Identification the Motivation of the Students in Ahvaz to Follow Art Learning in Privately-Organized Art Learning Centers

Although art teaching at schools in Iran, focusing mainly on visual arts like drawing, painting and sculpture, has a long history, it seems that it has not been taken seriously for different reasons. Often is it the case that students follow their interests in art outside the formal academic schools. In this regard, the present study aimed to answer three key questions: Why do not students rely on art teaching at formal academic schools? Why do they prefer to learn art at privately-organized art teaching centers? What is the main motivation for the students to follow art at privately-organized art teaching centers? The respondents included students at several privately-organized art teaching centers in Ahvaz, Iran. It was hypothesized that students are motivated to learn art at such art teaching centers to follow an art expertise in future professionally. This research intended to identify the motivation of the students to learn art at above-mentioned centers. The researchers surveyed the students’ responses to the mentioned questions posed using Likert Scale. The results indicated that students prefer to follow art at such centers, beside their formal teachings or as an independent alternative, mainly because they want to become a professional artist in a specific branch.