Expressions' Education in 1st cycle of basic education: for a characterization of educational practices developed from teachers
Author(s):
André Freitas Santos (presenting / submitting) Ana Mouraz Fátima Pereira
Conference:
ECER 2016
Network:
Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)
Format:
Paper

Session Information

ERG SES E 10, Teachers and Education

Paper Session

Time:
2016-08-22
15:30-17:00
Room:
OB-H1.51
Chair:
Agnieszka Bates

Contribution

This research is associated with the Observatory of Life in Schools of the Centre for Research and Intervention in Education of the University of Porto, Portugal. The participants are teachers of the 1st cycle of basic education understood as privileged partners in the development of an artistic and cultural education, with the main aim of contributing to deepen knowledge on the role of 1ºCEB teachers in the development of expressions and their contribution to artistic literacy in basic education.


The work of the expressions' education and their contribution to the development of artistic literacy at the lower levels of education is a subject that has not been taken as a priority in Portugal, despite the studies and international recommendations (EACEA, 2009). The research that has been produced on the factors that influence this development has been pointed out that the important factors are the teachers, but there are few studies on the subject in Portugal (Ribeiro et al., 1997; Madoff, 2009; Caldas & Vasques, 2014; Tormenta, 2015).


The goal of this research is to collect the perceptions of the participating teachers about the specificity of expressions’ education (pedagogical work in the area of expressions) that they develop as teachers of this level of education.


The characterization of the teaching profile of the 1st CEB related to the cultural and historical moments, which make the relevance of this level of education, is one of the aims of this research, will include up to four main landmarks in Portugal [Schools Primary Teaching (Portuguese dictatorship); April 25th Revolution, 1974 (social and cultural revolutionary movement); Emergence of Superior Schools of Education (professional training); OECD impositions]. The teaching profession during professional training in Primary Teaching was seen as an isolated figure that would should not to know more than the institutional orders (Nóvoa 1992). The professional has succeeded, with the April 1974 revolution, to renew itself along with a culturally critical society, and with the education of expressions on a special place in pedagogical work. The next times they were mainly to improve and develop the professional training of primary school teachers, which led to transformations of the professional identity (Nóvoa, 1992; Hargreaves, 1998; Lopes & Pereira, 2012; Mouraz, Leite & Fernandes, 2014).


It is also a goal of this research to identify the curricular trends and constraints underlying the curriculum of the 1st cycle, seen as an ongoing process that occurs due to several decisions, in different contexts (Schön, 2000; Leite, 2005). The curriculum of the 1st cycle reveals the idea of an opening between programme areas, in which the teacher is seen as the one responsible for managing the time and content to teach and may be assisted by other expert teachers (Law-Decree: 91/2013).


The ultimate goal and the main purpose of this research are concerned with the characterization of the place of the expressions' education in curriculum work of the 1st cycle (showing the existence of some clashes) regardless clarify what is meant by "expression", encompassing physical, dramatic, visual, plastic and musical areas (Dewey, 1934; Freedman, 1997; Gardner, 1995). The curricular work that promotes expressions' education with students is the basis of a learning-centered development of the child where they can create meaning from their manifestations.

Method

The methodological procedures and assumptions adopted in the research must always be accompanied by critical reflection of objective criteria that can, to some extent, "certify" the science that is being developed. It is this process which is described here. This research received assent to its realization by the FPCEUP Ethics Committee (issued on 9 / Dec / 2015), with two sequential stages of data collection, in different periods of application. The first data collection began in December 2015 and lasted until the end of January 2016. The second data collection is planned for the end of February and early March of this year. The data collection instruments were the survey and the interview. It was intended to combine a panoramic and extensive view of the ways in which 1st Cycle teachers are implicated with their curriculum work in expressions' education. The questionnaire was constructed with expert consulting in the area and has been validated with a sample of five teachers who are not part of the group of participants in the research, before being applied on a large scale. The aim was to gather perceptions of the 1st cycle teachers about their educational work in the area of expressions, while requiring curricular component (Law-Decree: 139/2012). Data from the questionnaire were treated using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences), in the 21 version. After analyzing the data collected through the questionnaire, semi-structured interviews were applied to four teachers of a Group of Schools, participants in the first collection of information, interested in continuing research, resulting in a study case. Requirements' teachers in the study case: Two teachers of 1º cycle from two schools selected; a teacher in charge for Extra Curricular Activities; the teacher coordinator. Interviews were an instrument that allowed the contextualization of perception of the surveyed teachers. Semi-structured interviews were the subject of content analysis, in accordance with the procedures established by Bardin (2011) and using NVivo 11 - Qualitative Data Analysis Software.

