School and the Cultural-Heritage Environment: Pedagogical, Creative and Artistic Aspects

Hicela Ivon,Dubravka Kuščević

doi:10.26529/cepsj.238

Abstract

The present paper explores the idea that learning, both in and out of school,is a cultural act, and that school and its cultural-heritage environment stamp their own characteristics on pupils. This implies that pupils gradually, with the help of teachers and other relevant adults from their close social environment, develop and adjust their behaviour and lifestyle to their cultural and civilisational milieu. An integrative approach to learning and teaching, through the concept of “learning-centred teaching”, can be instrumental in this regard (Terhart, 2001). This approach aims at linking cognitive, social and moral teachings. According to this teaching concept, pupils learn to appreciate the value of their cultural-heritage environment by living and reliving its experience, while freely and reflexively interpreting and becoming active participants in the culture of those who “learn about life by living” (Terhart, 2001). The relationship between school and its cultural-heritage environment is discussed from a creative and artistic perspective in the second part of the paper. By visually stimulating artistic expression when learning about the culturalheritage and natural environment of school, and through the concept of “action- centred learning”, we explain how pupils can be motivated to learn and display creative-artistic expression, and how they can be actively involved in their communities (participating in organising art exhibitions in their neighbourhood, working in museum workshops, etc.). Pupils’ art projects, inspired by the historical, cultural and natural heritage of their environment, confirm that such projects are an effective way of encouraging pupils’ identity development and sensitivity towards the arts. They teach pupils about the importance of preserving cultural heritage, which is one of the basic principles in the upbringing of future participants and creators of new cultural values. Children’sartistic works illustrate examples of good school practice.

Highlights

When talking about culture and education, it is impossible to ignore the connection between these two concepts
The art teacher should assist pupils to interact with objects of their cultural heritage in order to raise their interest, to persuade them, to spark a desire in them to paint this heritage, to draw it, to express it graphically or depict it in three dimensions
The teacher is a mediator between the pupil and heritage, a figure who facilitates empirical learning and secures the pupil’s individual perspective; artistic activities should be planned with attention to children’s knowledge and their understanding of the world in which they live

Summary

Introduction

When talking about culture and education, it is impossible to ignore the connection between these two concepts. The art teacher should assist pupils to interact with objects of their cultural heritage in order to raise their interest, to persuade them, to spark a desire in them to paint this heritage, to draw it, to express it graphically or depict it in three dimensions In this sense, the teacher is a mediator between the pupil and heritage, a figure who facilitates empirical learning and secures the pupil’s individual perspective; artistic activities should be planned with attention to children’s knowledge and their understanding of the world in which they live. The pupils got out of the classroom during the creation of the artistic works presented, visiting places where they could witness the visual beauty of cultural heritage and observe life in its different forms They were encouraged to recognise those parts of their environment that had, until remained unrecognised, because, as Husković (2009) says, plainness is the basic precondition for, and the beginning of, the aesthetic act. It is important to bring children closer to their environment: to nature and heritage, as well as to cultural, artistic values through artistic and creative activities

Conclusion

Biographical note