SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN ARTS EDUCATION

Abstract

The importance of arts education cannot be overstated, as it allows students to express themselves creatively and develop essential skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving. However, there is a growing concern that current arts education primarily focuses on knowledge acquisition and skill development while neglecting the emotional needs of students. In this paper, we explore the issue of utilitarianism in current art education and how current arts education neglects the emotional needs of students. Utilitarianism, which prioritizes the usefulness of education over its intrinsic value, often leads to a narrow focus on developing technical skills and knowledge at the expense of students’ emotional needs. We introduce the concept of socio-emotional learning and its impact on arts education. Socio-emotional learning is an educational method that promotes emotional growth, cooperative learning opportunities, and intuitive insights through arts integration. We argue that socio-emotional learning can help students better understand themselves and others and lead to more meaningful and fulfilling artistic experiences.