Intentional teaching for visual arts in Early Childhood Education: teachers’ practices and perceptions

The early childhood sector in New Zealand has a long-held tradition of free play and child-led pedagogy, influencing visual arts approaches with young children. However, alongside learning through play, New Zealand’s sociocultural curriculum highlights the active role of the teacher and intentional...

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Main Authors: Rachel Denee, Sue Cherrington
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Tuwhera Open Access Publisher 2023-06-01
Series:New Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/teachers-work/article/view/368
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author Rachel Denee
Sue Cherrington
author_facet Rachel Denee
Sue Cherrington
author_sort Rachel Denee
collection DOAJ
description The early childhood sector in New Zealand has a long-held tradition of free play and child-led pedagogy, influencing visual arts approaches with young children. However, alongside learning through play, New Zealand’s sociocultural curriculum highlights the active role of the teacher and intentional pedagogy. This article explores the practices and perceptions of early childhood teachers regarding visual arts through a mixed methods study, including a nationwide survey and an embedded case study. Data indicated that teachers are confused about the appropriateness of taking an active role during children’s visual arts learning, and about when to be intentional versus leaving children to play without interference. Such tensions appear to be founded in contradictory theoretical assumptions, and are evident through a lack of confidence, skills, strategies and language for teaching. The authors argue that professional learning could ameliorate these tensions by clarifying educational theories and identifying intentional visual arts teaching practices that align with current theoretical beliefs about how young children learn in early childhood.
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issn 1176-6662
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publisher Tuwhera Open Access Publisher
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series New Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work
spelling doaj-art-b87844e1e20f4efdb34b1f44895ff9df2025-08-20T03:26:09ZengTuwhera Open Access PublisherNew Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work1176-66622023-06-0120110.24135/teacherswork.v20i1.368Intentional teaching for visual arts in Early Childhood Education: teachers’ practices and perceptionsRachel Denee0Sue Cherrington1Victoria University of WellingtonVictoria University of Wellington The early childhood sector in New Zealand has a long-held tradition of free play and child-led pedagogy, influencing visual arts approaches with young children. However, alongside learning through play, New Zealand’s sociocultural curriculum highlights the active role of the teacher and intentional pedagogy. This article explores the practices and perceptions of early childhood teachers regarding visual arts through a mixed methods study, including a nationwide survey and an embedded case study. Data indicated that teachers are confused about the appropriateness of taking an active role during children’s visual arts learning, and about when to be intentional versus leaving children to play without interference. Such tensions appear to be founded in contradictory theoretical assumptions, and are evident through a lack of confidence, skills, strategies and language for teaching. The authors argue that professional learning could ameliorate these tensions by clarifying educational theories and identifying intentional visual arts teaching practices that align with current theoretical beliefs about how young children learn in early childhood. https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/teachers-work/article/view/368Visual artsEarly childhood educationSocio-cultural theoryIntentional teaching
spellingShingle Rachel Denee
Sue Cherrington
Intentional teaching for visual arts in Early Childhood Education: teachers’ practices and perceptions
New Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work
Visual arts
Early childhood education
Socio-cultural theory
Intentional teaching
title Intentional teaching for visual arts in Early Childhood Education: teachers’ practices and perceptions
title_full Intentional teaching for visual arts in Early Childhood Education: teachers’ practices and perceptions
title_fullStr Intentional teaching for visual arts in Early Childhood Education: teachers’ practices and perceptions
title_full_unstemmed Intentional teaching for visual arts in Early Childhood Education: teachers’ practices and perceptions
title_short Intentional teaching for visual arts in Early Childhood Education: teachers’ practices and perceptions
title_sort intentional teaching for visual arts in early childhood education teachers practices and perceptions
topic Visual arts
Early childhood education
Socio-cultural theory
Intentional teaching
url https://ojs.aut.ac.nz/teachers-work/article/view/368
work_keys_str_mv AT racheldenee intentionalteachingforvisualartsinearlychildhoodeducationteacherspracticesandperceptions
AT suecherrington intentionalteachingforvisualartsinearlychildhoodeducationteacherspracticesandperceptions