Examining the Role of Arts Integration in the Classroom for Refugee Students from the Perspective of Teachers
Conference Year
January 2020
Abstract
This is a qualitative case study taking place at a local K-5 school in Burlington, Vermont. This study examines the role that arts integration plays in the classroom with young refugee students. The arts, as a creative medium, stimulate cognitive development, encourage innovative thinking and creativity, engender understanding of the importance of cultural diversity, and reinforce behavior patterns underlying social tolerance (Papouli, 2017, p. 780). Art can be used as a therapeutic tool for children who have experienced trauma (Rowe, 2018, p. 27). Art-making is naturally a self-reflective process that allows for the expression of identity and culture. Arts integration may be a tool to meet the increasing need of English Language Learners in schools in the United States and meet the demand for culturally responsive teaching practices. In this study, I question how art is utilized in the classroom, whether arts integration has a role of enhancing the education of refugee students, and how.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Cynthia Reyes
Secondary Mentor Name
Holly Busier
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Education and Social Services
Program/Major
Elementary Education
Primary Research Category
Social Sciences
Examining the Role of Arts Integration in the Classroom for Refugee Students from the Perspective of Teachers
This is a qualitative case study taking place at a local K-5 school in Burlington, Vermont. This study examines the role that arts integration plays in the classroom with young refugee students. The arts, as a creative medium, stimulate cognitive development, encourage innovative thinking and creativity, engender understanding of the importance of cultural diversity, and reinforce behavior patterns underlying social tolerance (Papouli, 2017, p. 780). Art can be used as a therapeutic tool for children who have experienced trauma (Rowe, 2018, p. 27). Art-making is naturally a self-reflective process that allows for the expression of identity and culture. Arts integration may be a tool to meet the increasing need of English Language Learners in schools in the United States and meet the demand for culturally responsive teaching practices. In this study, I question how art is utilized in the classroom, whether arts integration has a role of enhancing the education of refugee students, and how.