What to teach? Qualitative Research into Fine Art Undergraduate Programmes

The presentation and the paper explored the research structure and methodology for a qualitative study into a subject discipline and reflected part of a broader body of research investigating the changes taking place in Higher Education, notably, the Government’s agenda of expansion, excellence and equity and the implications for a subject discipline such as fine art. The current structure of a fine art education (NAFAE 1996) was set against policy documents (Dearing 1997, Fryer 1997, DfEE 1999) and referenced against research that looked at the philosophy and practice of fine art education (Abbs 1997, Allison 1982, Reid 1969 and 1986, Hillier 1996) to investigate how courses were adjusting to the expansion of Higher Education. The stages of the research notably, the literature review, a potential definition of fine art, current status of fine art courses, research questions, interview structure, initial findings and possible recommendations were set out. This demonstrated how a series of perspectives were elicited, how external pressures are affecting a fine art education, concerns as to whether fine art as a subject in its current configuration had a future, and how fine art educators might draw a line against the effects of the massification of Higher Education. External scrutiny was involved in the presentation and conference publication. Its significance is that it sets out how qualitative research in art and design can be structured to reflect the needs of a subject discipline and this in turn has helped further pedagogic research in art and design, a developing area. Abstract Questions about how fine art courses have adapted to the higher education agenda of expansion as well as the requirements to maintain excellence and increase equality of opportunity, prompted me to undertake a qualitative study into how this was affecting the fine art sector. Factors such as accountability, standardisation, increased student numbers, the diverse student body, graduateness, lifelong learning and their impact on fine art undergraduate education were all explored in a series of 12 interviews. The research aimed to identify how extensively such changes are affecting a fine art education and how fine art educators are adjusting to this new agenda. This paper sets out the stages that this research went through and indicates, briefly, a number of the major concerns, as well as possible ways forward for the fine art sector. This is a brief synopsis of what has been my doctoral study.