Theatre of the Imagination: A blueprint for design and making in primary education | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Volume 13, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 2040-4689
  • E-ISSN: 2040-4697

Abstract

aims to demonstrate that making artefacts provokes a transformative way of thinking about the world while fostering independent learning skills in children. Signature pedagogies from art and design education help to build a learning culture that embraces the concept of childhood as a time of being and becoming. The workshops set out to explore the potential of making as a way of thinking in primary education through a constructionist epistemology, which demonstrates how sharing three-dimensional artefacts can help cultivate mutual respect. Transition design thinking is introduced to foster a socially and culturally inclusive vision for the future. Children and their teachers are encouraged to undertake interventions aimed at incremental change in the way we collaborate with others who live locally and with those who live on other continents. The UN global goals for sustainable development framework is used to set up situations worthy of debate at a time of social and environmental disruption. Insights emerging from suggest new ways of exploiting the value of design and making in mainstream primary education at a time of impecunity. Making as thinking provokes reflection and helps children and teachers to visualize ideas about how we may protect non-human and human life on earth.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Ted Power Award through the Royal College of Art
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/crre_00066_1
2022-03-01
2024-05-03
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Abbott, R., and Burkitt, E.. ( 2015), Child Development and the Brain: An Introduction, Bristol:: Policy Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Ackermann, E.. ( 2001;), ‘ Piaget’s constructivism, Papert’s constructionism: What’s the difference?. ’, http://learning.media.mit.edu/content/publications/EA.Piaget%20_%20Papert.pdf. Accessed 3 January 2022.
  3. Adams, R.. ( 2019;), ‘ Education spending fall from 2010 to now was worse since 1970s: IFS. ’, The Guardian, 19 September, https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/sep/19/education-spending-fall-from-2010-to-now-was-worst-since-1970s-ifs. Accessed 2 February 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Alexander, R.. ( 2020;), ‘ Dialogic teaching and the study of classroom talk: A developmental bibliography. ’, July, http://robinalexander.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Alexander-dialogic-teaching-bibliography-Jan-2020.pdf. Accessed 2 February 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Ayres, L.,, Kavanaugh, K., and Knafl, K. A.. ( 2003;), ‘ Within-case and across-case approaches to qualitative data analysis. ’, Qualitative Health Research, 13:6, pp. 87188.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Barad, K.. ( 2010;), ‘ Quantum entanglements and hauntological relations of inheritance: Dis/continuities, spacetime enfoldings, and justice-to-come. ’, Derrida Today, 3:2, pp. 24068.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Baynes, K., and Norman, E.. (eds) ( 2013), Design Education: A Vision for the Future, Leicester:: Loughborough Design Press;, http://www.ldpress.co.uk/design-education-a-vision-for-the-future/. Accessed 2 February 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Beckett, T.. ( 1969;), ‘ A candidate’s reflections on the supervisory process. ’, Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 5:2, pp. 16979.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Bob Pulley Website ( 2022;), ‘ Xilitla exchange. ’, https://bobpulley.co.uk/. Accessed 3 February 2022.
  10. Bradbury-Huang, H.. ( 2015), The SAGE Handbook of Action Research, , 3rd ed.., London:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Brennand-Wood, M.. ( 2022;), ‘ Portfolio. ’, http://brennand-wood.com/michael.html. Accessed 2 February 2022.
  12. Burkitt, E.. ( 2016;), ‘ The broken primary education sector…. ’, Supervisory tutorial with Robert Pulley, 19 November.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Calder Foundation ( 2022;), ‘ Calder archive. ’, https://calder.org/archive/all/works/. Accessed 3 February 2022.
  14. Chow, R., and Jonas, W.. ( 2010;), ‘ Case transfer: A design approach by artifacts and projection. ’, Design Issues, 26:4, pp. 919, https://direct.mit.edu/desi/article-abstract/26/4/9/69010/Case-Transfer-A-Design-Approach-by-Artifacts-and. Accessed 3 January 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Collay, M.,, Dunlap, D.,, Enloe, W., and Gagnon, G.. ( 1998), Learning Circles: Creating Conditions for Professional Development, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Corwin Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Connelly, F. M., and Clandinin, D. J.. ( 2006;), ‘ Narrative inquiry. ’, in J. Green,, G. Camilli, and P. Elmore. (eds), Handbook of Complementary Methods in Education Research, Mahwah, NJ:: Lawrence Erlbaum;, pp. 37585.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Co-Production Collective ( 2022;), ‘ Co-production in practice. ’, https://www.coproductioncollective.co.uk/what-is-co-production/our-approach. Accessed 3 February 2022.
