Viola Rekvényi

Which Way? – Unusual Learning Practices in Art Education, Current Trends in Visual Education within a Heterogeneous Cultural International Student Group

Viola Rekvényi, Judit Skaliczki, Gabriella Pataky – ELTE Faculty of Primary and Pre-School Education, Budapest, Hungary

Abstract:

How Can Action Art Become a Universal Common Ground When Participants Come from Diverse Cultural Backgrounds, Individual Ways of Thinking, and Values? This presentation explores the three-year visual module of a teacher training program at a European university from an art pedagogy perspective. A unique feature of this educational program is that each cohort of students embarks together on a journey of personal pedagogical exploration. This structure enables participants to get to know each other while intentionally enhancing peer-to-peer learning processes, establishing a shared foundation that supports ongoing collaboration in both cultural-artistic and pedagogical contexts. In our collaborative work, we uncover the current issues in our evolving art education environment through the principle of “creating through reception, receiving through creation.” One example of this is outdoor pedagogy, where we comprehensively examine the built environment, educational institutions, spaces for visual education, and the impact of consciously stepping outside these environments. By leaving their educational spaces, students also step out of their original cultural surroundings and homelands. Guided by the principles of intercultural pedagogy, we investigate questions such as: What is the validity of adhering to and connecting with the traditions of a specific culture in 2025? What do we gain and lose when we attempt to address cultures in isolation? What significance does geographical and geopolitical positioning hold in an international training program from a cultural perspective? We explore how a complex arts module can facilitate team building within a group of international students. How can such a program aid in the integration of new students, help them understand the university structure, foster acceptance of diverse cultures within the group, and ultimately prevent dropout? One of our primary tasks is to support our students’ awareness and develop their sense of responsibility toward children. The methodological framework for this includes elements such as the enhancement of self-assessment, and the application of critical thinking and design thinking methodologies.