Conveying social awareness through art : an art teacher’s perspective

Abstract

This study aimed to explore whether the “contemporary social issues” theme could be integrated into the Maltese art curriculum. The research questions focused on whether the art curriculum, for Year 9 to Year 11, should be changed to reflect the contemporary socio-political context, where themes such as race, diversity, ethnicity, drug abuse, domestic violence would be included. Through the use of in-depth interviews with art teachers, as well as with other stakeholders in the field of art education, the study also sought to explore the participant’s thoughts and perceptions with regards to the question of “if the Maltese education system is ready for this change”. The possibility of a mandatory art exhibition with a theme on social issues was also explored. A qualitative research design was used to answer research questions. Interviews (n=8) were the primary tools used for data collection. Raw data was transcribed and subsequently analysed thematically. Outcomes of this study indicate that art teachers would welcome such a change. The lack of training as well as the lack of resources available were limiting factors that were identified which could hinder such a change.