Wendy Smidt

This ongoing study focuses on a fundamental understanding of researcher awareness, through the synthesis of interdisciplinary and traditional research methods. An arts-based inquiry (Finley, 2006; Sullivan, 2005; Turner, 2015) will be employed as a methodological enhancement to developmental phenomenography (Green & Bowden, 2009). A devised short film-making initiative intends to persuade both the participants and audience to revisit their figured worlds (Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner & Cain, 1998; Nash, Kent & Reid, 2014) by actively questioning what they perceive. Becoming critically aware of diverse perspectives may call into question a singular, conformist point of view, represented by mainstream traditional research. Multiple theories and methods can provide a more comprehensive understanding of young adults’ perceptions from various perspectives. Freire (1970, 1972), Greene (2001), and Allsup’s theories are used to develop a potentially transformative learning space for a sampl...

This ongoing study focuses on a fundamental understanding of
researcher awareness, through the synthesis of interdisciplinary
and traditional research methods. An arts-based inquiry (Finley,
2006; Sullivan, 2005; Turner, 2015) will be employed as a
methodological enhancement to developmental phenomenography (Green
& Bowden, 2009). A devised short film-making initiative intends to
persuade both the participants and audience to revisit their figured
worlds (Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner & Cain, 1998; Nash, Kent &
Reid, 2014) by actively questioning what they perceive. Becoming
critically aware of diverse perspectives may call into question
a singular, conformist point of view, represented by mainstream
traditional research. Multiple theories and methods can provide
a more comprehensive understanding of young adults’ perceptions
from various perspectives. Freire (1970, 1972), Greene (2001), and
Allsup’s theories are used to develop a potentially transformative
learning space for a sample of five conveniently selected postschool
participants with Dance, Drama and Music experience. For the
individuals who will participate in this study, ‘transformation’
may not only indicate imagining alternative scenarios (Allsup,
2003; Greene, 2001) but entering new figured worlds (Holland et
al., 1998; Nash et al., 2014) through critical reflection on their
situations instead.

This research focused on the perceptions of critical citizenship of twelve participants who are Visual Arts learners at Montagu High School in the Western Cape. My aim with this research was to investigate new understandings of the notion of critical citizenship in our teaching and learning environment. These new understandings involved a deeper insight specifically into the Visual Arts learners’ perceptions of concepts such as identity, culture, democracy, equality and citizenship. The theoretical perspectives that informed my research were perspectives on Critical Citizenship Education, on Globalisation and Education, and on Learning Strategies for Critical Citizenship Education. These include collaborative learning, dialogue and reflection. The chapter on context discusses current global developments regarding Critical Citizenship Education, as well as education in a national context; the FET phase of Visual Arts education as a field of study; and Montagu High School as instituti...