Thesis Abstract

Clay is used in Nigeria for different purposes. Among these
are the making of utilitarian objects such as pots, moulding of
animal figures in front of houses in Yoruba land, and mixing with
mud to build houses with elaborate decoration, in the north.It
has been observed that some secondary school students do not use
clay as a creative art material. The study was therefore designed
to ascertain the ‘ position of the use of clay in the junior
secondary schools.
Methods and procedures. A total of 300 students and four art
teachers in Zaria post-primary schools were involved in the study.
The instruments included two sets of questionnaires one for the
art teachers and the other for sampled form three students.
The art teachers and students were also observed during some
clay-work activities, although the observational study was not
absolutely acceptable due to possible observer effect. Discussion
was also held with the principals of the schools to ascertain the
authenticity of the information provided by the teachers. Major
findings were Majority of the students demonstrated a moderatelypositive
attitude towards clay-work; some of the art teachers were
not; qualified professionally to teach art, and there was acute
i
shortage of art teachers; students and art teachers lacked
important physical facilities for art education and clay-work in
particular. Lastly, time allocated for art on the time-table is
short that clay activities had little or no time at all.
(vii)
Conclusion There is some indication of students’ strength
positive attitude towards clay-work, and so the research work
suggests ways to enhance and strengthen the status of clay-work
aspect of three diemensional art programme in our schools in these
years of indigenous technological development.

Thesis Overview