During a study in a Kindergarten classroom, wordless and almost wordless picturebooks were presented as aesthetic objects that are read for pleasure, reward slow looking, and require engagement in significant semiotic work. Instruction about and adult mediation of picturebooks throughout the research communicated to the children that elements of…

In the past, visual arts education in Hong Kong was not considered an important area of early childhood education. While the Hong Kong kindergarten curriculum has recently been updated to encourage creativity, there remains a lack of adequate visual arts education for young children. This deficiency stems from the fact that the visual arts receive…

During a classroom-based study that featured wordless and almost wordless picturebooks, instruction and adult mediation communicated to Kindergarten children that elements of visual art, design, and layout are fundamental to meaning-making when transacting with this format of literature. The illustration techniques described by Ray (2010) were…

Adopting the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this sequential mixed-methods research investigates Hong Kong kindergarten teachers' reported beliefs and practices regarding early visual arts education (EVAE). The qualitative part (Phase 1) is an interview study of 19 kindergarten teachers in two focus groups, aiming to develop a conceptual…

The paper describes the results of research based on the integration of a model of teaching in and through the arts in primary school. The research was carried out as part of the project which used dance and visual arts to engage with the theme of the factory in a class of third graders. The methodological instrument of visual tests was used to…

This study explores humour's role in a holistic craft process when 7-8-year-olds design personalised soft toys. Humour enhances learning environments by fostering joy, belonging and a positive atmosphere, acting as a motivational tool in experiential and arts-based learning. The study aims to answer the following questions: (1) What are the…

Kindergarten teachers use art-based activities and practices because they are useful and functional in learning processes and they help learning in other subject areas. While teachers allocate great deal of classroom time for art practices, an art curriculum is not required or enforced at kindergarten level. The objective of this study was to…

Creativity is key in developing students' environmental competence so that they come up with working and sustainable solutions to address environmental issues in daily life. However, these remain under-investigated in both Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) research. Here, we report an action research…

The authors' paths crossed seven years ago when they had recently adopted the P4C (Philosophy for Children) method as philosophy teachers. Their shared enthusiasm for P4C resulted in collaborative development and facilitation of different workshops. These programs were specifically tailored for children aged 7-10, particularly those residing in…

This study aimed at exploring kindergarten teachers' perceptions and usage of digital devices in their classrooms. A multiple case study (n = 4) was conducted to investigate how in-service experienced (n = 22) and novice (n = 24) kindergarten teachers interpreted the functional significance of digital devices, including the needs and challenges…

This study aims to examine the visual artwork made by children as a result of the visual arts education practices of preschool teachers in institutions in terms of having tool- or art-oriented structures. The working group of the study consists of the visual artwork created by 763 children attending the lessons given by 61 teachers working at 18…

The current study explores the impact of visual arts education on early childhood, highlighting its role in enhancing creativity, imagination, and emotional expression in pre-school children. It explores the perspectives of pre-school teachers on the importance of visual arts in children's development and the challenges they face when integrating…

In this article, I explore politics in children's art practices that divert from normalized accounts of children's art and lives, especially those that seek to compartmentalize the child, children, and children's artmaking, grounded on the ideas of French philosopher Jacques Rancière--namely, the distribution of the sensible, politics, and…

This article provides a snapshot of assessment for learning in action. It introduces the drawings made by children who had been studying "Planet Earth and Beyond"--Matariki as a context in science in a New Zealand primary school. The visual data are drawn from the Te Ao Hurihuri project (The Changing World) in which students were offered…

Teaching visual literacy provides students with tools for questioning and understanding the world while creating meaning through visual art. Wanting to know how students make meaning together while making art, this article centers the convergence of collaboration and visual literacy in early childhood artistic practice. Approximately 200 students…