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(Markic & Eilks,
2013
) or in the foreground of different educational systems and
cultures (Al-Amoush, Markic, Usak, Erdogan, & Eilks,
2013
).
Weber and Mitchell (
1996
) suggested that drawing and visual imagery offer
individuals an alternate pathway for making sense of things as compared to words
in the form of text or speech. Based on the studies mentioned in the last paragraph,
this paper reflects the potential of drawings to explore student teachers
'
and
teachers
pedagogical attitudes. This is done by drawings since drawings can
express things, (1) which are difficult to explicitly formulate in words, (2) which
have not been completely thought through, or (3) which are indescribable, indefin-
able, and/or quite often subconscious in nature. By 1971, Langer had already
suggested that a drawing
'
...
objectifies sense and desire, self-consciousness and world consciousness, emotions and
moods that area generally regarded as irrational because words cannot give us clear ideas of
them. But the premise tacitly assumed in such a judgment—namely, that anything language
cannot express is formless and irrational seems to be an error. (Langer,
1971
, p. 91)
In the nineteenth century, mental image research had already been started by
Galton (
1880
). It went on to become one of the main research foci of the early
twentieth century (see Betts,
1909
and Titchener,
1909
). However, interest in
mental images decreased over time. The reason for this was that mental represen-
tations and images were considered to be too private and individual. It was even
suggested that visual imagery—contrary to a person
s behavior—cannot be objec-
tively seen, quantified, or controlled by another person. Mental images can only be
described and presented by the person who expresses them. This means that many
problems in using mental images for research purposes were recognized early on. It
was expected that visual imagery can be misinterpreted either consciously or
inadvertently. This is why the proponents of behaviorism argued that visual imag-
ery is not a topic which can be investigated with sufficient scientific rigor or control
(Galotti,
1998
).
In the late 1960s, research on mental representations found a new beginning with
the advent of cognitive psychology. There were two reasons for this. First, interest
in developing tests for therapy methods based on drawings was still existed
(Sheehan,
1967
). Second, mental imagery was still viewed as an essential part of
an individual
'
s cognitive processes and therefore could not be ignored in any
comprehensive model of human cognition (Shepard,
1975
). The discussion of
mental images, representations, and their importance for cognitive psychology
remained controversial for a long time (Paivio,
1971
). There was a debate as to
whether drawings mirror the images that one person has in mind or whether they
should be interpreted as allegories. The functional-equivalency hypothesis finally
showed that mental images are closely connected to a person
'
s cognition and
attitudes (Kosslyn,
1980
; Shepard,
1978
). They are closely related to the reality
that a person conceptualizes for any object or event. Today, visual imagery has
regained its credibility as a worthwhile topic among most cognitive psychologists.
Nowadays, drawings are an accepted tool in cognitive psychology when it comes
to gaining insights into a person
'
s mental representations. Mental images are seen
'
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