FINE AND APPLIED ARTS

ACRYLIC PAINTING ON A PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION OF READING CULTURE AMONG STUDENTS IN FINE ART

ACRYLIC PAINTING ON A PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION OF READING CULTURE AMONG STUDENTS IN FINE ART

Abstract

Reading is the beginning of a learning process and so reading has a lot to do with the academic performance of a student. the research work which dwells on leading culture at fine art students of IMT is timely and of immense importance because the fine art as part of the skills in studying their course. The research notice that leading with kindle most times affect the artists site art there old age. The research work looks at the introduction, which include among other things, the research problems and limitations. It also looks at the review of related literature for what other authors said about reading culture. It also enumerated those conditions to adequate reading culture. This work also looked at the methodology and sources of data subsequently the data collected were analyzed and recommendation also made. The researcher finally recommends ways by which the fine art students of IMT will improve their reading habit. The recommendation, if taken by the student will go a long way to improve their reading culture. This work is divided into five chapters. Chapter comprises of brief introduction of the study to the limitation of the study and challenges to the aims and objective of the study, scope, definition of terms and sources of data. The chapter two is made up of the review of related literature on reading culture. Chapter three deals on methodology on quality of materials used. The fourth chapter dealt on the project analysis and chapter includes the conclusion and recommendation for further study.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Reading, one of the most fundamental building blocks of learning, is a process that requires the use of complex thought processes to interpret printed symbols as meaningful units, and to comprehend them as a thought unit in order to understand a printed message (Aina, Ogungbemi, Adigun, & Ogundipe, 2011, p. 1; Onuoha, Unegbu, & Umahi, 2013, p. 2). In other words, reading is a process of decoding symbols in order to derive or construct meaning. Reading is, therefore, vital for everyday activities of being better informed, sharpening and shaping the mind, rational and objective reasoning leading to greatness in life. Reading is also said to be an encapsulating process which is integrative in nature, and which affects the reader’s perceptual, cognitive, and affective domains (Oriogu 2013, p. 61). Simply put, reading is not just for school, it is for life! It is affirmed that humans are capable of transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations through reading. This confirms the assertion that success in school or any life endeavor is dependent on a good foundation in reading competence (Oriogu, 2013, p. 61).

Reading has been said to be the only form of entertainment that is also an essential life skill. Gentile (1976, p. 378) argues that “reading allows an individual the opportunity to grow and develop insights into life and the world at large. Thus, he is able to make effective decisions that lead to personal health and happiness”. Reading is one of the most rewarding pursuits in life and an art that is central to human development. Therefore, developing a reading culture is pertinent to success in life.

Reading culture is the process of building up a positive reading attitude. This is when reading becomes a part of the individual’s life and not only certain aspects, such as school or work. Phillip (2005, p. 1) affirms that reading is not just for the acquisition of literacy, but also for the cultivation of the habit of reading when he stated:

Giving someone literacy skills is rather like teaching a person to drive and then giving them only a few drops of petrol to practice with – the machine is perfect and the driving skill has been acquired but it is not yet an automatic skill because there has not been enough practice. Once the fuel runs out, the driving skill becomes useless and begins to deteriorate. With a harnessed reading culture, on the other hand, the person is provided with a continuous supply of easily processed fuel so that the new driver can go places, can get to enjoy driving and can eventually realize the limitless possibilities it opens up.

Reading culture is best developed in the formative years of the child. This is why reading should be a major part of the school curriculum and also, an instrument of thoroughly understanding the subject-matter of any school subject.  Reading is one of the fundamental skills which students are expected to acquire through the process of schooling without which there would possibly be no other means of achieving academic success (Oyewole, 2017, p. 92).

1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

A good reading habit has been established as essential for academic success. It stands to reason then that the more students read, the better their academic performance; and the higher they move up the academic ladder, the more they ought to engage in reading. However, it seems the social media with its features of dynamism, visual appeal, and brevity is making students engage less in reading. This effect of loss of interest in reading is greater on science students than on their counterparts in the arts who tend to have a greater motivation for reading. With the intent of assessing if class level affects reading habits, this research examines fine art students of IMT Enugu.  Do they read more, or less, as they progress in school?

1.3    OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This study is embarked upon with the following objectives;

i.  To assess reading culture of fine art student of IMT.

ii.  To evaluate the level of interest of fine art students of IMT in terms of reading.

iii.  To examine the extent to which leading culture help the student in fine art department.

iv.  To determine the factors contributing to the bad leading culture of fine art student of IMT.

1.4      RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i.  How do you assess the reading culture of fine art student of IMT?

ii.  What is the level of interest of fine art students of IMT in terms of reading?

iii.  To what extent does the leading culture help the student in fine art department?

iv.  What are the factors contributing to the bad leading culture of fine art student of IMT?

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of the study is to use an acrylic painting to represent a reading culture among students in fine art department. This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

No doubt in a study of this nature, one will expect much but the research work is limited to fine arts students in IMT which is a faculty that is comprised of several department which include painting, sculpture, textile, graphics etc.

1.7   LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

During the course of doing this project, the research project encountered hindrances such as;

Financial Cost: Money was involved such as buying of board, transporting the board to the studio, buying of colours (acrylic) brush and all these materials involves finance.

The etching to the glass:  The etching of glass also took a lot of thing before the silver coating was properly removed.

Safety: Where to keep the board was a problem as the weather was not favorable for the word it was losing its shape.