‘You just feel more relaxed’: An Investigation of Art Room Atmosphere

Abstract

Art educators are increasingly interested in the affective dimensions of pedagogy. This article explores students' reports of feeling more relaxed and less stressed in the art room, data drawn from a three-year study of thirty arts-rich secondary schools. Drawing on recent scholarship on affect, we suggest that these feelings were in part the result of 'atmosphere' mobile bodies in (1) a curated space, engaged with educational activities associated with(2) a signature text and pedagogy, enacted as an (3) isorhythmic practice. We suggest that these three elements of atmosphere not only help us to understand how to produce positive feelings about art, but they also have some potential for use in professional reflection on practice.

Crafting Inclusive Playful Learning Environments: Exploring Affective Strategies and Atmospheres

“…The turn to affect and the arts in education: exploring new horizons Art educators are increasingly interested in the affective dimensions of pedagogy (Thompson & Hall, 2021). Artful and performative approaches in education use the arts as a lens, staging affective episodes that prompt students to delve into complex inquiries involving self, others, and the world (Østern & Knudsen, 2019).…”

“…Crucially, this orientation equips educators to address persistent inequalities and power dynamics within classrooms driven by factors like race, class, ability, gender, and whiteness (Harris & Jones, 2020). In addition to these advancements, there is an increasing interest in exploring the atmospheres generated by affective arts practices, objects, and spaces, and the possibilities they open up (Mesías-Lema et al, 2020;Thompson & Hall, 2021). This focus on affective BUKS #68/2024 93 thinking brings into the spotlight the materiality of learning (Mulcahy, 2019), encouraging a broader view of agency that includes not only individuals but also objects, spaces, places, and atmospheres (Krueger, 2021).…”

Research Subjects, Participants or Co‐researchers? Extending the Involvement of Students in Art and Design Research

“…Art teachers know that their subject is both a way of knowing and being, as well as providing knowledge and skills in, for and about practice (Hetland et al 2007). The dialogue-based relationships and person-focused conversations that art teachers develop with students can be seen as simply being more relaxed and friendly but are often seen by students as more adult and more trusting (Thomson & Hall 2021). But these teacher-student connections and conversations are profoundly pedagogical, integral to the diagnosis of areas of development, negotiation of topics and activities and the scaffolding of technical growth and critical capacities.…”