Tin Nguyen

8.10 Narratives of Colours and Emotions: Exploring Emotional Development and Self-reflection in Early Childhood through Colours and Visual Storytelling (Paper) – virtual

Tin Nguyen – School of Education, University of Queensland, Australia

Mako Fukuda – Graduate School of Teacher Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, Tokyo, Japan

Naoko Kojima – Tokoha University, Shizuoka, Japan

Akihisa Komuro – Tokyo Kasei University, Faculty of Home Economics, Japan 

Abstract:

Early childhood is a pivotal developmental stage during which children are particularly receptive to their environment (Ardoin & Bowers, 2020; Berk, 2015). A critical component of this period involves fostering emotional understanding and social-emotional development (Blewitt et al., 2021; Malti & Noam, 2016). One way of exploring emotional and reflective understanding among children in this developmental state is through the concepts of colours and how they have been visualised to convey emotional meanings. As a universal medium of emotional expression, colour plays a significant role in communication and meaning-making, as highlighted in semiotics (Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2002). In early childhood education, colour is seen as a valuable concept to communicate to children because it is among the first visual concepts of their environment in which they learn. This presentation examines how young children can deepen their emotional self-awareness and reflection through personal associations with colour and visual storytelling. The study focuses on a workshop conducted at a nursery school in Tokyo with children aged 4 to 5. In the workshop, children explored their emotions by associating them with colours and expressing their feelings by creating personal picture storybooks. The process involved reading picture books about colours and emotions, followed by guided activities in which children created their own stories to articulate their emotional experiences and the meanings they associate with specific colours. Short interviews were conducted with the participants to understand the impact of this approach further. These interviews explored the children’s reflections on their emotional connections to colour, the reasons for their choices, and the broader meanings they attributed to their selections. The findings underscore the value of picture books as a medium for young children to communicate their emotions visually, offering new insights into the role of colour in early childhood emotional development.

8.19 Reimagining the self: Exploring the possibilities of self-portraiture with text-to-image Artificial Intelligence (Paper)

Tin Nguyen – School of Education, University of Queensland, Australia

Abstract:

The study examines the transformative potential of generative AI in self-portraiture, focusing on its application in art education. Through a workshop involving 12 preservice art teachers in a master’s course at a university located in the Tokyo prefecture, participants used text-to-image AI to create self-portraits, enabling the exploration of identity, creativity, and human-AI collaboration. Rooted in sociocultural theory, the research highlights a paradigm shift in relational learning, emphasising the co-creative dynamic between humans and AI.

Findings reveal that while generative AI fosters self-reflection and expands creative boundaries, it also introduces challenges, such as stereotypical outputs and diminished personal control. This duality underscores the evolving role of AI in art education, promoting critical engagement with emerging technologies while reshaping traditional perceptions of self-expression and creativity.

Implications for art education include fostering dialogue on AI’s role in identity exploration and addressing its limitations in capturing individuality. Findings reveal that while generative AI fosters self-reflection and expands creative boundaries, it also introduces challenges, such as stereotypical outputs and diminished personal control. This duality underscores the evolving role of AI in art education, promoting critical engagement with emerging technologies while reshaping traditional perceptions of self-expression and creativity. Implications for art education include fostering dialogue on AI’s role in identity exploration and addressing its limitations in capturing individuality.