In addition to assisting in the development of general cognitive processes and skills, working with clay can potentially also benefit students academically. When observing these potential academic benefits, it is essential to note that there is yet to be direct evidence discovered of the academic benefits of any art medium or a causal relationship established between art education and academic achievement (Hetland et al., 2013). Rather, only correlations have been discovered between the two (Hetland et al., 2013). For example, in a study by Vaughn and Winner (2000) of students’ SAT scores, a correlation was discovered between students who had taken any type of high school art course and improved SAT math and verbal scores.
Although only a correlation has been established between art education and academic performance, art education, and clay instruction specifically, can help students acquire important dispositions, or studio habits of mind, which can possibly benefit students in other subject areas (Hetland et al., 2013). These eight studio habits of mind include develop craft, engage and persist, envision, express, observe, reflect, stretch and explore, and understand art world (Hetland et al., 2013). Interestingly, in some ways these studio habits of mind are analogous to many of the mental habits required of students in other subjects, such as math, history, literature, and writing (Hetland et al., 2013). For instance, just as students can learn to engage and persist while working on a ceramics tiling project in art class that spans for many weeks as they must persevere and remain focused on the task at hand, students can acquire a similar habit of mind when completing a research project for science class that requires them to maintain interest in their topic and to pace themselves in completing the project on time (Hetland et al., 2013).
The key to releasing the potential for the studio habits of mind to positively impact students academically is for these dispositions to be transferred from art to other subject areas (Hetland et al., 2013). According to Hetland et al. (2013), transference of the studio habits of mind to other subjects is not guaranteed since, although other academic subjects require mental habits which can be likened to the studio habits of mind from art class, each of these subjects is different, and, therefore, the specific habits required of each subject are unique, as well. Verifying whether the transference of studio habits of mind has occurred in students from art to other subject areas is, however, extremely difficult to determine and is still undergoing study (Hetland & Heller, 2017). Therefore, art students must be guided in applying these dispositions across multiple subject areas, such as through the integration of interdisciplinary projects, so that they are more likely to realize and apply the comparable disposition learned in art to learning tasks in other subjects (Hetland et al., 2013).
Nevertheless, clay can be a great medium or tool for teaching, learning, reinforcing, and expressing abstract concepts from art class as well as from other subjects. According to Hetland, art education can provide students with “…essential tools for thinking and communication” (Hetland & Heller, 2017, p. 15). For instance, at the most direct level, the hands-on medium of clay can help increase students’ comprehension of many art concepts from art class, such as the elements of art, including shape, form, space, and texture (Williams, 2015). As Golomb (1992) explains, compared to traditional two-dimensional media, clay provides students with both a new opportunity to communicate their thoughts and ideas as well as a fresh lens for visualizing abstract art concepts. For instance, if students had previous difficulty comprehending the term form when creating a painting, working with the three-dimensional medium of clay could help the student visualize the meaning of the term (Golomb, 1992).
In addition, several studies have revealed how interdisciplinary art projects and activities, specifically using the medium of clay, have aided student comprehension, memory, and interest in core subject areas. In a study, conducted by Harris and Matthews (2009), of a collaborative unit taught in both a math and an art course, students analyzed ceramic vessels in both subjects. While students applied mathematical concepts to analyze clay pots in math class, in art class, students created clay vessels while observing the same mathematical concepts taught in math class. Through the creation of a clay vessel, the abstract math concepts of ratios, angles, measurements, curves, and perpendicular lines, were made more tangible and concrete for students (Harris & Matthews, 2009). However, the learning did not stop there, for through this interdisciplinary clay project, students’ awareness of the relevance and importance of math class to their everyday lives was increased (Harris & Matthews, 2009).
References
Golomb, C. (1992, September). Art and the young child: Another look at the developmental question. Educational Resources Information Center.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED352163.pdf
Harris, R., & Matthews, C. (2009). Fitting curves to pottery. The Mathematics Teacher, 102(9), 698-704. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20876483
Hetland, L., & Heller, R. (2017). On the goals and outcomes of arts education: An interview with Lois Hetland. The Phi Delta Kappan, 98(7), 15- 20.
Hetland, L., Winner, E., Veenema, S., & Sheridan, K. M. (2013). Studio thinking 2: The real benefits of visual arts education (2nd ed.). Teachers College Press.
Williams, A. (2005). Teacher’s edition: Beginning sculpture. Davis Publications.