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Visual Journaling in Secondary Art Classrooms: A National Survey of Art Teachers

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Title: Visual Journaling in Secondary Art Classrooms: A National Survey of Art Teachers
Language: English
Authors: Rebecca Williams (ORCID 0000-0002-6807-3260), Sara Scott Shields
Source: International Journal of Art & Design Education. 2025 44(3):613-627.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: High School Teachers, Art Teachers, Student Journals, Journal Writing, Art Education, Visual Arts, Observation, Reflection, Discovery Learning, Creativity, Learner Engagement
DOI: 10.1111/jade.12569
ISSN: 1476-8062
1476-8070
Abstract: Visual journals are reflective learning journals that engage the active and purposeful exploration and incorporation of art mediums and visual imagery into the journaling process. This paper focused on the ways that visual journals might be enacted in K-12 classrooms. We begin by introducing the four ways New (2005) identified that artists, scientists, and directors use visual journals to attune them to the world: observation, reflection, exploration and creation. We then connect New's categories to research on how visual journals connect K-12 students to these artistic practices. The remainder of the paper presents findings from phase one of our instrumental, collective case study of how visual journals are used by secondary art teachers. Phase one is a national survey of high school art teachers who use visual journals in their classrooms. This paper presents the descriptive survey data from these participants in an effort to define and describe visual journals in practice, discuss the frequency and qualities of student engagement, and explore how teachers are using visual journals to support curricular goals. We will use these findings to guide phase two of the study, which involves interviews with teachers who participated in the survey.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1481474
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0187503048;q0t01aug.25;2025Aug26.04:59;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0187503048-1">Visual Journaling in Secondary Art Classrooms: A National Survey of Art Teachers </title> <p>Visual journals are reflective learning journals that engage the active and purposeful exploration and incorporation of art mediums and visual imagery into the journaling process. This paper focused on the ways that visual journals might be enacted in K‐12 classrooms. We begin by introducing the four ways New (2005) identified that artists, scientists, and directors use visual journals to attune them to the world: observation, reflection, exploration and creation. We then connect New's categories to research on how visual journals connect K‐12 students to these artistic practices. The remainder of the paper presents findings from phase one of our instrumental, collective case study of how visual journals are used by secondary art teachers. Phase one is a national survey of high school art teachers who use visual journals in their classrooms. This paper presents the descriptive survey data from these participants in an effort to define and describe visual journals in practice, discuss the frequency and qualities of student engagement, and explore how teachers are using visual journals to support curricular goals. We will use these findings to guide phase two of the study, which involves interviews with teachers who participated in the survey.</p> <p>Keywords: art education; creative process; reflective practice; secondary; student engagement; visual journals</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-2">Introduction</hd> <p>Sketchbooks have been part of artistic practice as long as artists have been making art. Traditionally used for planning and visioning, sketchbooks have evolved to also include reflection, signifying a shift that is associated with a term coined by Grauer & Naths ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref1">15</reflink>]), <emph>visual journals</emph>. Visual journaling, see Figure 1, a dynamic and reflective practice that integrates art mediums and visual imagery into the journaling process, has captured the interest of artists, educators, and researchers alike. This method, which began gaining significant traction in the late 1990s, has been explored extensively in literature (Wilson [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref2">36</reflink>]; Irwin <emph>et al</emph>. [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref3">19</reflink>]; Jones [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref4">20</reflink>]; LaJevic & Springgay [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref5">21</reflink>]; Gouzouasis [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref6">12</reflink>]; Sinner [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref7">31</reflink>]; Williams & Debban [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref8">35</reflink>]). Early pioneering work by Grauer (Grauer [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref9">13</reflink>]; Grauer & Naths [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref10">15</reflink>]; Grauer & Irwin [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref11">14</reflink>]) laid the foundation for the widespread adoption of visual journals in various contexts, from arts‐based research to art therapy. The appeal of visual journaling lies in its ability to foster deep engagement and reflection, allowing individuals to document their thoughts, observations, and creative processes through a rich interplay of images and text. For art educators,[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref12">1</reflink>] visual journals offer a unique platform for students to explore and articulate their artistic identities.</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/Q0T/01aug25/jade12569-fig-0001.