The Significance and Role of Aesthetic Education in Schooling
Author(s)
Olga Denac
ABSTRACT
Every child needs planned, aesthetic education in order to influence the experiencing, feeling and enjoying of beautiful things as a counterbalance to our currently rationalized world. Since the contemporary school strives for the development of professional knowledge and skills on the basis of intellectual actions, while (at the same time) neglecting other dimensions of the child’s personality (emotions, feelings, etc.), it is one of the most important tasks of the education of children and young people to develop the ability to enjoy art and beauty, and in one’s inner and outer life to act in accordance with a sense of proportion, harmony and beauty. The purpose of the article is to highlight the significance of aesthetic education in the development of the personality as a whole, to shed light on the aims of aesthetic education, to define the aesthetic dimension of experience and to ascertain the reasons for the neglect of aesthetic education in theory and practice.
Every child needs planned, aesthetic education in order to influence the experiencing, feeling and enjoying of beautiful things as a counterbalance to our currently rationalized world. Since the contemporary school strives for the development of professional knowledge and skills on the basis of intellectual actions, while (at the same time) neglecting other dimensions of the child’s personality (emotions, feelings, etc.), it is one of the most important tasks of the education of children and young people to develop the ability to enjoy art and beauty, and in one’s inner and outer life to act in accordance with a sense of proportion, harmony and beauty. The purpose of the article is to highlight the significance of aesthetic education in the development of the personality as a whole, to shed light on the aims of aesthetic education, to define the aesthetic dimension of experience and to ascertain the reasons for the neglect of aesthetic education in theory and practice.
Cite this paper
Denac, O. (2014) The Significance and Role of Aesthetic Education in Schooling. Creative Education, 5, 1714-1719. doi: 10.4236/ce.2014.519190.
Denac, O. (2014) The Significance and Role of Aesthetic Education in Schooling. Creative Education, 5, 1714-1719. doi: 10.4236/ce.2014.519190.
References
[1] Abbs, P. (1994). The Educational Imperative. London: Falmer Press. [2] Best, D. (1992). Generic arts: an expedient myth. Journal of Art and Design Education, 11, 27-44.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-8070.1992.tb00686.x [3] Cadwell, L. (2003). Bringing Learning to Life: TheReggioApproach to Early Childhood Education. New York: Teachers College Press. [4] Denac, O. (1994). Targeted Planning of Aesthetic and Music Education in the Theory and Practice in Kindergarten and First Grade of Primary Schools. Educa, 6, 377-391. [5] Denac, O. (1999). The Influence of Aesthetic and Music Education on the Integral Development of a Child’s Personality. Sodobnapedagogika, 4, 170-187. [6] Denac, O., Cagran, B., Denac, J., & Sicherl Kafol, B. (2011). Arts and Cultural Education in Slovenian Primary Schools. The New Educational Review, 24, 121-132. [7] Dewey, J. (1934). Art as Experience. New York: Capricorn Books. [8] Dietrich, C. (1996). Musikalische Interaktion. Musik und Untericht, 38, 39-41. [9] Elliot, D. (1995). Music Maters: A New Philosophy of Music Education. New York: Oxford University Press. [10] Fantuzzo, J. F., Gadsden, V. L., & McDermott, P. (2007). Evidence-Based Program for the Integration of Curricula. Interim Report to the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development. [11] Gadsden, V. L. (2008). The Arts and Education: Knowledge Generation, Pedagogy, and the Discourse of Learning. Review of Research in Education, 32, 29-61.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0091732X07309691 [12] Gardner, H. (1995). The Frames of Mind. Ljubljana: Tangram. [13] Gilbert, K. E., & Kuhn, H. (1967). History of Aesthetics. Beograd: Kultura Beograd. [14] Koopman, C. (2005). Art as Fulfilment: On the Justification of Education in the Arts. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 39, 85-97.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0309-8249.2005.00421.x [15] Kratsborn, W. (2009). To-Gather: European Multiple Choice Identity Project.
