Recycling solid waste materials to develop instructional resources for art education

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to explore waste materials and turn them into appropriate instructional resources for teaching art lessons in Ghana. This was necessary because primary, junior and senior high school art teachers in Ghana mostly teach their lessons without using instructional resources because of non-provision of instructional resources by the government. The study adopted the exploratory and descriptive research methods to carry out the study. Paper, fabric and plastic waste materials were selected and worked with. The research found that waste materials can be recycled to create appropriate and useful instructional resources that are very practical for teaching and learning of art lessons. This research projects to art teachers that they can freely turn collected waste materials into very useful instructional resources which they can use to teach effective lessons to help their students understand what they taught well and easily.

Plastics as an Educational Resource for Sustainable Development: A Case Study in Ghana

“…Environme is necessary for it to be possible in the future not only to solve these proble generating them altogether [11]. The indiscriminate use of plastic and its n on the environment for generations requires adequate plastic waste manag our project, the reuse of plastic emerged as an ideal and useful proposal f of educational and recreational materials in Ghana, a country that urgently ronmental education on plastic disposal [48].…”

“…The indiscriminate use of plastic and its negative impact on the environment for generations requires adequate plastic waste management [47]. In our project, the reuse of plastic emerged as an ideal and useful proposal for the creation of educational and recreational materials in Ghana, a country that urgently requires environmental education on plastic disposal [48].…”

“…Working in the classroom with waste materials, such as plastic caps, generated active learning where the children "learned by doing" and "experimenting" [55,56]. They also developed scientific and reflective attitudes about the reuse of this material [48,55,57]. The experience helped create experiential learning [58], far from the traditional Ghanaian mathematics learning experience, which is not very meaningful or comprehensive, but rather mechanical and repetitive.…”

“…They were asked to use plastic to make works where they could express their creativity and imagination. Artists and academics such as Lin Evola-Smidt, Michelle Reader, Ptolomeo Elrington, and El Anatsui, to mention a few, have used rubbish or waste materials to make works of art [48]. Many studies show that the creation of original and purposeful artworks from waste materials provides students with unique opportunities for the development of a rich and motivating learning environment, as well as critical and creative thinking [62] in creative and expressive visual arts experiences [63].…”

“…Anatsui, to mention a few, have used rubbish or waste materials to make works of art [48 Many studies show that the creation of original and purposeful artworks from waste ma terials provides students with unique opportunities for the development of a rich an motivating learning environment, as well as critical and creative thinking [62] in creativ and expressive visual arts experiences [63]. Likewise, the transformation of waste into ap propriate learning materials for teaching art is considered a valuable contribution to a artistic reflection of people's beauty and sensitivity [48]. Aesthetically, when working wit material waste, the notion of waste is abandoned, and a new point of view and apprecia tion of waste materials emerges.…”