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="jade12569-fig-0001.jpg" title="1 What is a Visual Journal?" /> </p> <p></p> <p>As two preservice educators, we are deeply invested in using visual journals in our own classrooms, but have found that students are always interested in how they might bring visual journals with them into their jobs as art educators. In an attempt to better understand how secondary teachers are using visual journals in their classrooms, we conducted a national survey asking secondary art teachers to share information about the ways they are using journals in their classrooms. This article shares and analyses findings from that survey. By examining the implementation, benefits, and challenges of visual journaling, we aim to provide insights into how teachers are using journals to impact students' learning. Our findings contribute to the broader discourse on the role of visual journals in art education and their potential to foster artistic identity and critical thinking among secondary students.</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-4">Literature review</hd> <p>New ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref13">26</reflink>]) investigated how journals are used in the everyday practice of artists, scientists and directors. As she interviewed and reviewed the work of these creatives, she developed four categories that broadly conceptualise journals as receptacles for observation, reflection, exploration, and creation. We used these four categories early in the project to develop our survey questions and then later in the project as early guideposts to begin investigating the themes that emerged from our coding. The sections that follow connect New's ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref14">26</reflink>]) categories to research on visual journals to begin our exploration of how the visual journal creates a space for the artistic practices of observation, reflection, exploration, and creation in educational settings.</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-5">Observation</hd> <p>The most elemental purpose of a journal is to serve as a place to record observation ... Journals devoted to unadulterated observation tend to have a scientific bent ... it takes a certain premeditated dedication to get down just how things are ... life offers a myriad of patterns, but our eyes must be open to see them. (New [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref15">26</reflink>], 20, 21)</p> <p>One of the most obvious ways that visual journals can be enacted in K‐12 education is to ask young people to use journals to observe the world around them. This kind of observational work is akin to the ways that researchers use field journals to visually record the goings on of their research sites (Shields [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref16">30</reflink>]). Through the process of drawing their world through close observation, young people might begin to generate both a literal and metaphorical understanding about their worlds (Messenger [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref17">24</reflink>]). Seekins ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref18">28</reflink>], 2) describes this practice saying, "[I] keep track of my concerns, my observations, my hobbies, my travels, my pet peeves.... Sometimes I just write down where I went and what I did in banal, uninspiring words, because life's minutiae are part of who I am too." The practice of observing the world allows young people to both tune into what things look like and pay closer attention to how these things contribute to their own understanding of self in relation to the world. In this way, the visual journal can be used explicitly to help guide students through learning <emph>how</emph> to do something, like draw from life, while also allowing them to think deeper about the world (Loerts & Belcher [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref19">23</reflink>]).</p> <p>One way that observation has been discussed in the literature is through the lens of <emph>noticing details</emph> (Willcox [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref20">34</reflink>]). Willcox ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref21">34</reflink>]) discussed the practice of <emph>noticing details</emph> in visual journals as highlighting a significant aspect of art education, particularly in creating a supportive and intellectually stimulating classroom environment. This observational use of journals emphasises the importance of perceiving details for artists and students alike. It suggests that a range of observational activities like paying attention to individuals, focusing on parts of their art, and observing social interactions between students are crucial for developing a positive class climate. This practice not only celebrates the final art product but also values the process of creating and perceiving, highlighting the importance of scaffolding the process of observing as both a literal and conceptual activity. This approach aligns with educational philosophies that emphasise the significance of heightened awareness and continued observation in experiential learning and growth.</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-6">Reflection</hd> <p>The journal's primary purpose is to serve as a place for its author to sort ideas and observations. An internal dialogue runs through its pages, of which one contributor said, 'it's the only truly frank conversation I can ever have.' In the end, journals may show more fully than any finished piece what it has meant to be us. (New [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref22">26</reflink>], 18)</p> <p>Visual journals also serve as instruments for personal reflection. They move beyond traditional text‐centred journals by incorporating visual elements like drawing, painting, photographs, collage materials, and a range of other mixed media. In this way, the pages of the visual journal becomes a dynamic internal dialogue that has the potential to capture the author's thoughts, emotions and experiences. This kind of reflective practice can be used in K‐12 settings to have students do reflective writing alongside their images to promote literacy practices (Darke [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref23">8</reflink>]). Studies have also shown that visual journal practices support "the power of transmediation as reflective practice for learning" (Loerts & Belcher [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref24">23</reflink>], 46). These findings support New's ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref25">26</reflink>]) assertion that one of the remarkable aspects of the visual journal is its ability to facilitate multidimensional reflection, where images and visuals work together to convey the nuances of feeling and meaning that words alone are unable to express. For artists, students, creatives, and art teachers the journal provides an opportunity to not just reflect during the creation of the page, but gives the opportunity to return to past entries and witness the evolution of their thoughts, ideas and artistic skills over time. This is reinforced by research supporting the role of embodied cognition and interpretation in the kinds of aesthetic reflection the journal encourages (Costantino [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref26">7</reflink>]).