Dialoguing through images

Abstract

Recognising that many contemporary scholars are using the term visual culture, widening the parameters of Art Education to incorporate all that is humanly experienced, in this dissertation I proposed and tested various contemporary practices as part of an Action project. The proposed, inquiry-based curriculum targeted the development of democratic values, critical thinking and the individual growth of every participating student. It assisted students to navigate visuals aimed at shaping their identity inside and outside schools, increasing the relevancy of art instruction. Using a dialogical pedagogy that positioned learners as key agents to their own education, facilitated student-initiated research and the questioning of dominant social ideologies and stereotypes. A focus on contemporary fine art that merges popular culture with museum art, provided good examples for students' self-expression. Through the contemporary use of assemblage, appropriation, collage and photo-montage, students were able to express their preoccupations and concerns about our contemporary world and how this is moulding their identity. The whole research and its results may be used as a foundation for several instructional resources across the various school contexts in Malta.