More Loongs: A/r/tographically Examining the Issues Hidden in My Art Education Stories

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Arts based educational research methods and methodologies

Abstract

This a/r/tographic inquiry critically examines replication-based pedagogy in Chinese art education through the author’s lived experiences as a student-teacher-artist. Using personal narratives, loong-themed visual artworks, and archival materials, the inquiry explores how Confucian hierarchies and collectivist values reinforce conformity and suppress creativity. Through a “art+text”structure, storytelling and art-making become acts of critique and healing, revisiting childhood trauma and proposing more inclusive, agentic pedagogies. A/r/tography enables an embodied engagement with silenced educational realities, positioning personal memory as a valid form of inquiry. The work highlights how teacher transformation begins with self-reflection and creative resistance, offering a culturally grounded vision for educational change. Ultimately, it asserts that personal acts of remembering and reimagining can open new possibilities for Chinese art education.

Author

• Mengkai Zhang, University of Victoria