This study investigates how teachers develop art thinking and critical thinking through a professional development program focused on the evaluation and appreciation of three-dimensional artworks. Participants included educators from kindergartens, nursery schools, elementary schools, and junior high schools, who engaged in the group discussions during the evaluation and interactive appreciation sessions of childrenʼs artworks. Interactional analysis revealed that participants relativized their perspectives, embraced diverse viewpoints, and reflected on childrenʼs creative processes. These experiences fostered reflection on their daily teaching practices and encouraged innovative approaches to learning design. The findings indicate that art education serves as a valuable professional development resource, promoting teachersʼ cognitive transformation and reflective practice.

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This study revised and updated the conceptual definition of the “Sozo-Biiku Movement” established in 2014. An update was necessary because subsequent research revealed limitations in the previous definition, and because related findings were published separately over multiple years, making it difficult for readers to grasp the overall picture. In revising the definition, we segmented the items into semantics, history, claims and practice, and influence, aiming to provide a more detailed description of each item.This study has produced the most accurate conceptual definition possible at present; however, it remains provisional, and further research is required. In particular, there is an urgent need to reflect on the historical lessons of the Movement today.

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This study clarifies the disjunctions between Swimmyʼs reception in Japan, the authorʼs thematic intention, and the workʼs artistic essence, and subsequently examines methods for art appreciation education. First, both teaching materials and audiences interpret the work as a Japanese narrative of cooperation. Viewers tend to assume that Swimmy cooperates with his peers out of inferiority and fear of exclusion, and their empathy centres on the small fish, reflecting a desire for harmanoy within the group. Second, the authorʼs thematic focus is the social mission of a gifted artist. Third, a crucial dimension of the work lies in Swimmyʼs solitary encounters with diverse creatures, through which he regains vitality-an “invisible stimulus” that operates unconsciously. Finally, the study explores the potential for a dialectical approach to art appreciation education capable of bridging the gaps between reception, authorial intention, and artistic essence.

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In contemporary society, where contact with others is unavoidable, how we can actively engage with others and realize coexistence? Positioning itself within the scope of art education research, this study foregrounds the aesthetic dimension of art. Its clarifies the forms of aesthetic experience that differ from the commonly discussed modes of shared pleasure or enjoyment. Drawing on the sociological concept of “reflexivity,” the historical development of theories of aesthetic education, Deweyʼs theory of experience, and practices in contemporary art and art education, it argues that aesthetic experiences that involve othersʼ “pain” can transform our perception and action.

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This study explores the potential for expanding art appreciation education. Focusing on the current junior high school government course guidelines, we design lessons to foster “rich engagement with art and art culture in daily life and society.” First, the study examines the relationship between appreciation and daily life by analyzing past course guidelines. We then investigate appreciation practices targeting natural and man-made objects in the immediate environment, examining both their theoretical foundations and practical implementation. For the practical implementation, building upon the activities of the “Sozoromi Club”—in which students walk through the town and observe their surroundings based on arbitrary themes to develop a formative perspective—we propose this as a junior high school art class. It is necessary for students to act as appreciators themselves and to proactively discover objects for appreciation. We identify the significance of introducing a fieldwork perspective in this context.

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This paper reexamines the role of “A” -the arts- in contemporary STEAM education by drawing on the art education of the early twentieth-century Bauhaus, where restoring humanity was a central aim. It first focuses on the position of sensibility education in the Bauhaus, analyzing Ittenʼs and Grunowʼs educational philosophies and practices in the preliminary course. It also clarifies why sensibility was emphasized in a society that prioritized rationality and efficiency. The paper then raises issues concerning the current state of “A” within STEAM education and identifies the need to reconsider its role from a perspective that places cultivating human sensibility at its foundation. Finally, it proposes a new conceptual approach for redefining the function of “A” in STEAM education.

