The Experiences and Influences of the Elderly Participating in Community Art Learning： The Case Study of the Happiness Community

• Main Authors: Tong,Yin-Zhen, 童寅榛
• Other Authors: Lee,Ching-Fang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2019
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/k7u9x6

碩士 === 國立彰化師範大學 === 美術學系 === 107 === Art learning activity enables senior citizens’ health mentally and physically alike while enriching the life in their late years. Hence, the author went into Happiness Community in hopes of creating a learning environment for the elderly via the mode of art learning. There are three objectives in this study - (1) understanding the experiences of the elderly engaging community art learning: to learn about the motives of the elderly in engaging community art learning and to capture the process of such; (2) investigating the influence of community art learning on the elderly: to probe into the influences of community art learning on the elderly physically and mentally as well as on the application in life. The study is a qualitative case study following the design of Multiple Case Research that interviewed nine senior members in the senior art program in Happiness Community aged 55 years old or above and having enrolled for at least three terms in that program in an attempt to probe into the experience of the elderly engaging community art learning and the influence on the elderly. Methods of interview survey and observation are employed for the collection of data. The pertaining materials for analysis are as follows: interview records of the subjects, pictures of the subjects’ works and of the activities, records of in-class observation, and records of students’ reflections. Based on the data analysis, the findings of this study are as follows: 1. The motives for the elderly to participate in art learning: (1) self development is the preliminary motive for the elderly to engage in learning; (2) self realization is the vital motive for the elderly to continually to engage learning; (3) support and encouragement from the family is the motivation for the elderly to keep learning; and (4) learning in proximity is an important concern for the elderly to engage community learning. 2. The process of the elderly engaging community art learning: (1) Initial Stage: transition from hesitation and not knowing where to start with at the beginning to coarse lines and immature forms demonstrated but willing to experiment with multiple creative practices; (2) Mid-term Stage: painting becoming a hobby and habit thanks to a constant practice and persistence, whereas the observation toward things in life and the surrounding changes the perception toward aesthetics; and (3) Late Stage: the stabilizing performance with more sophisticated lines as a personal style and characteristic are developed. 3. The effects of community art learning: (1) art learning enables the elderly in finding the peace within and concentrating their minds, while helping ignore pains of the body; (b) the ability to observe and of aesthetics are elevated while the breadth of life and the horizon of art are expanded; and (3) the increased interpersonal interaction and community activity participation empowers the elderly in productivity. In terms of pedagogy, based on the observation, the study revealed that the courses the elderly were fond of were courses on sketching, papercut art, and Zentangle; the tools and mediums the elderly liked were those that are convenient and easy to carry and accessible like colored pencils and sketchbook; the themes for creation the elderly preferred were flower, potted plants, and small animals; educators for senior learning have to be equipped with Taiwanese competence and to be able to establish and maintain a good relationship with the elderly; and the reasons why the elderly ceased learning were factors attributable to interest, to family, to physical health, or to other reasons. Regarding the findings on community development, the study discovered that it increased the elderly’s knowledge as well as their participation in the community, that the demonstration of outcomes promoted the reputation of the community, and that it became a prototype for community care center. The results of this study shall serve as a reference for senior learners, educators in senior learning, and relevant institutions in social art education while facilitating the promotion of community art learning development.