An exploration of self -reflection and critical -thinking exhibited in visual -arts students' portfolios at the secondary level

The purpose of this qualitative case study was twofold: to obtain an understanding of the perceptions of secondary-school visual-arts teachers in Northern California who have facilitated portfolios of student artwork as an instructional strategy and to investigate students' written reflections on the characteristics and merits of their artwork exhibited in portfolios. In California Public Schools, the problem is that explicit portfolio criteria and performance assessment tools to measure students' mastery of the California Content Standards for the Visual Arts in grades 9 to 12 do not exist to gauge the degree that a student has met the content standards or to the degree that a school or school district has met the content standards.;This study included seven visual-arts teachers at five high schools in Northern California during the Spring of 2008. The results of the data analysis indicated that visual-arts teachers who developed formal methods for his or her students to reflect upon their artwork, allotted instructional minutes for students to write about their artwork, and provided instructional or assessment materials that ranged from less complex cognitive processes to more complex cognitive processes as an instructional strategy were able to develop students' critical-thinking abilities. Six of the seven visual-arts teachers instructional and assessment materials provided evidences of opportunities for students to think critically. In addition, the four visual-arts teachers who implemented guidelines for students to create portfolios were able to develop their students' portfolio maturation level at higher stages.