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This study examines the recent expansion of STEAM education across various educational stages in Japan and addresses debates regarding its relationship to art education. Despite the growing interest, confusion persists, particularly regarding interpretations of the “A” in STEAM and the objectives of art education. This study reviews the varied meanings attached to the letter “A”, the roles and limitations of traditional, drawing- and craft-centered art education in fostering creativity, and the potential of STEAM to prompt a reconsideration of STEM education. Conventional arts instruction has displayed limited success in supporting creativity and interdisciplinary thinking, highlighting a need for improved pedagogy and learning environments. Furthermore, the “A” is anticipated to not only enhance creative abilities but also to cultivate ethical judgment that can moderate the excesses of science and technology. From these perspectives, this study reconsiders the significance of Japanese art education within the framework of STEAM education.

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This study investigates the effectiveness of “simplification, omission, and emphasis,” as prescribed in the national Course of Study, as instructional strategies for studentsʼ conceptualization (kōsō) in lower secondary art education. Through classroom practice using three different assignments, studentsʼ thinking and behavior in the conceptualization process were closely analyzed. The findings indicate that these techniques foster deeper cognitive processes, enhance expressive and communicative impact, support productive transformation during making, and promote shifts in studentsʼ attitudes toward learning art. Through repeated trial and error in applying these methods to their works, students expanded and refined their concepts, leading to higher-quality outcomes. The study concludes that “simplification, omission, and emphasis” function not merely as formal techniques, but as key means for students to examine the “theme” and essence of their subjects and to pursue their own expressive intentions.

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In this paper, the author aims to examine the relationship between Kurahashiʼs early childhood education theory and art education by analyzing the evolution of the concept of “seisaku” (creative activities), which Kurahashi adopted in place of “shugi” (manual skills), through an analysis of relevant literature. The findings show that Kurahashiʼs concept of “seisaku” evolved from an artistic theory to a purely life-based theory and then to a cultural–educational (life-based and artistic) theory. Further, Kurahashiʼs art education theory consists of two aspects, “creation” and “appreciation,” with aesthetic experience being the essence of both. Through the creative aspect, this study demonstrates that life, education, and art maintain a continuous and integrated relationship in Kurahashiʼs early childhood education theory through “seisaku” activities. By contrast, in terms of appreciation, Kurahashi aimed to enhance human development through pure art (technically sophisticated works) that is distinct from childrenʼs daily experiences. Ultimately, Kurahashi established the role of art education in early childhood education by emphasizing the significance of art as a catalyst for cultural education.

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This study identifies methods for developing the physical skills and sensations necessary for artistic expression based on teaching materials created by the author and used on the university students she supervises. Specifically, it is common to interpret a work of art as being made up of numerous artistic expression methods. Based on teaching material research, artistic expression methods can be organized into various systematic diagrams by the physical skills and sensations. By analyzing the system diagrams of artistic expression methods created by the students, I was able to interpret expressive activities as arising from the interaction of artistic expression methods related to “physical skills/sensations” and “objects.” Therefore, this study proposes that teaching teachersʼ own physical sensations from linguistic, physical, and artistic expression can be a way to help students develop their physical skills/sensations so that they are aware of the object.

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This study examines qualitative changes in high school studentsʼ reflections during and after art classes and the learning environments that promote them. Reflections from two phases (in-class reflection and after-class video reflection) were compared to clarify how studentsʼ metacognitive understanding evolves. The study employed a questionnaire based on the “Fan of Learning” framework and incorporated video reflection using in-class recordings. Interactional and descriptive analyses of the reflections produced three key findings. First, video reflection facilitated the sharing of evaluative criteria among peers, which students integrated with their unique personal interpretations. Second, repeated reflection encouraged students to articulate their ideal learning situations. Third, the contrast between first-person, subjective reflections and those involving self-objectification prompted significant self-awareness regarding their learning. The findings underscore the critical role of teachers in facilitating diverse perspectives during reflection. This study provides empirical evidence for designing reflective learning environments that foster metacognition in art education.

