
Boys' grades in art
In this project, we want to take a closer look at the reasons why boys' grades are lower than girls' in the visual arts. The aim of the study is to develop areas of work in the visual arts that increase boys' results in the subject.
Who are we?
We who work with this project are Eva Alerby, researcher at Luleå University of Technology, Camilla Sundberg Thurfjell and Titti Rosén, art teachers at Nya Läroverket Bergnäset, and Mimmi Lind-Löfgren art teacher Nya Läroverket Bergviken.
The area of R&D practice-oriented research
When we look at our own statistics on the merit values of our students, we have seen for a long time that boys are generally lower than girls in the subject of art. This is something we have thought a lot about and tried to find answers to. In this project, we therefore want to take a closer look at why boys' grades are lower than girls' in the subject of art. Questions we ask ourselves and that we wish to understand are whether there is something in the subject that generally favours girls more? What can attract boys to be more interested? Could digital tools increase boys' motivation and self-confidence in the subject? Are there social norms that make it harder for boys to do their best? Does teaching need to be redesigned in some way? These questions are the starting point for our investigation.
Purpose of the project
The purpose of the study is to develop areas of work in the visual arts subject that increase boys' results in the subject.
Implementation and documentation
The project team will look at grade statistics from both school units. Since our intention is to start from a student perspective, the project group will listen to the students' voices in different ways.
- In a first step, the idea is that we will design and implement a survey with students in year 8, we will carry out the survey with all students where the girls serve as a control group.
- The next step is to interview some students individually and in smaller groups to get a deeper picture of how they experience the subject.
- In order to cover as many ways as possible to communicate, we will also carry out a reflection via image, where the students in groups will portray a given issue.
Based on the material we collect, we will plan work areas to be implemented in the teaching.
Based on the results obtained, we plan, in an implication and implementation phase, to develop methods/tasks for how to work in the visual arts subject to curb the grade difference between boys and girls.
Dissemination of results
The teachers, together with the researcher, will present the project to other teachers and staff at a joint educational conference. If interested, the project group is happy to present the project at teacher training, LTU.
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