Student teachers' attitudes to materials in the contexts of crafting and consuming

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the kinds of attitudes student teachers have towards materials in the contexts of crafting and consumption. The practical aim of the study was to encourage students to explore the materials of the crafts they make and the products they buy. The data were collected via semi-structured inquiries conducted as part of the course Experimental Textile Crafts. In addition to the questions, the elicitation method was used, that is, the students were asked to choose one of their own craft objects and one purchased object and take photographs of them. The final sample consisted of 39 students. Data were analysed using thematic analysis focusing on affective, conative and cognitive components. The findings of the study highlighted three different ideal types of students: (1) Superficially Oriented, (2) Safely Mediocre and (3) Conscious. Superficially Oriented Students have little interest in materials. Safely Mediocre students did express interest in materials but ended up using familiar materials in both crafting and consumption. Conscious students expressed sustainability concerns, which crossed a wide range of topics from valorising waste to naturalness in materials. The results can be valuable for developing craft teacher education and for future research.
Keywords: attitudes, crafting, consuming, ideal types, materiality, materials