Teaching and learning critical citizenship through visual arts in the intermediate phase at three primary schools : the South African paradigm
type: CreativeWork
description: Art education at school could contribute to the holistic development of learners by creating opportunities to develop, hone and improve life skills that remain relevant throughout life. Visual Arts as a subject can create safe learning environments where learners can engage with critical issues related to their own lives, leading to the development of critical thinking through interactions with a learning community where learners regard and examine their own and others’ perspectives and opinions. Schools are not only institutions of academic performance, but also spaces where natural, real-life situations, conflicts and engagements occur. When learners receive social justice and critical citizenship education, they are able to learn beyond the learning material, procuring tools that will empower them now and as future adults who will be the architects of a future democratic South Africa. Our connection to our community governs our actions, and it helps us relate to and connect with one another. South Africa has had many hardships that brought division to the foundations of its community. When citizens struggle to develop a sense of belonging due to such divisions, it has an impact on their identity, role and participation in the community. The study asserts that schools are able to provide critical citizenship learning experiences, and that Visual Arts facilitates this exceptionally well. The study employed participatory action research (PAR) in which three schools participated. The research was designed to help learners and educators experience critical citizenship education. Learners investigated critical citizenship and social justice by brainstorming conceptions of citizenship in the local, national and global community and completed research independently to further their engagement. Learners underwent an embodied creative process and produced artwork to create a message or to comment on their community. Reflection occurred at the end of the PAR project when th…
abstract: Art education at school could contribute to the holistic development of learners by creating opportunities to develop, hone and improve life skills that remain relevant throughout life. Visual Arts as a subject can create safe learning environments where learners can engage with critical issues related to their own lives, leading to the development of critical thinking through interactions with a learning community where learners regard and examine their own and others’ perspectives and opinions. Schools are not only institutions of academic performance, but also spaces where natural, real-life situations, conflicts and engagements occur. When learners receive social justice and critical citizenship education, they are able to learn beyond the learning material, procuring tools that will empower them now and as future adults who will be the architects of a future democratic South Africa. Our connection to our community governs our actions, and it helps us relate to and connect with one another. South Africa has had many hardships that brought division to the foundations of its community. When citizens struggle to develop a sense of belonging due to such divisions, it has an impact on their identity, role and participation in the community. The study asserts that schools are able to provide critical citizenship learning experiences, and that Visual Arts facilitates this exceptionally well. The study employed participatory action research (PAR) in which three schools participated. The research was designed to help learners and educators experience critical citizenship education. Learners investigated critical citizenship and social justice by brainstorming conceptions of citizenship in the local, national and global community and completed research independently to further their engagement. Learners underwent an embodied creative process and produced artwork to create a message or to comment on their community. Reflection occurred at the end of the PAR project when th…
author: Putter, Monique Jean
date published: 2025-12
date modified: 2026-07-24T04:40:06Z
provider: Stellenbosch University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University