</p> <p>Visual journals are not solely a means of self‐exploration and reflection, but can also serve as a repository for inspiration. Journals encourage individuals to capture and document experiences that shape the arc of creative journeys (De Beer [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref27">9</reflink>]). The visual journal becomes a window into the inner workings of a creative's mind, exposing more about the nuanced work of the creator than finished work ever could (Belcher & Loerts [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref28">3</reflink>]; New [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref29">26</reflink>]). As a tool for reflection, visual journals offer the opportunity for the participant "to deliberate on the spaces in‐between media, their lived experiences and their understandings" (Sinner [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref30">32</reflink>], 512).</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-7">Exploration</hd> <p>It is easier to see when the sights are uncommon, easier to smell when the scents are unfamiliar. The trick, then, is to carry this heightened awareness with us ... by accessing a travel‐like state, an artist can capture emotions, colors, and the other raw materials that make their work ring true ... examples of the creative mind's ability to 'slip through the curtain of the ordinary,' as Iyer has put it. (New [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref31">26</reflink>], 90)</p> <p>Visual journals serve as a valuable tool for exploration, allowing individuals to delve into the relationships between new experiences (Williams & Debban [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref32">35</reflink>]) and discover new aspects of familiar places and people (Seekins [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref33">28</reflink>]). Through the act of journaling, individuals can visually document their observations, interactions and experiences, offering a unique perspective on their surroundings (Ferris [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref34">11</reflink>]). By regularly engaging with visual journaling, individuals can develop a deeper understanding of the world around them, noticing nuances and details that may have previously gone unnoticed. This process of exploration can lead to new insights, connections, and discoveries. Williams & Debban ([<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref35">35</reflink>], 22) explore this idea saying visual journals 'could be a rich pedagogical tool enabling students to make connections with one another as they share personal knowledge and consider different perspectives'.</p> <p>Visually exploring connections, surroundings and experiences, can spark curiosity and encourage individuals to see their world differently. Additionally, visual journaling allows for personal growth and self‐exploration, as participants gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world through their visual narratives (Cao [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref36">6</reflink>]). Visual journaling can become a powerful tool for self‐exploration, fostering critical thinking and enhancing students' learning experiences in classrooms outside of the arts as well (Hash [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref37">17</reflink>]). Hash found that through engaged pedagogy (Hooks [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref38">18</reflink>]), students not only expressed excitement and joy during the learning process, but also invested more time and energy into their explorations by creating images and reflecting on experiences. Their work suggests that visual journaling "invited students to become active learners who explored multiple ways of understanding, made thoughtful decisions, and conceptualized in new ways course content and their lived experiences" (Hash [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref39">17</reflink>], 10). As a tool for exploration, visual journals offer a new, more tactile way of exploring course content, developing understanding of ideas, and creating an artefact that represents this learning (Shields [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref40">29</reflink>]; Messenger [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref41">24</reflink>]; Cao [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref42">6</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-8">Creation</hd> <p>A journal of creation serves as witness, scribe, and memory. It is a continuing dialog of the creative impulse from inkling to eventual realization. At its completion (whether the pages are filled or not depends on the person and the project; sometimes a half‐filled journal is inexorably complete), a journal is a record of a creative passage, providing proof that the greatest pleasure is often connecting to the making, not the end product. (New [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref43">26</reflink>], 152)</p> <p>The journal can be used for both the creation of new work, but also for the creation of meaning. Research suggests that visual journals can serve as a powerful tool for children to not just express, but create their thoughts, emotions, and experiences, particularly in response to significant events. While this use of visual journals as a reflection medium for daily activities highlights their value as a means of self‐expression and self‐reflection for children, they also provide a window into understanding, through their drawings, how children create and convey their awareness of the world around them and their ways of processing and making sense of their experiences. Some children use their visual journals to invite viewers to interact with their narratives, while others express a range of emotions, providing a glimpse into their emotional experiences (Afinidyani & Sihombing [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref44">1</reflink>]).