Active participation in art activities has a positive effect on the development of creativity and sensibility in children, as well as their emotional development, which is usually neglected in contemporary education because of... [ view full abstract ]
Active participation in art activities has a positive effect on the development of creativity and sensibility in children, as well as their emotional development, which is usually neglected in contemporary education because of the continuous development and influence of technology on education.
Sensibility for activities in music and visual arts is a requirement for encouraging children to participate in creative activities, so it is important to develop sensibility from an early age.
The development of sensibility in children depends on the educators and their attitudes towards artistic activities. The purpose of this study is to investigate how often educators encourage children to creatively express themselves through music and visual arts based on the educators’ sensibility and interest in the arts, which are developed through after-school art education and visiting art-related events, such as art exhibits or musical performances.
The sample consisted of 137 educators attending the graduate studies program of Early Childhood and Preschool Education, who expressed the desire and intent to continue their education and develop their professional competences. An anonymous questionnaire was developed for the purpose of data collection.
The frequency of conducting music and visual arts activities depended on the participants’ after-school art education in specific art forms, but not on the duration of their after-school art education. Participants who reported frequently visiting art exhibits and musical events also conducted art activities more often than the participants who rarely attended those types of events.
The results of this study describe how often educators engage children in activities involving music and visual arts. The study also highlights the importance of the educators’ sensibility and interest in music and visual arts for facilitating the holistic development of children by encouraging them to participant in artistic activities from an early age.
Keywords: creativity encouragement, educators, music creation, visual art creation
