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…

Networked approaches to professional learning have been shown to offer broad influence and unique benefits to teachers' continuing development. However, despite decades of research into the professional learning community (PLC) approach within single schools, there is a paucity of research about network PLCs and a lack of models for effective…

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…

Multilingual learners' (MLs') access to a rich arts curriculum is often overshadowed by their need to learn English and "core" content. Yet MLs should have equitable access to arts education alongside their monolingual peers. An important avenue for offering this access is teacher preparedness. This study reports on a pilot survey of…

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…

In this study, we investigated the demographic, educational setting, and pedagogical factors in inclusive visual arts and design classrooms for students with disabilities. We also explored how art teachers' backgrounds, training, and school environments influence their approaches to teaching students with disabilities. Using survey research, we…

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…

A network professional learning community (PLC) is characterised by a non-hierarchical approach to professional learning. Members are supported to engage and to learn when leadership is distributed across a network PLC. The mixed methods study reported here was designed to examine how a network PLC could effectively improve visual arts pedagogy in…

In this article, I move forward the tradition of visuality, or visual studies, in art education in the following ways: I examine, criticize, and expand concepts that are fundamental to the largely ignored subgroup--early childhood art education. I extend the study of images and visuality to unpack current political apparatuses and affects…

This study examined the contextual factors that shape how young children come to value and use the visual arts in their learning. The research sought to understand more deeply, the impact of visual arts practices that are informed by sociocultural theories on children's and their family's perceptions and engagement with the visual arts in their…

Early childhood is a time of great creativity. Building creativity into the learning environment should be natural, organic, as observant teachers follow the child. This article provide tools for building creativity through play across the creative arts including dramatic play, movement and dance, music, and visual arts. Additionally, play and…