</p> <p>The visual journal serves as more than just a repository for in‐process thinking and exploration; it is a space where the process of creation is documented. In this context, creation is not merely about producing polished artwork but also about capturing the journey of creative thinking and meandering exploration (Peck & Modler [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref45">27</reflink>]). It is through this process that true creation unfolds, as ideas take shape, evolve and transform over time. The act of creation lies in "the hands‐on messiness of tactile material and the complications of the undeletable" (Peck & Modler [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref46">27</reflink>], 194). This reflective practice is crucial in art classrooms, as it allows students to gain deeper insights into their creative processes and decision‐making (Bradshaw [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref47">5</reflink>]; Bertling [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref48">4</reflink>]). This becomes a visual diary of creative inquiry, capturing not only the final outcomes but also the moments of observation, exploration, and reflection along the way. This process‐oriented understanding of creation emphasises the value of multiple iterations, or working in and over, again and again (Modler & Peck [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref49">25</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-9">Design and methods</hd> <p>With an understanding of how visual journals are being enacted in preservice, higher education and artistic practice, there is relatively little research published on how K‐12 art teachers are using visual journals. Therefore, we are in the midst of conducting an instrumental, collective case study (Stake [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref50">33</reflink>]) of practising art teachers to expand on the existing literature. The study explores the following research questions:</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> How do secondary art teachers use visual journals in their curriculum development, lesson planning, and general day‐to‐day classroom encounters?</item> <p></p> <item> In what ways do secondary art teachers use visual journals to support students' development?</item> </ulist> <p>By exploring these questions across a wide range of 9th–12th grade[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref51">2</reflink>] art teachers, our collective case study design will support a broad understanding of the ways visual journals are used in classrooms.</p> <p>The study began with a national survey to identify instrumental cases of high school art teachers who use visual journals in their classrooms. The study consists of two research phases, the first being an exploration of survey data and the second a series of follow‐up interviews asking teachers to expand on the themes revealed through the analysis of the survey data. To begin this study, we designed a Qualtrics survey to disseminate over the social networking sites NAEA Collaborate, Facebook, and Instagram. To self‐select into the study, participants had to first acknowledge consent and then confirm they were actively teaching art at a secondary school. Of the 65 surveys started, a total of 43 participants both met the self‐identified requirements and completed the entire survey. This paper presents the descriptive survey data from these participants in an effort to define and describe visual journals in practice, discuss the frequency and qualities of student engagement, and explore how teachers are using visual journals to support curricular goals.</p> <p>We used the coding method outlined by Auerbach & Silverstein ([<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref52">2</reflink>]) to conduct constant comparison, thematic analysis to analyse the survey data. To discover patterns across the cases, we looked for repeating ideas within teachers' survey responses and marked these with codes. Initial coding was done separately by the co‐researchers in an attempt at investigator triangulation (Denzin [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref53">10</reflink>]). We also utilised Denzin's ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref54">10</reflink>]) data source triangulation protocol since each case, or teacher's classroom visual journaling experience, served as a unique data source to provide insight into the phenomenon under study. To further increase the credibility of our analysis, we strove to ensure our coding carried consistent meaning across different cases. After the initial coding, the researchers returned to the data together to discuss the codes, engage in several rereadings of the data to refine the codes across cases, and finally develop theoretical constructs. Lastly, we will present rich descriptions of our theoretical constructs that integrate participants' quotes from multiple cases in order to support transferability (Lincoln & Guba [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref55">22</reflink>]) for readers.</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-10">Findings</hd> <p>Ninety‐six percent of survey respondents reported that their students utilise journals three or more days a week. Figure 2 visualises the various kinds of work that the teachers encourage students to do in their visual journals.</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/Q0T/01aug25/jade12569-fig-0002.