Representation of teachers' lived experiences of functions Implementation and challenges of art education in primary schools

One of the most important functions of educational systems in different countries of the world is to develop the artistic and aesthetic talents and abilities of students in different educational levels. The importance and necessity of this function is largely due to the positive and constructive role and influence that the category of art has had on the individual and social dimensions of human life and human societies at different times. In fact, it should be emphasized that art and its various fields are very important areas and phenomena of human life, who’s individual and social effects have always been considered and emphasized by various experts. Art is the origin of the manifestation of the potential talents of individuals and a platform for the realization and objectification of the inner and multiple capacities of human beings. The various roles and consequences of art are important in general, especially children and adolescents, and basically, art has a lasting effect on cultivating different dimensions of human personality and the development of its various characteristics and capabilities. A person who is exposed to artistic experiences has a developed taste and feeling and receives more stimuli with a wide and deep range of his perceptions. Of course, the cognitive field also needs this ability, and artistic and aesthetic education performs this function.

It can be said that art provides unique opportunities for the growth of the individual in all dimensions and is a tool for communication between the inner and outer world of human beings and not using it disrupts the growth of personality. In addition, arts and related fields such as music, painting, drama and visual arts are common phenomena among human cultures and have had an influential place throughout history. Art can be considered as a twin category of man and his life, which in its most stable and original manifestations considers the ideals, cognitions, feelings and deep and fundamental values that man relies on. It goes beyond superficial interests and cognitions. Thus, on the one hand, art helps to convey feeling, emotion, perception and cognition without the need for language and speech, and on the other hand, it is a means of recording and perpetuating human values and beliefs.

Due to the constructive and positive effects and functions of art, today in educational systems, a realm called art education is mentioned, which means legitimizing and recognizing the place of art in educational centers and its curricula. Art education is effective in the development of various dimensions of individuals and in particular provides the necessary context for the discovery and promotion of the identity of children and students. Basically, the relationship between the two fields of art and education is such that even some experts believe that the main basis of education is art and art is the basis of education. Art unites our intellect and emotion, stimulates our imagination and transforms our environment. It is with this connection that eminent scholars such as Eisner, Perkins, and Gardner have sought to show that art and art education should be an integral and inevitable element of every individual's education by documenting the effects and results of art in various walks of life.

Of course, in this regard, the mental and developmental considerations of learners in different educational levels should be considered. According to this expert, students basically understand certain qualities and subtleties through art and are able to apply forms of thinking that belong to the world of art. These forms require the use of processes that facilitate mental creation and re-creation. With this view, Eisner believes that in addition to the three main skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, art should be considered as the fourth basic skill in educational centers and the most important step in reforming the educational system is to provide a suitable place for art in the curriculum.

But the important point is that despite the positive and multiple functions of art and art education in the flourishing of students' abilities, the amount of practical attention to this field in our country's schools and educational system is not so much and there are various problems and bottlenecks in this field. Problems that are especially emphasized by primary school teachers. Basically, reviewing and exploring school curricula from the perspective of educational and training activists, especially teachers and teachers who are their own executives and are related to the hidden and visible angles of teaching and implementation of the program, can always provide data and useful information on the implementation facts and the actual effectiveness of programs and provide the necessary grounds for qualitative and necessary reforms. Of course, researching this important area and examining its various aspects from the perspective of the implementers of the educational system, ie teachers, can provide the necessary grounds for a better understanding of the current situation and make significant changes in this area. Understanding the importance of this point, the present study has tried to deeply and qualitatively examine the status of art and art education based on the narratives and lived experiences of primary school teachers. According to the above, the main purpose of this study was to analyze the functions, implementation and challenges of art education in primary schools based on the lived experiences of teachers. The statistical population of the study included all primary school teachers in Aran and Bidgol counties in Isfahan province. Using purposive sampling method, the narratives and experiences of 19 teachers as the main participants of the study were collected, organized and case by observing the principle of theoretical saturation. Analyzed. The data collection tool was a semi-structured in-depth interview that focused on three key questions that attempted to document the lived and thought-provoking experiences of the participating teachers about the functions, implementation, and problems of elementary school art education. Klaizi seven-step method was used to analyze the research information. Findings from the research showed that the participating teachers have a good mentality about the role and various functions of art education in terms of personal and academic development of elementary students. Also, they use various activities, especially painting and handicrafts, to implement art education in classrooms.