Study on the Perception of Elementary School Principals Regarding Art Education

Resumen

This study investigated the level of elementary school principals’ awareness of art subjects by conducting in-depth interviews with five current principals and analyzing the data using Giorgi's phenomenological research method. By classifying and categorizing the interview results, the current elementary school principals' awareness of art subjects was derived through 10 sub-components and 3 super-components. The components of their experiences are categorized into ‘Understanding the importance of art classes,’ ‘Disparity with reality when applying the curriculum,’ and ‘Securing art and resources for better art education’. The findings show that elementary school principals fully recognize the importance of art subjects and are aware of the current state of art education in elementary schools. However, they experience a disconnect between theory and the application of the actual curriculum. In practice, it is often difficult to effectively implement art education as outlined in textbooks or guidelines due to budget constraints or limited educational resources. It was found that while the principals are aware of various practical constraints, they actively seek alternative approaches at the school level and express their commitment to improving art education. This study is significant in that it provides empirical insight into elementary school principals’ perceptions of art education, which has not been studied before. While the practical implications for policy and teacher training remain underdeveloped, the findings of this study may contribute to curriculum development and teacher training programs to strengthen elementary school art education.