Service-learning through Art Education

Abstract

Teaching practice is an important aspect of learning for teachers in training. When students visit schools for teaching practice, they are confronted with varying circumstances. Because of their substantial teaching practice assignments, it is often difficult to fit in all the subjects they need to teach. In many cases, class teachers are not keen to allow them time to teach art, despite it being a compulsory part of the school curriculum. This lack of teaching time is a problem for students in the Bachelor of Education (B Ed) intermediate and senior phases who elect Art Education as one of their majors: students seldom have the opportunity to practise the didactics of their major subjects with learners in real-life situations at schools.

To overcome this obstacle, a service-learning project was designed by which fourth year B Ed students with Art Education as major gained the opportunity to teach art to a group of children from a nearby children's home, who came to the campus in the afternoon for art lessons. Initially, the institution's service-learning policy and procedure of the Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning was consulted. Application was made for the project to be registered, with accompanying budget of expenditure and contract with the children's home