A scientific article entitled ‘The Role of the Arts in the Classroom: Does Integration of the Arts Promote Social Relationships in the Classroom?’ was published as part of the ‘Circus of Knowledge’ project, which has been funded by the ‘Sparkling Science 2.0’ programme since 2022. The research article has been published in the international journal ‘Education Sciences’.
Art in STEM education
Education scientists Julia Lauss and Christoph Helm from the Linz School of Education at the Johannes Kepler University Linz investigated whether the integration of the arts in the classroom promotes social relationships in the classroom. A particular focus was placed on artistic learning in STEM subjects. The results show that artistic activities can have a positive influence on pupils' social interaction. It should be emphasised that female students develop stronger cooperation and mutual appreciation through artistic methods. The researchers argue that creative learning processes can strengthen emotional and social learning in the long term and have a positive effect in science subjects.
For the study, a comprehensive longitudinal analysis of the survey results of almost 400 pupils was carried out. The qualitative analyses are based on interviews with all participating teachers.
In the ‘Circus of Knowledge’ project, the participating pupils explore scientific questions as citizen scientists using artistic methods. The effects of this artistic research are also analysed from an educational science perspective.
Art & Science Symposium
The ‘Circus of Knowledge’ is organising a symposium on the topic of ‘Art & Science’ in Linz on 27 and 28 February 2025. Teachers can have their participation recognised as further training. Registration is still possible until 16 February.
Further information about the event
Lauss, J., & Helm, C. (2025). The Role of the Arts in the Classroom: Does Integration of the Arts Promote Social Relationships in the Classroom? Education Sciences, 15(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010014