  18. Crouch, D.. ( 2015), Highly Trained, Respected and Free: Why Finland’s Teachers Are Different, London:: The Guardian;.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Flood, A.. ( 2015), National Curriculum Is Damaging Children’s Creative Writing, Say Authors, London:: The Guardian;.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Frayling, C.. ( 2015), RTD Provocation Part 1: Research Through Design, London:: Royal College of Art;, https://vimeo.com/129775325. Accessed 2 February 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Gagnon, G., and Collay, M.. ( 2006), Constructivist Learning Design, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Corwin Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Garton, A.. ( 2015), Exploring Cognitive Development: The Child as Problem Solver, Oxford:: Blackwell Publishing;.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Guba, E. G.,, Lincoln, Y. S., and Schwandt, T. A.. ( 2007;), ‘ Judging interpretations: But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and authenticity in naturalistic evaluation. ’, New Directions for Evaluation, 2007:114, pp. 1125, https://doi.org/10.1002/ev.223, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ev.223. Accessed 2 February 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Haraway, D.. ( 2003), The Companion Species Manifesto, Chicago, IL:: Prickly Paradigm Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Haraway, D.. ( 2016), Staying with the Trouble, London:: Duke University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Irwin, T.,, Tonkinwise, C., and Kossoff, G.. ( 2015;), ‘ Transition design: An educational framework for advancing the study and design of sustainable transitions. ’, https://www.academia.edu/15283122/Transition_Design. Accessed 3 January 2022.
  27. James, A., and Prost, A.. (eds) ( 2014), Constructing and Reconstructing Childhood: Contemporary Issues in the Sociological Study of Childhood, Oxford:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Last, J.. ( 2017), A Crisis in the Creative Arts in the UK?, London:: Higher Education Policy Institute;.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Lavonen, J.. ( 2018;), ‘ Educating professional teachers in Finland through the continuous improvement of teacher education programmes. ’, in Y. Weinberger, and Z. Libman. (eds), Contemporary Pedagogies in Teacher Education and Development, London:: IntechOpen;.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Lewin, K., and Gold, M.. (ed.) ( 1999), The Complete Social Scientist: A Kurt Lewin Reader, Washington, DC:: American Psychological Association;.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Lock, S.. ( 2018), Why I Decided to Move from Mainstream, London:: Times Educational Supplement;.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Mansell, W.. ( 2017;), ‘ Battle on the adverbials front: Grammar advisers raise worries about SATS tests and teaching. ’, The Guardian, 9 May, https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/may/09/fronted-adverbials-sats-grammar-test-primary. Accessed 2 February 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Orr, S., and Shreeve, A.. ( 2018), Art and Design Pedagogy in Higher Education, Oxford:: Routledge;.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Papert, S.. ( 1991;), ‘ Situating constructionism. ’, in S. Papert, and I. Harel. (eds), Constructionism, Cambridge, MA:: MIT Press;, pp. 117.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Polanyi, M.. ( 2009), The Tacit Dimension, London:: University of Chicago Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Proctor, J.. ( 1998;), ‘ The social construction of nature: Relativist accusations, pragmatist and critical realist responses. ’, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 88:3, pp. 35276, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2564234. Accessed 3 January 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Pulley, R.. ( 2019;), ‘ Theatre of the imagination. ’, Ph.D. thesis, London:: Royal College of Art.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Reason, P., and Bradbury, H.. ( 2008), The Handbook of Action Research, London:: Sage;.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. Revans, R. W.. ( 1989), The Golden Jubilee of Action Learning, Manchester:: Manchester Action Learning Exchange, University of Manchester;.