Expected Outcomes

Research still happens (with its end in June / 2016). The expected conclusions are the expressions' education in the 1st cycle of basic education be seen as opportunities for institutions develop conditions for children, strengthen their critical senses, their reflection and enrich their enjoy and enjoyment of art in themselves and in their community. As expected conclusions we hope find 1st cycle teachers work expressions' education in line with other areas, despite the conditions / limitations implied in their initial training and in their workplaces. Recent researches (Rudolph & Wright, 2015; Tormenta, 2015) show that there is an absence of institutional wants to develop Arts Education, claiming up absences of economic backgrounds, although it agreed the importance of education of the expressions on the 1st cycle, resulting in a devaluing of artistic literacy in the initial training of teachers and consequently in its educational work in schools. The report of the EACEA (2009) appears to be consistent with these findings, defending the need for collaborative approaches exist between ministries, through the development of educational policies, providing support for arts education in schools. Based on the above researches, it is possible to characterize two streams of thought and practice in schools and so on teachers' conceptions, about what the goals and purposes of expressions' education and their meanings. A chain featuring creativity and artistic production as an area reserved for a limited audience, where the contributions of the expressions in education are exploited and used to achieve other purposes than those of art and education themselves. While another chain suggests that creativity is inherent in all, and should be working on education, enabling the development of perception and externalization, thereby contributing to the construction of languages, communication and critical thinking.

References

Bardin, Laurence (2011). Análise de Conteúdo. Edições 70: Lisboa. Caldas, Ana Pereira & Vasques, Eugénia (2014). Educação Artística para um Currículo de Excelência: projecto-piloto para o 1º ciclo do ensino básico. Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian: Clube Unesco de Educação Artística Dewey, John (1934). Art as Experience. New York: Capricon Books EACEA (2009). Arts and Cultural Education at School in Europe. Agência de Execução relativa à Educação, ao Audiovisual e à Cultura. EURYDICE: Bruxelas Freedman, Kerry (1997). Cultural Associations and Communication: Students’ constructions of meaning in response to visual images. International Journal of Art and Design Education, 16(3), 269-272 Gardner, Howard (1995). Mentes creativas. Barcelona: Ed. Paidós. Hargreaves, Andy (1998). Os Professores em Tempos de Mudança. O trabalho e a cultura dos professores na idade pós-moderna. Porto: Porto Editora. Leite, Carlinda (Ed.). (2005). Mudanças curriculares em Portugal: Transição para o século XXI. Porto: Porto Editora. Lopes, Amélia & Pereira, Fátima (2012). Everyday life and everyday learning: the ways in which pre-service teacher education curriculum can encourage personal dimensions of teacher identity, European Journal of Teacher Education, 35:1, 17-38, DOI: 10.1080/02619768.2011.633995 Madoff, Steven (2009). ART School: Propositions for the 21st century. Leading international artists and art educators consider the challenges of art education in today's dramatically changed art world. MIT Press Mouraz, Ana, Leite, Carlinda & Fernandes, Preciosa (2014). A formação inicial de professores em Portugal decorrente do Processo de Bolonha: uma análise a partir do “olhar” de professores e de estudantes. Revista Portuguesa de Pedagogia, (46-2), 189- 209. Nóvoa, António (1992). Para uma formação de professores construída dentro da profissão. In Nóvoa, A. (Coord.). Os professores e a sua formação. Lisboa: Dom Quixote: 13-33. Ribeiro, Agostinho, Lopes, Amélia, Pereira, Fátima, Barbosa, Luísa, Fidalgo, Manuela, Sousa, Marília (1997). Projeto Cria-se: educar e formar para a criatividade. Porto: Afrontamento. Rudolph, Sophie & Wright, Susan (2015). Drawing out the value of the visual: children and young people theorizing time through art and narrative, Journal of Curriculum Studies. DOI: 10.1080/00220272.2015.1006685 Schön, Donald (2000). Educando o Profissional Reflexivo: um novo design para o ensino e aprendizagem. Porto Alegre: Artmed Tormenta, José Rafael (2015). Expressões Artísticas e Educação Básica: Oportunidades, Capacidades e Realidades. (cedência de autor) Portugal. Decreto-Lei n.º 139/2012, 5 de Junho. Ministério da Educação e Ciência Portugal. Decreto-Lei n.º 91/2013 de 10 de Julho. Ministério da Educação e Ciência

Author Information

André Freitas Santos (presenting / submitting)
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto
Educational Sciences
Porto
Ana Mouraz
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto, Portugal
Fátima Pereira
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto, Portugal

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