SCAFFOLDING AND STUDENT VISUAL LITERACY:
To What Extent Does Structured Scaffolding and Art Exposure Enhance Visual Literacy among Diverse Student Groups in Art and Design Education.
This research report, conducted as part of my PME in Art and Design with Digital Media, outlines the findings of a classroom based action research study carried out in an urban DEIS secondary school over the course of a ten-week period. This qualitative study investigates how scaffolded teacher interventions and consistent art exposure can support the development of Visual Literacy among diverse student groups in second level Art and Design education. With a focus on inclusive strategies such as structured questioning, sentence starters, key word banks and student visual literacy journals; the research explores how students aged 15–17 can be supported to critically engage with artworks.
ABSTRACT
This research explores how scaffolded teaching strategies can support the development of Visual Literacy in second level Art and Design education. Over a ten-week period in an urban DEIS school, students aged 15–17 engaged with a series of structured activities designed to support their ability to interpret and respond to artworks. These included scaffolded supports such as guided questioning, sentence prompts, vocabulary banks, and visual literacy journals.
Drawing on constructivist and social constructivist educational theories, the project positioned students as active participants in their learning, with the teacher as a facilitator. The approach closely aligned with national curriculum guidelines and literacy strategies, which emphasize the importance of visual and critical thinking skills in today’s visual environment.
The study found that scaffolded interventions had a marked impact on students’ ability to analyze artworks, with particularly strong outcomes for learners who began at a lower baseline skill. Students with additional learning proved to benefit most notably. The research also highlighted the need to support students when removing scaffolding to ensure they can apply learned skills independently. The research highlights the role of inclusive, responsive teaching in nurturing visual literacy and opens up further questions around long-term skill development and application beyond the classroom.