontwikkeling deur kulturele faktore beinvloed, in Masvingo Distrik Zimbabwe? n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp as n gevalle studie word gebruik om hierdie vraag te beantwoord. Onderhoude met primere skool onderwysers, observasies van visuele kuns lesse en dokumentere analiese van leerders se kunswerke, visuele kuns silabusse en werkskemas word as data insamelingsmetodes gebruik. Deelnemers in die navorsings was doelstellend geselekteer en tematiese analiese was gebruik as metode om deur die onderhoudstekse te werk om temas te konstrueer. Hierdie metode was handig om my navorsings fokus te behou en sin te maak, as ook om temas te identifiseer en uiteidelik die bevindings van die studie te bepaal en te vormuleer. Bourdieu se kultuur kapitaal en Vygotsky se seining oor maatskaplik-kulturele leerteorie was gebruik as konseptuele raamwek vir die studie. Die studie bevind dat visuele kuns uitdrukkings van leerders bevreemd was van hul lewenservaring en meestal deur Wes–Europese kuns praktyke gedomineer. Dit skyn dat visuele kuns onderwysers minder bevoegd te wees in terme van hul pedagogiese en vak kennis as ook dat daar n beleid-praktyk kontradiksie te wees en die vak beskou word as minderwaardig en onakademies. Die studie bevel aan dat visuele kunsonderrig sinvol en opreg aan gebied te moet word met n nuwe focus en vermenging van inheemse kennis en kultuur gepaard met n leerder-gesentreerde benadering om astetiese waardes te maksimireer. Hierdie hergekonseptualisasie van kunsonderrig sal onderwysers bemagtig om kultureel bevoegd te wees, om n bemagtigde omgewing te skep en om inheemse material te gebruik om leerders van diverse kulture te akkommodeer.