The transformative potential of art education through multicultural teaching and learning : a case study

Abstract

This dissertation's primary aim was to achieve a better understanding of the learning benefits provided by a multicultural approach in Art education, which addresses youth cultural diversity and thus leads to the students' holistic transformation through visual expression at a secondary school in Malta. The study initiates with a broad international and local literature review to determine the notion of multiculturalism in Art education which goes beyond what was traditionally thought and expected of multicultural education. It is not only about celebrating different ethnicities, but involves the direct connection of the students' own youth subcultures to the curriculum. The literature review also investigates the importance of the Art teachers' role in familiarizing themselves with the youth subcultures which the students bring with them so that they are able to provide opportunities for the students' artistic, intellectual and social development targeted towards the students' transformation for life. The case study research examined the transformative aspects of Art Education through the multicultural education approaches by encouraging students' critical thinking, knowledge construction, collaborative learning and their expression of youth subcultures. Hence the dissertation is connected to the concepts of Multicultural and Transformative education. The study emphasizes that through the Art teacher's dedicated effort to provide educational experiences which deepen the students' awareness of themselves as active participants in society, the students gain a renewed sense of personal identity where they become more able to reflect on contemporary life issues, construct meaning and change things.