Armstrong ‘s ‘What Children Know: essays on children’s literary and visual art’ (2011) ties in with Eisner’s views on progressive, aesthetic education. The following criteria need to be met if we are to regard children’s visual art, poems, stories, drawings as works of art: intentionality, self-sufficiency, emotional resonance, interpretability, a formal dynamic, appropriation of tradition, reference to human condition …
If this proposition is correct, then how does this impact on learning, teaching and culture – how should we be thinking about this?
Armstrong also co-authored the Cambridge Primary Review (2006 – 2012) along with Robin Alexander.
Methodology of the CPR was to enable the Review to combine ‘hard’ research data with expressions of opinion, and data from both official and independent sources; and to be authoritative yet responsive, evidence-based yet visionary.
From the Cambridge Primary Review site, 10 nominated themes for focus groups and wider consultation:
- Purposes and values
- Learning and teaching
- Curriculum and assessment
- Quality and standards
- Diversity and inclusion
- Settings and professionals
- Parenting and caring
- Children’s lives outside school
- Structures and phases
- Funding and governance
with wider amplification of each theme and research questions here.
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