Karin Stoll

6.13 Art Based Transformative Learning in a Nordic Eco-Cultural Perspective (Paper) – virtual

Karin Stoll – Nord University, Nesna, Norway – virtual

Mette Gårdvik – Nord University, Nesna, Norway – virtual

Abstract:

Climate change, industrialization and the extraction of natural resources affects cultural life in our northern communities. This requires that education addresses ecological, social and cultural challenges in Nordic and Arctic regions. Alternative teaching approaches where local communities can learn about, relate to and collaborate for democracy and sustainability in a local context are needed (Trott et al., 2020). This could include transformative learning methods that encourage communities to critically engage with the present and imagine and act for a better future. Teaching projects related to local ecosystems, cultural identity and cultural heritage require different forms of knowledge, especially from Science and Arts and Crafts (Stoll et al., 2022). This presentation investigates if art-science integration in teaching can facilitate affective ways of knowing, expressive ways of learning and improve participants authentic relationships to our arctic landscapes. 

Our empirical material is based on projects with teacher students where we focused on creating opportunities for transformative learning. Artistic and creative expressions were used to help students raise their awareness of real-world problems and develop social responsibility and competences to act on issues related to sustainability in local communities. Participants were challenged to pursue a holistic investigation of landscape, indigenous and non-indigenous traditions through interconnection between both science and cultural/art-based aspects. Our results show that this approach is essential to illuminate how to meet today’s challenges in the arctic from ecocultural sustainability perspectives. Across different teaching-projects, art–science integration facilitated transformative learning, participation, and collaborative action for local sustainability. Art-science integration can be an important contribution to a new genre of art education in the Arctic.