The concept, value, practice and challenges of a community-based art education programme in a Guangdong Rural primary school in China /

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Student Theses

2021

Luo, Ning

Hong Kong : The Education University of Hong Kong

Thesis

Community-based art education (CBAE) reflects contemporary social needs and the awareness of socio-cultural identity. Due to the ongoing course of urbanisation, local culture in rural communities in China is at risk due to the pervasive urban culture. The approach to community-based art education and its focus on culture sensitivity are employed as strategies in rural schools in an attempt to enhance students' socio-culture awareness and celebrate local culture. However, previous studies have indicated that it is difficult to meet the requirements for the design, implementation and evaluation of CBAE in practice, since many rural primary schools are facing a number of challenges. This study employed a case study methodology to examine a community-based art programme in a Guangdong rural primary school. The aim of this study was to understand the concept and value of this CBAE programme, and to investigate how and why the teachers designed, implemented and evaluated it in this particular way, in addition to the challenges in the programme. The research process is a seven-month period. The researcher observed the six regular activities in programme, conducted three rounds semi-structured interviews with the teachers at the beginning, middle, and end of the observation process and one interview with the school principal at the beginning of the observation. Student reflective journals were collected for sharing students' perspectives of the value of the programme. Based on these reflections, the researcher conducted a student focus group at the end of the observation to further investigate students' experiences. Visual and textual documents related to the programme were obtained. The thematic approach was used to analysis the data. The findings and discussion highlight that: (1) the rural art teachers' concepts of CBAE focused on the socio-cultural context and children's development, (2) the practice of the CBAE programme employed socio-cultural and child-centred approaches to art education which highlighted student autonomy, (3) multiple advantages of CBAE including the intrinsic value of artistic habits of mind and reconstructing rural students' socio-cultural identities, and (4) the pervasive teacher-centred art education paradigm conflicted with the notion of CBAE, as well as the difficulties in cultivating students' critical thinking abilities. This study had theoretical and practical emphasises on the implications of CBAE in rural China, and it addressed recommendations for rural art teachers, policymakers and future CBAE research

LG51.H43 Dr 2021eb Luon

https://educoll.lib.eduhk.hk/records/w62ZtS4H