Teacher-Student Interaction in Situations of Spontaneous Learning Independence in Primary Schoolchildren in Art Lessons within the System of Developmental Instruction

The paper describes outcomes of a pilot study on the features of interaction between a teacher and a child in art lessons within the system of developmental instruction. Two types of learning independence are reviewed: independence of performance — that is, when the child independently performs something familiar, repeating what the teacher has just explained or done; and independence of initiative — that is, when the child independently applies the general means of artistic activity while carrying out learning and creative tasks. We suppose that the second type of learning independence can be realized to the full extent in the process and outcomes of creative tasks, when the children design and implement their own, exclusive ideas in their drawings, sculptures and other handmade artifacts. Basing on our observations, it was revealed that the independence of initiative develops only if the teacher and the students actively interact with each other, when the teacher’s questions and actions stimulate the children to look out for different assessments (of their actions and outcomes) and to search not for one, but for many different ways of solving learning and creative tasks. Similarly, if the teacher spontaneously avoids or even deliberately ignores such situations in which the students look out for different ways of implementing their ideas, then the children’s independence of initiative simply disappears. The paper concludes with some suggestions concerning the relevant research tasks and techniques.

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