The Visual Differences of the Classroom Walls in Chilean Primary Schools

Abstract

In a world increasingly saturated with images, the visual aesthetic dimension should play a more important role in the educational processes. Furthermore, classroom walls could be considered valuable resources to introduce visual literacy among children and teachers. However, Chilean educational policies tend not to pay much attention to visual culture in the classroom. Hence, the selection of visual images displayed on classroom walls as well as the way they are exhibited should be more carefully thought through. Under the assumption that visual resources are pedagogically significant elements, the present investigation examined the images displayed on the classroom walls of the first year of primary schools in the district of Peñalolén in Santiago, Chile. We present a comparative analysis of visual environments found in different administrative types of schools (municipal, subsidised and fully private schools), using a qualitative method, as well as a quantification of the sample schools. The analysis shows that inequality between types of schools reproduces in images, favouring private schools in aspects such as the degree of planning of the visual environment, student participation in terms of production, the aesthetic quality of the images and its iconographic variety.

Görselleri Düşünmek: Türkiye'deki Okul Öncesi Sınıflardaki Görsellerin İncelenmesi

“…The reason for this may be the lack of awareness and skills among teachers regarding which types of visuals should be present and used in the classroom, and how to effectively use visuals. However, the classroom visuals both educate and engage the children while providing valuable information and aesthetic experience (Prescott, 2000;Errázuriz & Portales, 2018). Based on the related literature, it becomes evident that it is important for preschool teachers to use visuals with various characteristics in their classrooms (Gayle-Evans, 2004;Sanz, 2019).…”

“…Visuals are rarely investigated as resources (Errázuriz & Portales, 2018), although classroom visuals displayed on the walls play a considerable role in the learning processes, anti-bias education, and inclusion and send powerful messages. These are also emphasized on web pages designed for teachers to find and create resources on visuals (e.g.https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/displayingstudent-work-2/; https://www.teachstarter.com/us/resource-type/bulletin-board-displays/; https://www.earlylearninghq.org.uk/earlylearninghq-blog/the-advantages-ofclassroom-displays/).…”

Visual styles, hidden discourses

“…On the contrary, they have been produced by young university students who are training to become teachers and have a teacher-in-training subjectivity. This discourse circularly reproduces itself by prolonging the school art style towards the university and anticipating the stereotyped representation of the world observed inside the school classrooms (Errázuriz & Portales, 2018). The university students who produced these artefacts may have learned a visual repertoire children' as school students and will replicate it without further questioning it when they become teachers.…”

“…No images of children appear in campus images, except for cartoon-like characters traditionally associated with infancy (Figure 15) or representations of objects and animals in a childish tone inside classrooms (Figure 11). In this sense, the university anticipates an adult-centric view of childhood which is omnipresent in the visual culture of schools (Errázuriz & Portales, 2018).…”

The visual aesthetics measurement on interface design education

“…Additionally, images are regarded as an effective communicating approach. Errázuriz and Portales proposed that the visual images are presented in the classroom which is a typical visual culture in school aesthetics. Marshall stated that there are two types of categories in the visual images, such as the pictorial images (represent perceptions) and the conceptual images (embody concepts).…”