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="jade12569-fig-0002.jpg" title="2 Type of Work Teachers Encourage Within Visual Journals." /> </p> <p></p> <p>Their responses hint at the complexity of journals and why they evade clean linear definitions and descriptions.</p> <p>We also asked survey respondents to identify which of New's ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref56">26</reflink>]) four categories of journals relate to how they use visual journals in their classrooms: observation, reflection, exploration, and creation. An additional option of "Other" was offered to allow participants to submit uses outside of New's categories. As seen in Figure 3, teachers readily identified with New's categories but they somewhat favoured exploration and creation over observation and reflection. When we evaluated the six responses in the "Other" category, we quickly saw that these were related to researching and developing ideas for project planning and we believe these processes are embedded within New's four categories. Therefore, New's categories seemed to work as a framework for synthesising the vast ways that teachers reported their students are using visual journals.</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/Q0T/01aug25/jade12569-fig-0003.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="jade12569-fig-0003.jpg" title="3 How Teachers Use Visual Journals in Their Classrooms." /> </p> <p></p> <p>As we moved into analysing the survey data, we began by using New's ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref57">26</reflink>]) categories as guideposts for investigating the themes that emerged from our coding. While New's definitions gave us a good starting point, we quickly found that teachers were identifying uses of journals in ways that reached outside of, expanded upon, and reimagined New's four categories within their open‐ended survey responses. The remainder of the paper will provide a preliminary understanding of our research questions by presenting our findings from teachers' open‐ended responses.</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-13">Observation</hd> <p>New ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref58">26</reflink>]) identified the visual journal as a tool that promotes observation. One of our teachers discussed a similar desire for their students to "see the world through an artist's lens." They explained that visual journals help students observe the world closely, focusing on its authentic colours, textures, smells, tastes and sounds, rather than relying on the generic labels typically used to describe it. This directly aligns with New's understanding of how artists' work within visual journals promotes close looking and documentation of rich observations.</p> <p>While observation might be rendering from life, other teachers voiced that journals can be used to observe one's life. Three teachers used the name "visual diary" interchangeably for visual journal while discussing this personal observation. One of these teachers explained how students "visually document their lives" by embedding materials they collect throughout life experiences. She elaborated:</p> <p>We talk a lot about the ephemera that we accumulate in life and the visual diary is a fantastic place to utilize that material. The visual journal in turn becomes a living document that makes a connection to their place in time and culture.</p> <p>Another teacher noted how students' visual diaries "might lead to a larger art work, and memories." Thus students' close looking can serve them as artists by influencing their art making and as individuals by documenting their memories. Many teachers hoped visual journaling could become "A lifelong desire to continue to learn through observation and creativity."</p> <p>A new form of observation described by teachers involves students using high school visual journals to document the content of their art courses and sometimes research about artists. One teacher noted that students effectively create their own textbook from the class, which they can continue to use and learn from even after leaving the course. Other teachers referred to this idea as making "a study guide" or creating "a visual record of ideas and growth in skill and concepts over time." Even when students use journals for observations of course content, teachers recognise that students can return to their journals to reflect on what they have learned, how they have grown, or what they have experienced.</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-14">Reflection</hd> <p>As a reflective tool, the journals functioned as creators of meaning, documentors of metacognitive processes (much like a portfolio), and as a site for social and emotional learning and exploration. In the survey responses, many teachers mention or allude to the concept of reflection. Knowing that this is a foundational concept in art classrooms we looked closely to see how reflection was being discussed and explored in the teachers' responses. Not surprisingly, we found that teachers defined and discussed reflection in many different ways. With teachers describing the journal as a "central location to compile their thoughts, ideas, experiments, and reflections" and as a "safe way for students to express, organize, experiment, question, and challenge themselves artistically, it becomes their resource bible of sorts, their left hip as they write down every thought and question, technique and reflection". As we read responses like these we kept wondering if the way that the journal becomes a companion to reflective thinking is tied to the core purpose of the journal. Some teachers discussed the journal as "important for students to be able to look back on their work and see the progress and process over the semester." In this way, the journal functions as a portfolio of sorts, allowing students to look back and see what they have accomplished. In other cases, teachers discussed the journal less as documentation to return to or evidence of thinking and more as a creator of meaning. These teachers shared that the journal's purpose was to generate meaning through self‐guided discovery and reflection—where students are able to engage in thinking and reflection on their own terms. Still other teachers discussed the journal as a place for social emotional learning and exploration—where students can reflect on who they are and discover themselves as independent, autonomous, social/emotional beings. Whatever the interpretation, it becomes clear that journals are both a tool to engage in and document the action of looking back and forth, panning in and out, and engaging and micro‐ and macro‐level reflection.