The Pursuit of Social Justice in Art Education: Sharing Life

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the learning experiences of primary school students during an activity series called "Sharing Life," based on social justice-oriented art education. The study involved 20 students age 10 and 11. In the study, an arts-based research approach and phenomenology were employed to analyze the development of participant behavior associated with social injustice problems. The study data were collected with semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, worksheets, students' artistic work, and focus group interviews during a 6-week instructional period and the analyses were conducted with a descriptive and inductive approach. Findings suggested that the applications raised the awareness of children about social responsibility, encouraged them to approach different individuals with tolerance, and contributed to the acquisition of the skills associated with social transformation efforts.