| Abstract: | 對於幼兒而言，美術教育和其他的課程領域一樣重要。幼兒可以從參與美術活動中得到許多好處，舉例來說:美術活動能夠幫助孩子們發展他們的創造思考能力、提供表達情感的機會、以及運用解決問題的能力並能增進大小肌肉的技巧。除此之外，孩子們也能夠透過整個美術創作的過程練習他們的語言能力。再者，因為孩子們的美術作品會隨著他們的成長而有所改變，所以對於想要知道孩子們的發展過程與階段的老師或家長而言會是一個重要的記錄。甚至於從一個孩子的美勞作品中可以讓成人增進對於這個個別孩子的了解。不幸的是即使現今的幼兒美術教育已經獲得家長們的注意並且許多證據也顯示美術才藝課程的盛行，但是對於台灣幼兒而言什麼才是適合幼兒的美術課程的概念卻無所知。
本研究藉由質性的研究方法的方式期望能夠找出適合台灣幼兒美術課程的一個方向。透過深度訪談探討台灣家長與孩子們對於適性發展的信念與態度以及台灣現今幼兒美術教育發展的現況。此外，本研究藉由觀察孩子的美術活動以增進對於現今幼兒美術教育以及孩子們的美術學習狀況的了解。研究結果對於想要試著設計與提供優質幼兒美術教育課程的幼稚園教師以及美術教育工作者而言能夠有一指引的方向。再者，本研究能夠提供有價值的知識給台灣的家長們以建立對於幼兒美術教育的正確觀念。
研究結果顯示現今之台灣家長對於幼兒美術教育的信念與態度已經逐漸改變。現在的家長希望孩子們的美術老師是較為適性發展傾向的老師。其他重要的研究結果為：家長希望他們的孩子在美術才藝課程中能發展的能力如下：創造力、想像力、美的鑑賞能力、空間概念、顏色概念以及邏輯思考等能力。此外，家長對於幼兒而言，美術的製作過程遠比美術的作品來的重要。再者，有些家長認為美術老師修改孩子們的作品是一點都不恰當的行為，而其他有些家長則認為這是老師的專業，為應該做的事。有關適任的幼兒美術老師資格的議題，在研究中則發現所有的家長都希望能有一個能夠了解孩子們發展、能力與興趣的美術老師，而不是一個美術系畢業的美術老師。與前幾年比較起來，孩子的性別現在較不是父母為學齡前孩子選擇學校的一個考量。在本研究中，家長會為其學齡前孩子選擇一個藝術傾向的幼稚園，如果這個孩子對於藝術非常有興趣的話，家長指出在學齡前的階段有關學校的選擇的部份則較不受孩子的性別的影響。
雖然訪談幼兒不是一件非常容易的事，但是很高興地在本研究中發現到孩子們都非常喜歡作美勞的工作。此外，孩子們對於美術老師的教學方式也有其自己的喜好。有些孩子喜歡美術老師是比較具有指導性的，而更有趣的發現是有更多孩子喜歡一個美術老師是具有適性發展傾向的。
For young children, art education is as important as other curriculum area. Children also get lots of benefits from making art. For example, art helps young children to develop their creative thinking, offer opportunities to express their feelings, apply problem solving skills and motor skills. In addition, children practice the language skills through the whole making process. Also, since children’s artwork changes as it follows their growth, it is an important record for teachers or parents who want to know about their children’s developmental processes. Even from the children’s artwork, understanding about an individual child can also be built. Unfortunately, even though currently early childhood art education has raised parents’ attention and it shows the evidence of the popularity of art talent class, what art curriculum is suitable for our young children in Taiwan is still unknown.
This study tries to find a direction for offering a quality art curriculum to young children in Taiwan by using a qualitative method. Through the in-depth interviews, parents and children’s attitudes toward developmentally appropriate art practice and current early childhood art education will be investigated. In addition, observations for children’s art classes will broaden the understanding for current early childhood art education and children’s art learning situation. The research results will be useful as a guiding map for the kindergarten teachers and art educators who try to design and provide quality early childhood art programs. Also, it will be valuable knowledge for helping our parents to build correct concepts toward young children’s art education.
It is obviously found in this study that Taiwanese parents’ beliefs and attitudes have changed. Parents prefer having an art teacher for their children who is more developmentally-appropriate oriented. Other important findings are as below. Parents expect their children to develop the ability such as creativity, imagination, appreciation for the beauty, knowledge of the space, knowledge of the colors, and logical thinking in the art talent classes. Parents also considered the art making process was more important than the art product. In addition, some parents consider that teachers make changes for young children’s art work not appropriate at all, the other parents thought it is teacher’s professional to do so. As to the issue of qualification for the art teacher for young children, all parents prefer having an art teacher who can know their children well than an art-majored art teacher. When compared to the previous years, gender now plays a less important role when parent choose school for their preschool-aged children, such as an art-oriented kindergarten in this study.
Although interview for young children is quite difficult, it is glad to find that children like to make art a lot. Besides, it is also found that children have their own idea for the preference of the teacher’s teaching style. Some children prefer having an art teacher who is more directive. However, it is interestingly found that more children prefer having an art teacher who is more developmentally-appropriate oriented. |