</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-15">Exploration</hd> <p>Through the lens of exploration, New ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref59">26</reflink>]) focused on visual journals dedicated to documenting discoveries and experiences when travelling on big adventures and those that carry the same "heightened awareness" (<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref60">90</reflink>) into their daily experience. New wrote, "By accessing a travel‐like state, an artist can capture emotions, colors, and the other raw materials that make their work ring true" (<reflink idref="bib90" id="ref61">90</reflink>). While the creatives New ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref62">26</reflink>]) interviewed explored their travels and experiences, this same creative mobility is not as available inside of K‐12 classrooms. In our findings, the majority of our survey respondents focused on students' exploration within visual journals as risk taking and divergent thinking as well as media experimentation and skill development. For instance, one teacher explained how students use their visual journals for tasks like idea exploration, media and technique experimentation, colour palette building, and reflection on artists and artworks. Thus journals are seen as a tool to support the artistic process in planning, discovering, and adapting or as a "personal playground" (New [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref63">26</reflink>], 90). One teacher explained:</p> <p>I tell my students that this [is] the place to mess up, take risks, try something before you get to the big piece of paper. I hope that by reflecting and researching in their visual journal they realize the importance of process as well as product, and that 'downtime' in art (collaging/testing art materials/any time you are sketching and not working on the big‐deal culmination piece of art) is valuable time spent.</p> <p>While exploration can be seen as playfulness, it is also the work of artists.</p> <p>A respondent sang praises of how starting to require her students to create two‐page spreads of research in their visual journals before starting new assignments made students' work "jaw‐droppingly better than before". The teacher said students "didn't think that they need to think in art" and they are discovering how to make their art more personal through connections to the world around them. Another teacher said:</p> <p>I encourage them [students] to use them [visual journals] EVERY day, while they have their final artwork out, so that if they need to stop and journal, experiment with a new technique, or try something out, they can do that in their visual journal.</p> <p>Thus student exploration in journals does not just happen before artmaking. It can also happen throughout artmaking.</p> <p>Another common theme echoed across the survey results was that students feel free to experiment in the journal since it is a low‐stakes environment. One teacher described the journal as a "safe space" to experiment and fail, which allows students to build their confidence. The privateness of the journal seems to set students free. Rather than having the pressure of a finished product or grade, students can try things out and problem‐solve as issues arise. A few teachers identified how visual journaling promotes the studio habits of mind, as students' work is self‐directed and driven by intrinsic curiosity. Another teacher explained:</p> <p>I am hoping students find less anxiety and more play ... resulting in more original ideas, media applications, and confidence in themselves. I am hoping students lose themselves and find themselves over and over again in the visual and textual information added to their pages.</p> <p>This playfulness and self‐discovery was also the driving reason for the extended journaling practices for the artists in New's ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref64">26</reflink>]) exploration chapter. Their journals were an impetus for curiosity and creation.</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-16">Creation</hd> <p>The final theme we explored in our analysis was creation, which emerged as particularly significant in conceptualising the purpose of using journals in secondary art classrooms. This importance lies not in the journal representing a moment of creation, but rather in its ability to capture the spirit of creation and produce what teachers in the survey described as an "artifact or memory of experiences". Thus teachers see the experience of journaling, as New ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref65">26</reflink>]) identified, as art. The responses that fit inside of the create code reveal art teachers' desire for the journal to serve a larger purpose beyond documentation or reflection. Extending upon the value of exploration, discussed in the previous section, students' creation allows them to tease out and push the concepts of curiosity and inquiry outside of materials, assignments, or even the classroom. One teacher noted, "I hope my students lose any idea that art is precious". This big perspective thinking suggests that the frequency of journal use could be significant because through continuous and repeated work in the journal, students begin to find value in the process itself, not merely the final product (New [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref66">26</reflink>]). As an ongoing documentor of the artistic process of creation, teachers discussed the journal as a mechanism to demystify the work of being and thinking and doing art. More specifically that the work students do in the visual journal is not a finite project or outcome, but instead stretches across time by engendering the ongoing process of creation.