Art Education within a Competitive Paradigm

High-stakes testing, ranking and streaming are practicesendorsed by various education systems around the world, includingSingapore. This book examines how a competitive education paradigmimpacts meaningful art learning. At issue is whether students andeducators are able to negotiate the pressures of meeting systemicexpectations, while honoring and nurturing their passions andproclivities for art. Through a nested methodological approachemploying document, visual and interview analysis, systemic issueswere examined; culminating in a proposed exhibitive pedagogicalframework. Although this research is framed within the Singaporecontext, implications are far ranging. This publication will be ofinterest to any person attempting to understand and compareeducational frameworks and pedagogical practices. In addition, thisstudy offers the reader a lens to (re)examine the fundamentals ofmeritocracy, social functionalism, and instrumentalism in publicschool policymaking.

Klappentext
High-stakes testing, ranking and streaming are practices endorsed by various education systems around the world, including Singapore. This book examines how a competitive education paradigm impacts meaningful art learning. At issue is whether students and educators are able to negotiate the pressures of meeting systemic expectations, while honoring and nurturing their passions and proclivities for art. Through a nested methodological approach employing document, visual and interview analysis, systemic issues were examined; culminating in a proposed exhibitive pedagogical framework. Although this research is framed within the Singapore context, implications are far ranging. This publication will be of interest to any person attempting to understand and compare educational frameworks and pedagogical practices. In addition, this study offers the reader a lens to (re)examine the fundamentals of meritocracy, social functionalism, and instrumentalism in public school policymaking.