engleski

School and the Cultural-Heritage Environment: Pedagogical, Creative and Artistic Aspects

The present paper explores the idea that all learning, both in and out of school, is a cultural act, and that school and its cultural- heritage environment stamp their own characteristics on pupils. This implies that pupils gradually, with the help of teachers and other relevant adults from their close social environment, develop and adjust their behaviour and lifestyle to their cultural and civilisational milieu. An integrative approach to learning and teaching, through the concept of 'learning- centred-teaching', can be instrumental in this regard (according to Terhart, 2001). This approach aims at linking cognitive, social and moral teachings. According to this teaching concept, pupils learn to appreciate the value of their cultural-heritage environment by living and reliving its experience while freely and reflexively interpreting and becoming active participants in the culture of those who 'learn about life by living' (Terhart, 2001). The relationship between school and its cultural- heritage environment is discussed from a creative and artistic perspective in the second part of the paper. By visually stimulating artistic expression when learning about the cultural-heritage and natural environment of school, and through the concept of 'action- centred learning', we explain how pupils can be motivated to learn and display creative- artistic expression and how they can be actively involved in their communities (participating in organising art exhibitions in their neighbourhood, working in museum workshops, etc.) Pupils’ art projects, inspired by the historical, cultural and natural heritage of their environment, confirm that such projects are an effective way of encouraging pupils’ identity development and sensitivity towards the arts. They teach pupils about the importance of preserving cultural heritage, which is one of the basic principles in the upbringing of future participants and creators of new cultural values. Children’s artistic works illustrate examples of good school practice.

Cultural- heritage environment; School; Project methods; Pupil’s artistic creativity

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