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/project_reports/documents/ka4/2009/
final_reports/KA4_MP_505353_To_Gather.doc.pdf [16] KrofliC, R. (2007). Educational Value of Aesthetic Experience. Sodobnapedagogika, 3, 12-30. [17] Lenzen, D. (1992). Paedagogik als Kunst? Kunst und Untericht, 159, 18-20. [18] Mollenhauer, K., Dietrich, C., & Mueller, H.-R. (1996). Grundfragen Aesthetischer Bildung: Teorethische und Empirische Befunde zur aesthetischen Erfahrung von Kindern. Muenchen: Juventa. [19] Nevanen, S., Juvonen, A., & Ruismaki, H. (2014). Kindergarten and School as a Learning Environment for Art. International Journal of Education through Art, 10, 7-23.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/eta.10.1.7_1 [20] Otto, G. (1974). Didaktik der Ästhetischen Erziehung. Braunschweig: Westermann. [21] Otto, G. (1995). Musiklehrer ohne Erziehungswissenschaft? Neue Musikzeitung, 5, 5-9. [22] Phenix, P. (1964). Realms of Meaning: A Philosophy of the Curriculum for General Education. New York: McGraw Hill. [23] Read, H. (1945). Education through Art. London: Faber and Faber. [24] Reimer, B. (1998). Volume IV: What Knowledge Is of Most Worth in the Arts? Philosophy of Education. Mayor Themes in the Analytic Tradition. In P. H. Hirst, & P. White (Eds.), Problems of Educational Content and Practices (pp. 145-170). London, New York: Routledge. [25] Schirrmacher, R. (2002). Artand Creative Development for Young Children. Albany, NY: Delmar Thomson Learning. [26] Spivak, G. C. (2012). An Aesthetic Education in the Era of Globalization. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [27] Trstenjak, A. (1981). Psychological Creativity. Ljubljana: Slovenskamatica. [28] Wallbaum, C. (1996). Ästhetische Wahrnehmung. Musik und Unterricht, 38, 37-42. [29] Welch, G. F. (2006). The Musical Development and Education of Young Children. In B. Spodek, & O. N. Saracho (Eds.), Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children (pp. 251-267). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. [30] Wojnar, I. (1978). Aesthetic Education. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 4, 41-54.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3332044
[1] Abbs, P. (1994). The Educational Imperative. London: Falmer Press. [2] Best, D. (1992). Generic arts: an expedient myth. Journal of Art and Design Education, 11, 27-44.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-8070.1992.tb00686.x [3] Cadwell, L. (2003). Bringing Learning to Life: TheReggioApproach to Early Childhood Education. New York: Teachers College Press. [4] Denac, O. (1994). Targeted Planning of Aesthetic and Music Education in the Theory and Practice in Kindergarten and First Grade of Primary Schools. Educa, 6, 377-391. [5] Denac, O. (1999). The Influence of Aesthetic and Music Education on the Integral Development of a Child’s Personality. Sodobnapedagogika, 4, 170-187. [6] Denac, O., Cagran, B., Denac, J., & Sicherl Kafol, B. (2011). Arts and Cultural Education in Slovenian Primary Schools. The New Educational Review, 24, 121-132. [7] Dewey, J. (1934). Art as Experience. New York: Capricorn Books. [8] Dietrich, C. (1996). Musikalische Interaktion. Musik und Untericht, 38, 39-41. [9] Elliot, D. (1995). Music Maters: A New Philosophy of Music Education. New York: Oxford University Press. [10] Fantuzzo, J. F., Gadsden, V. L., & McDermott, P. (2007). Evidence-Based Program for the Integration of Curricula. Interim Report to the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development. [11] Gadsden, V. L. (2008). The Arts and Education: Knowledge Generation, Pedagogy, and the Discourse of Learning. Review of Research in Education, 32, 29-61.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/0091732X07309691 [12] Gardner, H. (1995). The Frames of Mind. Ljubljana: Tangram. [13] Gilbert, K. E., & Kuhn, H. (1967). History of Aesthetics. Beograd: Kultura Beograd. [14] Koopman, C. (2005). Art as Fulfilment: On the Justification of Education in the Arts. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 39, 85-97.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0309-8249.2005.00421.x [15] Kratsborn, W. (2009). To-Gather: European Multiple Choice Identity Project.
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/project_reports/documents/ka4/2009/
final_reports/KA4_MP_505353_To_Gather.doc.pdf [16] KrofliC, R. (2007). Educational Value of Aesthetic Experience. Sodobnapedagogika, 3, 12-30. [17] Lenzen, D. (1992). Paedagogik als Kunst? Kunst und Untericht, 159, 18-20. [18] Mollenhauer, K., Dietrich, C., & Mueller, H.-R. (1996). Grundfragen Aesthetischer Bildung: Teorethische und Empirische Befunde zur aesthetischen Erfahrung von Kindern. Muenchen: Juventa. [19] Nevanen, S., Juvonen, A., & Ruismaki, H. (2014). Kindergarten and School as a Learning Environment for Art. International Journal of Education through Art, 10, 7-23.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/eta.10.1.7_1 [20] Otto, G. (1974). Didaktik der Ästhetischen Erziehung. Braunschweig: Westermann. [21] Otto, G. (1995). Musiklehrer ohne Erziehungswissenschaft? Neue Musikzeitung, 5, 5-9. [22] Phenix, P. (1964). Realms of Meaning: A Philosophy of the Curriculum for General Education. New York: McGraw Hill. [23] Read, H. (1945). Education through Art. London: Faber and Faber. [24] Reimer, B. (1998). Volume IV: What Knowledge Is of Most Worth in the Arts? Philosophy of Education. Mayor Themes in the Analytic Tradition. In P. H. Hirst, & P. White (Eds.), Problems of Educational Content and Practices (pp. 145-170). London, New York: Routledge. [25] Schirrmacher, R. (2002). Artand Creative Development for Young Children. Albany, NY: Delmar Thomson Learning. [26] Spivak, G. C. (2012). An Aesthetic Education in the Era of Globalization. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [27] Trstenjak, A. (1981). Psychological Creativity. Ljubljana: Slovenskamatica. [28] Wallbaum, C. (1996). Ästhetische Wahrnehmung. Musik und Unterricht, 38, 37-42. [29] Welch, G. F. (2006). The Musical Development and Education of Young Children. In B. Spodek, & O. N. Saracho (Eds.), Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children (pp. 251-267). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. [30] Wojnar, I. (1978). Aesthetic Education. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 4, 41-54.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3332044