Depth of concept lacking

When I did a comparison in how well the Sec 3NA and Sec 4NA Art pupils are coping with their Painting and Drawing paper, there is quite a wide gap in their achievement levels in conceptualising ideas even when discounting the difference in the length of exposure each has been exposed to the syllabus. The younger group had largely responded to the questions in very direct, superficial and frivolous ways even after they were shown lots of examples of good work. This worries me.

The make up of the 2 groups are very different, the 4NA group this year had always been in the same class as the Sec 4E group since last year and has benefitted from the exposure of the comparatively more robust thinking and interpretive abilities of the latter. There is always some form of excellence to measure up to and pupils learn quickly to adapt so as to keep up. This is largely done through a transparent review and assessment model which encourages questions, comparisons and critique.

To bridge the gap in the 3NA's ability to conceptualise more thoughful ideas, they will need to be exposed to a more challenging environment where there is someone who is significantly stronger to model after. Perhaps I will start getting some Sec 4s to carry out coursework presentation to the Sec 3s. The older group will get clearer as they deliberate their concept to their juniors while the younger group will get a chance to ask questions from their seniors about their approaches. Both will benefit from this exchange.