The purpose of the study was to seek how did high school students with physical disabilities in a special school feel or think about the experiences in art classes, what did they expect in the art classes, and what was the meaning of participating in art classes for them.
The question of this study was selected as ‘what did high school students with physical disabilities in a special school experience academically in art classes’ to listen to their voices, to think like them and to think about ‘what is good art classes?’.
In this study, the materials were collected by the interviews with 6 high school students with physical disabilities who can communicate in a special school in the city of I, and then interviews were transcribed.
The results of this study after interpreting and analyzing the contents collected about ‘What was the meaning of the experiences in art classes for the students with physical disabilities’ from the process of the interview are as follows.
First, the art classes were interesting, autonomous and self-directed classes which made students to participate voluntarily in free atmosphere.
Second, the art classes promoted the development of creativity of students and they could feel their growth and sense of accomplishment ,and they ware able to experience the encouragement and compliment due to the art exhibition.
Third, the art classes made the students to realize their limits. They felt physical, academic, psychological and emotional limits of their hands and feet which were not free.
Fourth, the art classes were the time of the harmonies among he students’ voluntary will and effort and the teacher’s competence about art and special education.
In these results, academic atmosphere which makes students to participate in the art activities freely was an important factor to make the students with physical disabilities to concentrate and maintain the interests of students.
The participation in art classes of students with physical disabilities sometimes brought the psychological and emotional difficulties, but also it could help the students to get the will which brings positive effects to overcome the difficulties and to understand their level of disabilities,
The results of this study show that the art classes have to be made trough the development of various teaching methods which reflected preferences and needs of the students with disabilities, and also teachers and students have to make efforts each others in art classes.