Fostering Childhood Prosocial Behavior and Affiliation: The Perceived Impact of Arts on Collaboration, Empathy, and Respect

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Pedagogy, Multiliteracies, Prosocial Behavior, and Critical Thinking in Arts Education (Table 6)

Abstract

Children undergo significant socio-emotional development in their early years, and introducing interventions during this foundational period has the potential to enrich and cultivate prosocial behaviours in children. In this context, this study seeks to evaluate and explore the impact of art-based interventions in promoting prosociality and affiliation in children by introducing the intervention within the framework of the elementary school curriculum. The intervention will be conducted weekly for 10 weeks starting January 2024. The data analysis will include recordings from group discussions, observation grids, photographs from the artwork, as well as semi-structured interviews with students and their teachers. The results of this study will hold value for school boards nationwide that are looking to develop or revise their curricula on art education, mental health promotion, and fostering prosocial behaviours in schools.

Author

• Maxime Gilbert, Bishop's University