How Do Students Perceive the Creation of Exhibitions Through Inter-University Exchange?

—The Trial of an Art Curriculum Aimed at “Opening the Senses” at a Teacher Training College—

Abstract

In this study, as part of a project-based art curriculum that was undertaken in the form of inter-university exchange, an activity with the common goal of “creating an exhibition to present the results of learning” was attempted. This paper reports on the participants’ narratives regarding their experiences in terms of how they perceive the activities, centering on the creation of the exhibition and what each participant gained from the project experience. The results of the retrospective interviews with participants who worked through the project were analyzed using SCAT—namely, “for Steps, Theorization and Coding,” a qualitative data analysis method—to write story lines and theoretical descriptions. The results of the analysis confirmed that each participant sincerely confronted himself/herself through dialogues with peers and exchanges centering on his/her work. It was also suggested that the activity was influenced by the experiences and values of the participants as well as the content of the project. It is thus suggested that this is an important viewpoint to consider when analyzing the design of inquiry-based learning environments through art, and it is important to continue examining this issue.