Abstract

This study explores the relationships between the art classroom environment and students’ creative and critical thinking, in girls’ intermediate schools (12-15 years) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It addresses the following research question: Is it possible to facilitate a positive influence on students’ risk-taking behaviours to enhance creative and critical thinking processes through control of art classroom environment? The purpose of this study was to explore forms of change in art classrooms that may enhance student risk taking in the development of their creative and critical thinking processes. I have investigated art classroom environments in girls’ intermediate schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia through initially a contextual review and by use of a fieldwork test to enable a broader discussion of influences which is contained in this thesis. The research findings obtained by questionnaire, observations and evaluation of students’ marks revealed that student risk taking in the development of their creative and critical thinking processes increased when comparing pre-implementation and post-implementation changes in each test group within the cohort at the selected schools. The contribution to new knowledge in this study will be in the development of advice for all participants working within and related to the field of education and in particular art education, proposing considerations for appropriate improvements to learning environments: •By specifying the research process developed for identifying environmental influences upon risk taking for creative and critical thinking. •By providing examples of appropriate art classroom environments, to help teachers to manage the art classroom and effectively stimulate their students.