Exploring the Links Between Visual Arts and Environmental Education: Experiences of Teachers Participating in an In‐Service Training Programme

Abstract

An in‐service teachers' training programme was designed aiming to encourage art teachers to learn through theoretical and artistic experiential activities in a specific environmental setting (Lemithou environmental education centre, Cyprus). The programme was based on the use of the environment as an educational resource, and sought to develop participants' environmental perception through artistic activities. Teachers (N=12) from public nursery, elementary and secondary schools, with particular interests and backgrounds in visual arts were invited to participate. The present study is particularly concerned with participants' artistic work inspired by the environment in three different settings of the area: (1) natural (e.g. forest) (2) the rural‐building (e.g. the village) and (3) culture and tradition (e.g. myths and people). Qualitative methods based on observation; diary reports and photographic material were applied on a case study basis. Results revealed teachers': (1) abilities in integrating environmental aspects in their artistic work, (2) positive attitude and interest for environmental art, (3) abilities in enhancing their personal power of artistic expression based on their experiences and the world around them. The findings highlight the significance of artistic experiential activities (hands‐on activities) and critical enquiry in developing teachers' environmental perception.

Artistic Learning in Relation to Young Children’s Chorotopos: An In-Depth Approach to Early Childhood Visual Culture Education

“…Questions posed to children and observations that took place enabled them to think more about the place around them, the objects included in the natural and man-made environment, the origins and functions of the materials. This finding is supported through examples of various practices in all settings and confirm the view of those who argue for teaching art in the context of everyday life by providing opportunities in linking art making to individual's sense of place and experience (Anderson and Milbrandt 2005;Elliot and Bartley 1998;Epstein and Trimis 2002;Kellman 1998;Krug 2003;Savva et al 2004).…”

AESTHETICS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: THE COMBINATION OF TECHNOLOGY INSTRUMENTS IN CHILDREN’S MUSIC, VISUAL ARTS AND PRETEND PLAY

“…There is sufficient evidence now than ever before as to how children learn and the kinds of activities and things that act as efficient tools for learning in early childhood education; audiovisual materials such as pictures, charts, maps, slides, film-strips and recordings make a significant contribution to learning when used appropriately, thereby reinforcing oral instruction, exercises and textbooks. In their formative years of learning, children are highly impressionable, relying on their sensory perceptions including hearing, seeing, touching, smelling and manipulating things in the environment to establish a sense of place and environmental perception (Andri et al, 2004). In this regard, the sensory perceptions of a child reinforce and enrich the his or her perception because they offer a variety of experiences which stimulate the child's senses thereby promoting self-activity in them.…”

“…In this age of information communication technologies, children often interact with many technology instruments in various settings and such interaction enhances the child's knowledge of their surroundings (Wallerstedt and Pramling, 2012). As stated in the third proposal, technology instruments indeed facilitate children's performance in children's pretend play and pretend play performance because they lead to concrete emotional expression, emotional regulation (App and MacDonald, 2012), emotional utilization (Andri et al, 2004) and interpersonal relationships (Wang and Hoot, 2006). In that case, children are provided with the opportunity to explore various technologies in the pretend plays, thereby being able to express themselves clearly, regulate their emotions and to socialize through such technologies.…”

Creative Engagement on Ecological Issues: Studio Work Experience in a Context of Interdisciplinary Learnin

“…Researchers with a particular interest in scientific innovation have explored diverse ways of integrating art into environmental education that draw on the experiential and interdisciplinary nature of environmental art programs (Clark & Button, 2011;Curtis et al, 2012;Jacobson et al, 2016;Savva et al, 2004;Song, 2008Song, , 2012. The benefits of art in an interdisciplinary learning context have been identified as 1) "promoting critical inquiry of environmental awareness and sustainability" (Clark & Button, 2011, p. 42); 2) "enhancing associative and divergent thinking in science students to complement systematic reasoning processes" (Jacobson et al, 2016, p. 30); and 3) "communicating issues, influencing and educating people, and challenging dominant paradigms" (Curtis et al, 2012, p. 3).…”