The topic of this research concerns the paradigms of fine art studio teaching. An initial review of the historical narrative of studio teaching was carried out from the medieval studio to the present day, following Pevsner (1940). From this two potential research questions emerged: firstly, how to explain contemporary studio teaching in terms of the preceding narrative (researching within the paradigm), or secondly, how to explain studio teaching in terms of the university disciplines to which fine art now belongs (researching across paradigms). Both research questions were analysed for their validity, contribution, and availability by accepted research methods and evaluated in terms of risk and return. The second research question was assigned a higher risk factor since previous attempts at explanation (for example, Elkins, 2001) had failed, but was chosen for its higher return in terms of its contribution both to establishing the legitimacy of fine art education in the university environment and, potentially, to the conduct of all university disciplines. A Framework of educational assumptions was developed to show both the kinds of education accepted by the university (Normal science and Professional practice) and those excluded by it (Extraordinary science and Voodoo). A structural and thematic analysis was then carried out on a sample of discourse obtained from a year-long observation of a fine art studio at the University of Reading, and the results of the discourse analysis mapped to the framework. The mapping showed that, for the studio in the research, all quadrants of the framework were represented, with a particular emphasis on Extraordinary science and the articulation of new ways of seeing. This conclusion would seem to have important implications for teaching innovation across all university disciplines, which is currently problematic.

This action inquiry responded to the inclusion of creativity in the Northern Ireland curriculum from 2007, with little clarification about how to implement this. An in-service module on a Masters in Education programme, Creativity in Practice for Educators, was designed to develop teachers' understandings and practices of creativity and awareness of their own creative identities. A total of 38 teachers participated in four iterations of the module, each addressing one of the research questions in sequence. These were: how teachers construct creativity in relation to their professional and personal identities; the nature of the processes of creativity, and how teachers might be engaged in exploring them; teachers' conceptualisations of creative spaces, and how participation in these spaces takes place; and how teachers might develop their awareness and practices of assessing creative work. An arts-based model of reflexivity, The 'Art/i/culate Eye', developed awareness of creative processes and researcher positionings in the inquiry through collage, photo inquiry and poetic inquiry. The conceptual frameworks for the inquiry were based on the affordances of arts-based methods for enhancing teachers' creative identities and understandings of creativity. These affordances were integrated into a framework for participation in the inquiry, 'Creative Reflection', which scaffolded participants' arts-based explorations of the research themes. These explorations were presented as an 'exhibition' on each theme. The findings were synthesised into a model of "responsiveness", which identified six facets of teacher creativity: Ontological (acknowledging and drawing on one's creative identities); Psychological (personal qualities such as self-awareness, curiosity and openness to experience; interpersonal skills and qualities such as empathy and acceptance); Epistemological (making conceptual connections; reflecting on creativity); Social (collaborating in creating discourses of creativity) ; Pedagogic (establishing creative learning environments and facilitating participation in these) and Aesthetic (using creative methods, and making judgements about creative work).

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The thesis seeks to examine current evaluations of events or projects delivered by artists within the educational function of the museum. The hybrid nature of the practice, situated as it is amongst several disciplines and their associated evaluative models, tends to be written about from one position or disciplinary ‘mind-set’. Texts written out of an educational context tend to emphasise participants’ experience and the perceived educational and/or social benefits rather than the aesthetic or political. It appears that the hybridity of the practice, counter-intuitively, tends toward a conservative approach when it comes to reflection and evaluation, as if those engaged in this relatively new way of working were using evaluation to argue a case rather than open up the field to enquiry. Critiquing the tendency of such evaluation to reinforce the institution and others’ agendas, the thesis seeks to gain some critical purchase on the artist’s own understandings of practice using a ‘quadri-hermeneutic’ methodology inspired by data-oriented research and current and historic debates in hermeneutics and critical theory. The main body of the thesis consists of an analysis of three artist-led projects. The methodology is applied to three types of data, each relevant to a particular project: a series of photographs documenting an event for older people, a transcript of a discussion with postgraduate students (both which took place at Tate Modern) and a transcript of an interview with a project curator at the Serpentine Gallery. The application of the methodology aims to disturb the artist’s a-priori understandings by provoking doubt through the production of multiple (sometimes contradictory) interpretations of the data. Rather than a conclusion, the final chapter of the thesis indicates how the partial resolution of the doubts and conflicts which emerge from the evaluative process provokes a shift in emphasis in the positioning of more recent projects. The thesis argues for self evaluation as a form of continuous research capable of resisting the artist’s conscious and unconscious accommodation of others’ agendas, and offering new possibilities for practice.

This research has been carried out as part of a collaborative doctoral award with partners Spike Island Art and Design Centre and University of the West of England. It employs a mixed methods approach, including participatory action research, reflexive practice and semi-structured interviews to explore artists’ peer learning in the context of literature from education theory, network theory, philosophy, art theory and sociology. It takes as research participants, artists from the Spike Associates Group, Spike Island, Bristol, and artists from self-organised groups and organisationally facilitated membership groups in several UK cities outside London. It found that peer interactions between artists are particularly significant in times of transition when peer learning pivots on mutual recognition, countering isolation, nurturing self-determination and accessing resources. The construction and reconstruction of practitioner subjectivities and practice identities is a significant peer learning process, often incorporating the initiation of spaces where practice identities can be temporarily suspended. Artists engage with artist-led groups in subtly different ways to organisationally facilitated membership groups. Participation in the former enables experimentation with roles and competencies in a fluid environment where a sense of shared purpose and ownership prevails. The latter are utilised less as ‘communities’ and more as resources to be exploited and graduated through. Informal conversation is a vital site of learning and a catalyst for practice and peer critique, although an important staging post against which to measure practice trajectories, is often problematic due to tensions arising from the need for challenge as well as support. Aspiration towards reciprocity, hospitality and generosity represents a common ethics of entanglement. However, this breaks down where there are conflicting beliefs about what constitutes exchanges of equivalent value. Visibility is a highly valued commodity amongst artists and they look to their peers for strategies to make practice visible to appropriate parties and to gain a clearer overview of regional and national artistic networks and communities. Much previous research on informal learning has been conducted in the fields of work-based learning or community education. This thesis provides a much-needed microanalysis of learning processes that occur in temporary communities that are at the same time social and professional spaces. It makes valuable tacit processes visible in these situations, and the research findings can be used to initiate, adapt and inform learning programmes in arts centres, self-organised groups and other informal settings.

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With the development of higher education in China, the educational policy and strategy has been changed from ‘jingyingshi jiaoyu’ [elite education] to ‘dazhonghua jiaoyu’ [mass education] over the last decade. Since the end of twentieth century, there has been a significant phenomenon of the rapidly increased applicants for art and design undergraduate studies, which has been called ‘ArtStudy Fervour’ [yi kao re]. Envisaging the increasing number of applicants, the art examination, generally known as a pre-sessional test of the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) [gaokao], plays the role of a ‘filter’ to select the ‘appropriate’ students to start their art and design undergraduate studies.

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This thesis investigates the potential of 3D visualisation technology for learning and teaching in Art and Design higher education. The aim of this research was not merely to employ the 3D technology but also to identify, design and evaluate an appropriate learning and teaching activity. Three empirical studies were conducted as part of this investigation on the topics of: Colour Theory Colour Experience Spatial Understanding The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning activity in its entirety, for learners, tutors and institutions. This research demonstrated that different educational topics may require different technological solutions. It proved that the implementation of carefully designed educational technology can enhance current learning, teaching and assessment processes in Art and Design education.