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This study empirically examines how the three foundational stages of art appreciation learning “reception,” “observation,” and “analysis”theoretically proposed in prior research (Noami, 2025) manifest and develop across grade levels. An art appreciation lesson featuring Hokusaiʼs The Great Wave off Kanagawa was conducted with 203 students at a municipal public elementary school in Osaka, and their written responses were qualitatively analyzed using MAXQDA 24. The results demonstrated a cumulative structure in childrenʼs responses, progressing systematically from emotional impressions to objective observation and ultimately to an understanding of causal relationships. Crucially, the findings revealed that appreciation abilities develop not merely through age-related maturation but are significantly influenced by the quality and continuity of educational intervention. Furthermore, an integrated understanding of formative elements was shown to develop alongside appreciation. Consequently, these results suggest specific instructional objectives that are tailored to the developmental characteristics of each grade level.

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The aim of this study is to conceptualize how the process of creative thoughts in children develops. The authors analyzed the change in a studentʼs process of thinking or feeling using TEM diagrams. It was concluded that creativity emerged after experiencing a variation of divergent and convergent thoughts, while being supported by family members or teachers. In the chart, branching points were often observed when the student felt he/she achieved his/her self-goal. This research found the following two things. 1) “Diary Reflection” helps students organize their thoughts and to start to envision their next goal. They also give teachers indications of when they should be supporting students; and 2) teachersʼ feedback on diaries fosters awareness and motivation for students, and enables sustained, positive reciprocal interactions that further enhance studentsʼ creativity.

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This study qualitatively investigates the long-term impact and transfer of art appreciation through discussion. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 sixth graders who had participated in approximately twenty “Miru Game” viewing lessons over six years. Interview transcripts were coded to identify categories of competencies (language ability, observation skills, thinking and metacognition, and understanding artworks) and transfer domains (relationships and daily life, school subjects and inquiry, Japanese language, and art and media), as well as to analyze their interrelations. The children reported perceived growth in these generic competencies and described transfer to school trips, classroom activities, discussions in other subjects, and expressive activities in art and crafts. The findings align with prior research and further indicate that the distinctiveness of art education lies in slow looking and an explicit process of “looking, thinking, speaking, and listening,” which together support sustained development and the transfer of learning.

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Everyday practices in contemporary society are becoming increasingly automated and externalized. Thus, the opportunities for embodied engagement with the world are diminishing. This study conceptualizes craft education as a form of learning, that enables learners to reconstruct their everyday lives and worlds. It examines craft as a process in which relationships among materials, bodies, and environments are continuously reorganized, as it draws on everyday aesthetics and Tim Ingoldʼs theory of making. The study focuses on the tension between aesthetic and practical values as a driving force of learning. It identifies four core dimensions, based on a review of practice-based research: Sustainability, Co-creation, Respect for diversity, and Harmony between technology and humanity. Finally, it proposes a theoretical framework to support and evaluate learning processes in junior high school craft education.

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This study examined how adults perceived and attributed value to junior-high studentsʼ drawings through the Childrenʼs Picture Homestay project, grounded in Saekiʼs notion of cultural practices. Two student artworks were loaned to households unrelated to the students and displayed in the formerʼs everyday living spaces for one month. Adults completed a creative attitude scale and participated in semi-structured interviews before and after the homestay. Prior to the experience, participants mainly evaluated formal features (e.g., color, line, and technique). After sustained viewing, they increasingly interpreted the drawings in relation to their own feelings, mental states, and daily routines.Some created shared appreciation practices within the home. Scale profiles aligned with interview patterns, indicating the measureʼs applicability to adults. In Summary, integrating childrenʼs drawings into domestic contexts may trigger adultsʼ value transformation and foster new perspectives on everyday practices.

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This study investigates the effectiveness of art-integrated learning (AIL) in Japanese high school art education. A self-report questionnaire survey was conducted among students from schools that practice AIL and those that do not, assessing their skills acquired through art education. The AIL schools and non-AIL schools were compared, and no difference was found in participantsʼ use of formative elements or reflection on their ideas and creations in relation to others. However, students from AIL schools reported higher levels of using cultural elements, positive attitudes toward visual arts and their learning, considering artworks from multiple perspectives, and appreciating the social value of visual arts. These findings suggest that AIL fosters these abilities and enhances studentsʼ engagement in both visual arts and their learning. Contrarily, non-AIL classes, which do not integrate visual arts with other disciplines, may not meet studentsʼ curiosity or desire for intellectual advancement.