</p> <p>When teachers were asked to provide key word descriptors of the journal, they used words like "comfortable and open", "open experience, liberating, safe", and perhaps most poetic a 'space that is all their [the students] own'. If we follow this line of thinking, valuing creation is foundational in understanding the visual journals potential to nurture independent inquiry. For us, and for many of the teachers in the survey, it does not matter if that inquiry is encouraged by the teacher through assignments or discovered by students in the space between assignments; but instead that visual journal illustrates that process and unfinishedness are critical parts of artmaking, of thinking, and of life.</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-17">Discussion</hd> <p>After expanding on New's ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref67">26</reflink>]) definitions of observation, reflection, exploration, and creation with the teachers' writing, we found ourselves faced with a much larger question. Why do journals matter? When we asked teachers to tell us how visual journals support their curricular goals, students were at the centre. This is clearly evidenced in the wordle of teachers' responses in Figure 4. Perhaps visual journals are not necessarily about supporting curriculum but supporting students. Is the journal a product for teachers to fact check or verify how and if students are learning? Is the journal a space for the process of developing self? Is the journal a space for the process of working on larger projects? There was not one clear answer to these questions in the data; rather we saw that teachers were using visual journals in several different ways with a focus on product or process or both simultaneously.</p> <p> <img src="https://imageserver.ebscohost.com/img/embimages/rdk/Q0T/01aug25/jade12569-fig-0004.jpg?ephost1=dGJyMNXb4kSepq84yOvqOLCmsE6epq5Srqa4SK6WxWXS" alt="jade12569-fig-0004.jpg" title="4 Ways Visual Journals Support Curricular Goals." /> </p> <p></p> <p>One conceptualisation of the journal was teacher‐driven documentation of the learning process. Some teachers used the journal as a tool to help students explore and expand on the curriculum of the art classroom. These teachers spoke of journals as receptacles or documentors of course content. They had students use visual journals to take notes, research artists, and plan for projects. Thus, the journal was a product for the teacher in which students could be <emph>good</emph> art students by documenting their research. This conceptualisation of the journal meets both teacher‐ and student‐driven curricular goals, but ultimately it is an assignment from the teacher that provides insight for assessment.</p> <p>On the opposite end of the spectrum of responses, we found the journal conceptualised as a space for students. Student‐driven journals mirror the work of practising artists, where students use their visual journals to research themselves and their worlds. This kind of creation and exploration is self‐guided and exists outside of formal assessments and benchmarks. Teachers on this end of the spectrum described journals as a place for social–emotional growth, for curiosity to flourish, and for inquiry to be supported by student interest. Student‐driven journals empower the learner to autonomously pursue personal growth and self‐discovery.</p> <p>Firmly in the middle of these two approaches is a conceptualisation of the journal as a place for students to process the various elements of a project. While the teacher might initiate a project, students can drive their personalisation of the project as they work through the process in their journal and even use it as an opportunity for personal growth. Within this approach, students have autonomy while also maintaining the comfort and predictability that schools and classrooms provide. They are given direction yet have the space to engage in self‐directed exploration driven by materials or ideas with their visual journals.</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-19">Conclusion</hd> <p>In the final survey question, teachers were asked what they hope students gain from working in visual journals. This question provided the richest data, perhaps because it tapped into the teachers' aspirations for their students beyond product‐driven goals. It revealed a shared hope that teaching has a lasting impact. The predominant themes were using journals for experimental, process‐based visual exploration and personal growth. The responses reflect a deep‐seated desire to foster creativity, critical thinking, and self‐reflection among students. With one teacher sharing, "a visual journal is a safe place to explore, relate, reflect, or do anything you wish away from rules. ... You don't have to have a grand idea to create".</p> <p>Visual journals offer a compelling avenue for deepening learning in art classrooms. They challenge traditional notions of what constitutes a finished product, shifting the focus to the lasting impact on students' learning journeys. A journey described by one teacher as:</p> <p>giving experiences and tools to students that will transform into lifelong relationships with themselves as artists and appreciators of art around them. I want students to question the world around them and to trust whatever is artistic inside of them, through the validation that comes with visual journaling. I want my students to honor their own journey and know that they are enough, without needing to compare themselves to another.</p> <p>The survey shows that visual journals are a testament to students' growth, capturing their evolving thoughts, emotions, and artistic activities. As artefacts of learning, they provide a tangible record of students' progress, showcasing not just the final outcome but the process of learning itself. Another teacher highlighted this by sharing, 'I hope they get to take time to actually critically think things through. It's like a moment for them to process what they are doing but still moving forward'.