“It's not art; it's not therapy; it's something else” : an investigation into how aesthetic practice can be used in pedagogic situations for pupils to examine and reflect on themselves

Abstract: In this investigation, I discuss how students can examine and reflect on themselves through aesthetic practice in various pedagogic situations. The field study took place over two months in the international settlement of Auroville in the south of India, where I visited schools and observed various pedagogical methods. In this study, I focus on two of these pedagogical methods: Play of Painting and Awareness Through the Body. In both, the body is considered an important part of the student’s learning and development. These experiences form the background for this investigation. I investigated Play of Painting and Awareness Through the Body through focussing on one lesson from each method. I describe how the methods are organised and practised in Auroville schools with observations, visual material, and interviews from my field study.  In this investigation, I use a phenomenological and aesthetic perspective together with a brief introduction to the theory of Integral Education. I believe that aesthetics can be used in many different ways in a school context. In this thesis, I use the term aesthetic practices to understand and study Awareness Through the Body and Play of Painting. I see these methods as two examples of how aesthetic practices and conditions for aesthetic learning processes with different ways of reflection can be encouraged in an educational environment.  The children in Play of Painting and Awareness Through the Body learn about themselves through the experience of practising aesthetics with their whole bodies and senses. Through creating conditions for aesthetic practice as in Awareness Through the Body and Play of Painting, children can reflect on themselves together with others.  The purpose of this investigation is to research how aesthetic practices can be used in pedagogic situations through the methods Play of Painting and Awareness Through the Body. I focus on how pupils can examine and reflect on themselves through aesthetic practice in these two methods.