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This paper is the continuation of a practical study aimed at clarifying the extent to which high school studentsʼ understanding of design was deepened through inquiry-based learning in collaboration with local communities when studying design. In this paper, the subject of logo creation was developed, and a class practice was conducted, focusing on improvements from the previous practice, namely selecting a subject that shows students the importance of creating new values with empathy and enhancing inquiry time for creative expression. This continuing study considered the importance of the following factors in inquiry-based learning methods to deepen understanding of design: (1) combining inquiry into elements of knowledge and skills with elements of thinking, judgment, and expression; (2) experiencing the HCD process activity cycle multiple times; (3) enhancing opportunities for investigation and dialogue and opportunities for critique. On this basis, a model for promoting understanding of design was proposed as an outcome.

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This study identified the big ideas and essential questions in Japanese art education. To accomplish this, we used conceptual model construction in qualitative research to analyze 527 instructional topics published in art textbooks from elementary to high school. The results revealed 17 unit-level and six domain-level big ideas. The six domain-level big ideas were: “Expression and Materials,” “Imagination,” “Meaning of the Subject,” “Life and Design,” “Methods of Expression,” and “Art as Culture.” Thereafter, we formulated the essential questions that would spur the exploration of each big idea.

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Individuals with limited art experience often find it challenging to interpret abstract painting. According to prior research, meditation followed by action painting (AP) can help clarify creative intentions and intensify emotional responses during art appreciation; however, whether similar benefits arise from other expressive modalities remains unclear. To address this gap, we conducted a field experiment in collaboration with a contemporary art exhibition held at a museum. Data from 55 valid participants were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA. The results indicated that both meditation-plus-AP and meditation-plus-drawing were associated with more positive attitudes toward contemporary art, higher appraisals of participantsʼcreative output, and stronger self-evaluations. Contrary to our hypothesis, AP did not produce larger effects than drawing. Overall, these findings suggest that meditation-integrated drawing practices can activate creative intention and enhance engagement with contemporary art.

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Through a case study of the “Art Study” course at a Waldorf upper school, this study clarifies the educational significance of art appreciation. Both Rudolf Steinerʼs (1861-1925) lectures on art history and related curriculum documents and a studentʼs epoch notebook from a Waldorf school in Germany were analyzed to explore the content of the lessons. The notebook included copies of artworks, written commentaries, stylistic characteristics, and records of museum visits. The course emphasizes experiential understanding of art as the evolution of human consciousness and spirit, rather than the mere transmission of art historical knowledge. Consequently, this study presents educational implications for rethinking art history education in Japanese secondary schools, ultimately linking it to the development of studentsʼinner lives and the cultivation of humanity.

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This study investigates the posilibility of a/r/tographya practice-based research methodas a cooperative inquiry approach. Students in the Yamagata University Junior High School art club participated. Qualitative analysis of the verbatim transcripts of recorded video of the practice revealed that studentsʼ practice became a process of artistic encounter that did not start with a predetermined theme or method but rather with studentsʼ reflection on their own experiences while walking in shool, their interests, and their relationships with their surroundings and others. The art teacher built a flatter relationship with students by becoming a member of the inquiry community. This created an environment for both students and teacher to think deeply and engage sincerely in their own art making. However, the a/r/tographical activity had no firm step-by-step structure, so students needed more time to determine how to process their inquiry. Therefore, appropriate scaffolding for students of different ages is essential.

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The ʻobligation to studyʼ in our Associationʼs Code of Ethics may be inconsistent with theinternal ethics of research, which involves constantly questioning whether oneʼs research is boundby authority, policy, or convention. This study highlights the fragility of policy and conventionalwisdom, on which research tends to rely. The paper is argued to be a form of self-expression, andadvanced, interesting research is open to anyone. The key requirements for achieving this areproblem-finding, data collection, and simple logical structure, unconstrained by conventionalwisdom. Discomfort with conventional wisdom can motivate research, and referring to books inother fields can become a proposition for problem-solving. Moreover, starting with provisionaldefinitions of key concepts rather than defining them from the beginning is important, and thenultimately define them. Also mentioned the need for both accuracy and rhythm in writing style,and for honesty in data research are also discussed.

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