</p> <p>Considering visual journals as a means of making learning endure opens up new possibilities for high school art classrooms. The teachers' hopes remind us that visual journals foster a more holistic and enduring understanding of art, one that goes beyond technical skills to encompass personal growth and self‐discovery. One teacher expressed, "I hope that my students lose any idea that art is precious. I also hope that this practice leads them to a more developed interiority. I hope they gain a love for practice and experimentation." This shift emphasises the importance of reflective practice and personal investment as central to high school art classes. It encourages educators to rethink their teaching strategies. Moving forward, we hope to expand this work to explore the broader implications of visual journals in high school classrooms—asking what matters in the art classroom by investigating how visual journals can serve as a way to make learning endure.</p> <hd id="AN0187503048-20">Acknowledgments</hd> <p>With gratitude to the art teachers who shared their students' visual journaling experiences as windows into the creative process–each page reflecting acts of imagination, care, and learning. Your practice shapes more than pages.</p> <ref id="AN0187503048-21"> <title> Footnotes </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref12" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> For readers interested in learning about how to incorporate visual journals in their classrooms we recommend checking out Hadar's book ([16]), <emph>Layers of Meaning: Elements of Visual Journaling</emph>.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref51" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Students in the 9th–12th grade in the United States are usually 14–18 years old.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <ref id="AN0187503048-22"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibtext> Afinidyani, A. A. & Sihombing, R. M. (2021) The meaning of visual representation of the COVID‐19 pandemic in the visual journals of children aged 6–8 years, in ICON ARCCADE 2021: the 2nd International Conference on Art, Craft, Culture and Design (ICON‐ARCCADE 2021). Atlantis Press, pp. 476–84.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Auerbach, C. & Silverstein, L. 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(2017) Vulnerability in the art room: explorations of visual journals and risks in the creation of a psychologically safe environment, Art Education, Vol. 70, No. 2, pp. 11 – 9.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Williams, R. & Debban, E. (2020) Learning from traveling sketchbooks between today's students and tomorrow's teachers, Art Education, Vol. 73, No. 2, pp. 15 – 23.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Wilson, S. (2004) Fragments: life writing in image and in text, in R. Irwin & A. de Cosson [Eds] A/r/tography: rendering self through arts‐based living inquiry. Vancouver : Pacific Educational Press, pp. 41 – 59.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Rebecca Williams and Sara Scott Shields</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> <p></p> <p>Rebecca Williams is the Chair of the Department of Art and Design and an Associate Professor of Art Education at Murray State University. She received her BA in Art Education from University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and her MAEd and PhD in Art Education from The University of Georgia. She also taught high school art. Dr. Williams has presented and published at the state, national, and international levels. Her research interests include art education, curriculum and pedagogy, aesthetics and critical response, teacher preparation, qualitative research, and narrative inquiry.</p> <p>Sara Scott Shields is an Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and an Associate Professor of Art Education in the College of Fine Arts at Florida State University. She received her BFA in Ceramics and Art Education and her MaED in Art Education from East Carolina University, and her PhD in Art Education from The University of Georgia. She also taught high school art for six and a half years. Dr. Shields has presented and published at the state, national, and international levels. 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  Data: Visual Journaling in Secondary Art Classrooms: A National Survey of Art Teachers
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rebecca+Williams%22">Rebecca Williams</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6807-3260">0000-0002-6807-3260</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sara+Scott+Shields%22">Sara Scott Shields</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22International+Journal+of+Art+%26+Design+Education%22"><i>International Journal of Art & Design Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 44(3):613-627.
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Visual journals are reflective learning journals that engage the active and purposeful exploration and incorporation of art mediums and visual imagery into the journaling process. This paper focused on the ways that visual journals might be enacted in K-12 classrooms. We begin by introducing the four ways New (2005) identified that artists, scientists, and directors use visual journals to attune them to the world: observation, reflection, exploration and creation. We then connect New's categories to research on how visual journals connect K-12 students to these artistic practices. The remainder of the paper presents findings from phase one of our instrumental, collective case study of how visual journals are used by secondary art teachers. Phase one is a national survey of high school art teachers who use visual journals in their classrooms. This paper presents the descriptive survey data from these participants in an effort to define and describe visual journals in practice, discuss the frequency and qualities of student engagement, and explore how teachers are using visual journals to support curricular goals. We will use these findings to guide phase two of the study, which involves interviews with teachers who participated in the survey.
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              Value: 1476-8070
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 44
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: International Journal of Art & Design Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1