The Educational Potential of the Arts for At-Risk students

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the educational potential of the arts for at-risk students in educational contexts. The aim is to understand how arts are experienced by students who are struggling for various reasons, and to highlight the arts' role in education. The idea is based on international studies from the last decades, where arts are promoted as sources to strengthen motivation, academic achievement and engagement among students who are at risk for school failure. Here, three boys who have struggled throughout their educational journey are examined due to their general interest in different art forms such as music and art (paintings, drawings, crafts, etc.). Through a qualitative, indirect interview technique, the boys have been approached with the aim of gathering life stories and understanding the contexts that surround them. The boys' stories convey that learning through music and art differs from other experiences at school and promotes positive emotions. Furthermore, the discussion focuses on the emotional and perceptual aspects of learning through arts, and suggests that curriculums emphasizing arts might strengthen at-risk students' chances for educational completion.

Citation

Møller-Skau, M. (2021), "The Educational Potential of the Arts for At-Risk students", Gravesen, D.T., Stuart, K., Bunting, M., Mikkelsen, S.H. and Frostholm, P.H. (Ed.) Combatting Marginalisation by Co-creating Education (Great Debates in Higher Education), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 91-102. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80043-448-620211008