The role of the arts in education for peacebuilding, diversity and intercultural understanding: A comparative study of educational policies in Australia and Spain

Alberto Cabedo-Mas, Rohan Nethsinghe, David Forrest

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)
93 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This article reviews and analyses educational policies and curricula for general education in Australian and Spanish systems, in relation to their concerns for arts education to contribute to values education and the acquisition of peaceful, social and civic competences in schools. The use of the arts to shape individual and community identities, to enhance relationships between people, to promote positive conflict transformation, development and, in general, contribute to peacebuilding, has been acknowledged worldwide. Curriculum helps to legitimise what is considered to be important to learn within a society and therefore determines what is included to be understood as good artistic knowledge and practices. The documentary analysis of both Australian and Spanish educational documents in relation to teaching and learning of the arts gives responses on the extent the arts are expected to contribute to build peaceful and sustainable societies, and faces some current challenges of the role of the arts in schools.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-27
Number of pages28
JournalInternational Journal of Education and the Arts
Volume18
Issue number11
Publication statusPublished - 2017
Externally publishedYes

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