Identifying the Features of ”Aesthetic Flow Experience Activities” in the Kindergarten and the First Years of Primary School Education/Utvrđivanje karakteristika estetskih aktivnosti zanesenosti u vrtiću i prvom razredu osnovne škole

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to outline school activities which, when used, would encourage students to actively engage in the teaching process. The theoretical underpinnings of the activities included two approaches: the theory of flow, and that of aesthetic experience. These two fields were chosen as a fertile area for identifying situations in which individuals voluntarily engage in a process from which they derive meaningful experiences. More particularly, studies providing information on using flow and aesthetic activities in school were considered here. Then, by combining flow and aesthetic activities for school, a list of qualities was compiled to make up what could be called "aesthetic flow activities for school". Finally, indicative examples of such activities were provided for preschool children and children in the first grade of primary school.

Encouraging creativity through music improvisation activities: Pre-service primary general teacher-students’ reflections and beliefs

“…Before the activities were designed, the research was planned, which included the investigation of the relevant literature and the formulation of the research questions. The activities were designed taking into consideration the teacher-students' prior knowledge (Sotiropoulou-Zormpala & Argyriadi, 2015), aiming to create an environment in which they can express and expose themselves. After the implementation of each activity, the trainer evaluated the participation of the teacher-students' in the process, received feedback and, where deemed necessary, made changes to the following activities.…”

Connecting Music with Other Arts and School Disciplines in Preschool and Early Primary Education

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IntroductionThrough the integration of arts in education, students are given the opportunity to express their feelings (Sotiropoulou-Zormpala & Argyriadi, 2015;Eisner, 2002b), meet the concept of 'beautiful,' but also to evolve aesthetically (Lindström, 2012; Sotiropoulou-Zormpala, 2012), cognitively and socially (May & Brenner, 2016). A substantial education that includes the arts can provide a balance in the education of children which is largely focused, at the expense of their aesthetic cultivation, on 'the development of professional knowledge and skills on the basis of intellectual action' (Denac, 2014(Denac, , 1714.Music and the other arts are integrated into education either as autonomous subjects or for the teaching of other school disciplines in an interdisciplinary and cross-curricular context.

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