Arts and Culture Education as Transformative Pedagogy

Abstract

Although art education cannot be the only and complete solution to school problems, it plays a signification role in presenting new possibilities for learning by demonstrating the value of aesthetic experiences in personal growth and social change. Modern education system has come under scrutiny in the sense that it places too much emphasis on the accumulation knowledge based on scientific rationalism and intelligence. In this respect, the social demand for alternative ways to depart from competitive outcome-oriented education has been increasing. In order to respond to this call, it is time to critically reflect on how much art education has paid attention to what students actually need and want, and to develop a framework for art education that serves as a changing agent. In Korea, policy attempts are being made to revise the National Curriculum so as to foster individual autonomy and diversity within school education. Yet, the government-led School Arts and Culture Education has not deviated much from the initial approach of dispatching one individual artist to classroom, which comes short of making arts alive to all students. Even though the fact that this type of national support for the past 15 years has contributed to the quantitative expansion of school arts education cannot be overlooked, it has limitations on responding to the recent complex social problems and increasing diversity. In this context, based on the recent discussion on the notion of 'diversification', this presentation aims at exploring the possibility of School Arts and Culture Education as a transformative pedagogy that changes the way students learn and live in school.