Survey Questionnaire 2010-2011 – Findings

Although I only managed to get 8 students to answer the questionnaire this year, the results are very encouraging. They show that only 2 out of 8 students had done ceramics before the foundation course and 1 of these had only done one workshop. The standard this year was incredible, given that the teaching hours were cut to 5 hours a day, for 2 days a week, and that the final show was almost 8 weeks earlier than previous years.

7 out of the 8 students chose ceramics as their main subject, with 5 of the 8 continuing onto a BA ceramics course. 75% of the students made a glaze from raw materials, made a glaze test tile, and learnt how to read the glaze test tile during the course.

Similar figures resulted this year for the majority of students who used the skills sharing chart and learning a technique from a fellow student.

The results are convincing me to continue to use the skills sharing chart, and encourage the use of test tiles and experiments. With the merging of the foundation courses of Wimbledon, Camberwell, and Chelsea at a new site in Camberwell for the coming 2011-2012 intake of 750 students, sadly, ceramics is no longer being offered as a subject.

Survey Questionnaire 2010-2011

Here are the results from a survey with this year’s students at Wimbledon College of Art, 2010 – 2011. I asked exactly the same questions as i did in my action research project last year. Right now I don’t have photographs of everybody’s work, but I hope to post more when additional images become available.  This survey was conducted with eight students.

The purpose of this survey is because I want to repeat the Action Research questionnaire that I conducted for my Action Research project in 2009-10. Last year’s survey results are here – see Appendix 7. 2010-2011 students’ work and survey responses are in separate posts below.

SURVEY RESPONSES 2010-2011

	“I have made a glaze from raw chemicals using scales”	“I have done ceramics before coming to foundation”	“I learnt how to read a glaze test tile during my ceramics foundation course”	“I chose ceramics as my main subject”	I am going on to a ceramic BA course	I have made a glaze test tileAnd /or glaze test and/or any other test or experiment
yes	6	2	7	7	5	6
no	2	6	1	1	3	2

	I learnt a technique from a fellow student	I taught a fellow student a technique	I shared my thoughts about another students work with them	I discussed my glaze test results with other students if they asked me to	I found help from other students essential on days with no staff in the studio	I found the chart for skill sharing really helpful
yes	7	6	7	6	6	6
no	1	2	1	2	2	2

Student E.H.

	I have made a glaze from raw chemicals using scales	I have done ceramics before coming to foundation	I learnt how to read a glaze test tile during my ceramics foundation course	I chose ceramics as my main subject	I am going on to a ceramic BA course	I have made a glaze test tileAnd /or glaze test and/or any other test or experiment
yes	√		√	√	√	√
no		√

	I learnt a technique from a fellow student	I taught a fellow student a technique	I shared my thoughts about another students work with them	I discussed my glaze test results with other students if they asked me to	I found help from other students essential on days with no staff in the studio	I found the chart for skill sharing really helpful
Yes	√	√	√	√	√	√
No

Thank you for helping me out with my action research project.
Did you find doing glaze tests and experiments helpful or not?

Why?

Student E.H.

Yes I found them helpful because it gave me knowledge about a glaze. And it was a good experience of trial and error, so that the next time I would not make the same mistake.

Student R.L.

Did not complete a survey, but here is the work:

Student A.I.

	I have made a glaze from raw chemicals using scales	I have done ceramics before coming to foundation	I learnt how to read a glaze test tile during my ceramics foundation course	I chose ceramics as my main subject	I am going on to a ceramic BA course	I have made a glaze test tileAnd /or glaze test and/or any other test or experiment
yes			√
no	√	√		√	√	√

	I learnt a technique from a fellow student	I taught a fellow student a technique	I shared my thoughts about another students work with them	I discussed my glaze test results with other students if they asked me to	I found help from other students essential on days with no staff in the studio	I found the chart for skill sharing really helpful
Yes	√					√
Nn		√	√	√	√

Thank you for helping me out with my action research project.
Did you find doing glaze tests and experiments helpful or not?

Why?

Student A.I.

They were extremely helpful because they helped with seeing how a colour would look and how a piece of work might look when it is ready after firing.