Interpreting Through Drawings

Abstract

Our present disposition to value wilderness is a consequence of its rapid disappearance. An awareness of nature conservation is also a relatively recent phenomenon in Malta. Malta is a small archipelago with limited endemic wildlife, and over a third of its surface area is occupied by building. The educational potential and role in biological learning of dioramas has been, quite recently, documented by various researchers (Ash, Curator 47(1):84–100, 2004; Piqueras et al. Journal of Museum Education 33(2):153–164, 2008; Reiss and Tunnicliffe, Paper presented at the Restructuring Science Education Through Research, 2007; Scheersoi, The important role of Natural History dioramas in biological learning 29:1–40, 2009; Tunnicliffe, Current Trends in Audience Research and Evaluation 18:23–31, 2005). Children stop to observe the exhibits, notice the different forms of animals and plants, the anatomical features of each organism and possible relationships between animals and plants or animals and animals. The child forms his or her concept of wildlife in general and more specifically a concept of the particular wildlife in the exhibit. At dioramas, children construct their own personal knowledge or mental model. Children’s attention is captured by particular features in natural history dioramas, where they pause and start to interpret what they see. Three grade 5 classes (63 pupils) composed of 9–10 year old primary students visited the Natural History Museum of Malta. After the diorama observation, the pupils were given boards to produce a drawing of their favourite diorama on A4 paper using HB and coloured pencils. Drawings were analysed using Altas.ti based on the NCT model of qualitative data analysis, where the three basic components are noticing things, collecting and thinking about things (Friese, Qualitative Data Analysis with Atlas.ti, London, Sage, 2012: 92). Results show which dioramas capture the children’s attention most. Also, which features in the dioramas are expressed in the drawings, particulary the animal types and physical features selected. Children explain their choice of diorama and influence on drawing as well as the limitations encountered while drawing.

Conclusions

The local habitat dioramas at the NHM in Malta are relatively small, placed in a narrow corridor with dim lighting and no panels. In comparison to Natural History dioramas in Europe and North America, those in Malta would seem quite unimpressive. Yet these dioramas attracted the attention of the visiting pupils who interacted with the exhibits actively. The boys and girls shifted from one diorama to the adjacent ones, while noting and commenting on what they were observing. Certain features in the dioramas grab the children’s attention who stop and interpret what they see. In this context, the dioramas may be considered a museum object described as an artefact containing animal and plant specimens in an ecological relationship. To Hooper-Greenhill (2000) objects do not exist outside interpretations of their meaning and significance. Their interpretation is rooted in existing experience and knowledge, while always being targets for feelings and actions (pg. 104). Person-object interaction leads to ‘situational interest’ that emerges in response to situational cues. In non-formal, free learning environments this situational interest is vital to learning. A more profound form of ‘individual interest’, that develops over time and exists within the person, may ensue from situational interest (Scheersoi 2009, p. 11).

Most of the pupils (90 %) managed to draw a diorama, while only two did not have a favourite, which indicates that pupils were positively influenced by the exhibits. The diorama as the object created the situational interest for the visit. A familiar place with children is internal yard of traditional Maltese houses and this could explain why the Rural Yard featured most frequently (33 %) in the drawings. Children seem to notice most features (22) in the rural yard diorama. However, the Agrifield and the Sand Dune were also commonly selected and represent two sites frequently encountered in the countryside and at the sea-side. This is another indication that interest arises from recognition of the familiar. It must be noted that choice of diorama was also affected by actual or perceived difficulty in drawing. It is crucial not to overlook the question of discrepancy between (cognitive) competence and (drawing) performance. Piaget and Inhelder have shown that there are performance problems associated with drawing (Piaget 1967, p. 71). We also need to consider children’s growing control over visual resources and their feeling of confidence in the situation (Hopperstad 2010, p. 432).

The predominance of animals is clear with almost half the number of items in drawings coded as animals. The general trend showing that animals are the most noticed and plants appreciably less was observed in each diorama type. A good number (75 %) of drawings featured a least one plant, but the total number of plants (19 %) was half that of animals (46 %). The apparent child disregard for plants has been previously reported in literature. Human artefacts (man made structures) seem to be more important to children than plants. The man made structures are quite prominent in the dioramas and so easily noticeable by the visitor. Also most of these items are familiar to children such as the colourful Maltese fishing boat or the rubble wall.

An interesting observation was that almost half (47 %) the drawings contained a feature not present in the dioramas. That is evidence of the tendency to insert organisms or objects from outside the diorama. For example, the beach diorama (showing the colourful boat) does not have a painted background of a blue sky with the sun and the palm trees, but the children drew them anyway. This study was conducted in Malta, an island where children are used to the predominant sunny weather with blue skies all year round and very limited cloud. It seems that the children produced a representation of a typical Maltese beach from their memory with the usual blue sky and the sun.

Apart from content, the drawings were also analyzed in relation to diorama composition. Composition refers to the degree of graphical closeness between the drawing and the actual diorama setting. Most drawings contained a low number of animals and plants present in the diorama. Few children included more than half the animals and plants in the diorama, while they tend to draw more of the physical features of the setting. Children missed the less conspicuous biota or omitted what they could not draw. There is a tendency to notice the larger animals or the unusual or unexpected.

Notably, most drawings (70 %) display all items in the same place as they occur in the diorama indicating an accurate spatial perception. The viewing of the dioramas acts as a trigger for children to assemble their related memories about the topic and compile a personal representation of the topic. In drawing, children record selective features that they find most relevant. These are generally connected with their personal experiences of everyday observations of animals around, media representations and narratives. Dioramas enhance situational interest when they induce emotional reactions and offer reference to allow different visitors to relate to prior experiences to the object observed.