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Roberts, P.. ( 2013;), ‘ Characteristics of design education. ’, in K. Baynes, and E. Norman. (eds), Design Education: A Vision for the Future, Leicester:: Loughborough Design Press;, http://www.ldpress.co.uk/design-education-a-vision-for-the-future/. Accessed 2 February 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Rowe, E. C.,, Mitchell, Z.,, Tomlinson, S.,, Levy, P.,, Banin, L. F.,, Sawicka, K.,, Martín Hernandez, C., and Dore, A.. ( 2020;), ‘ Trends Report 2020: Trends in critical load and critical level exceedances in the UK. ’, Report to DEFRA under Contract AQ0843, CEH Project NEC05708, Wallingford:: UKCEH;.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Rubin, C.. ( 2017;), ‘ The global search for education: Re-imagining learning. ’, interview with H. Gardner, 2 July, https://www.cmrubinworld.com/the-global-search-for-education-re-imagining-learning-on-july-4th-with-dr-howard-gardner. Accessed 3 January 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Ryan, G., and Bernard, H.. ( [2000] 2020;), ‘ Data management and analysis methods. ’, in N. K. Denzin, and Y. S. Lincoln. (eds), Handbook of Qualitative Research, , 2nd ed.., London:: Sage Publications;, pp. 769802.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Sairanen, H., and Kumpulainen, K.. ( 2014;), ‘ A visual narrative inquiry into children’s sense of agency in preschool and first grade. ’, International Journal of Educational Psychology, 3:2, pp. 14174, https://doi.org/10.4471/ijep.2014.09. Accessed 3 February 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Sen, A.,, Poovaiah, R., and Pulley, R.. ( 2009;), ‘ Across the web: The colours of India as a cross-cultural collaborative initiative for learning. ’, MIT Bombay: Design Thoughts, 8–23 July, https://www.academia.edu/11641736/Colours_of_India. Accessed 3 January 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Shulman, L. S.. ( 2005;), ‘ Signature pedagogies in the professions. ’, Daedalus, 134:3, pp. 5259.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Strandell, H.. ( 2005;), ‘ Re-evaluating difference in childhood research. ’, Childhoods: Children and Youth in Emerging and Transforming Societies: International Conference, Oslo, 29 June–3 July.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. United Nations ( 2015;), ‘ The global goals for sustainable development. ’, http://www.globalgoals.org/. Accessed 3 February 2022.
  49. Uprichard, E.. ( 2008;), ‘ Children as “being and becomings”: Children, childhood and temporality. ’, Children & Society, 22:4, pp. 30313.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Vidal, J.. ( 2016;), ‘ England may be in deforestation state due to lack of tree planting. ’, The Guardian, 6 December, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/06/england-deforestation-state-lack-tree-planting. Accessed 3 February 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  51. Vygotsky, L.. ( 1986), Thought and Language, Cambridge, MA:: MIT Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Washington State University ( 2017;), ‘ Rising inequality charted across millennia: Findings have profound implications for contemporary society. ’, 15 November, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171115130853.htm. Accessed 2 February 2022.
  53. Weber, M.. ( 1991), The Nature of Social Action, Runciman, W.G. Weber: Selections in Translation, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Winn, W., and Snyder, D.. ( 1996;), ‘ Cognitive perspectives in psychology. ’, in D. H. Jonassen. (ed.), Handbook for Research for Educational Communications Technology, New York:: Simon and Schuster Macmillan;, pp. 11242.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Winner, E.,, Goldstein, T., and Vincent-Lancrin, S.. ( 2013), Art for Art’s Sake?, Paris:: OECD Publishing;.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. Winterhouse Institute ( 2017;), ‘ Social design pathways. ’, http://www.winterhouseinstitute.org/pathways. Accessed 3 January 2022.
  57. Wood, J.. ( 2013;), ‘ The creative quartet: A tool for metadesigners. ’, TEDxOslo, 15 November, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dIQOrVhM5E. Accessed 25 January 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  58. Pulley, Robert. ( 2022;), ‘ Theatre of the Imagination: A blueprint for design and making in primary education. ’, Craft Research, 13:1, pp. 5987, https://doi.org/10.1386/crre_00066_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/crre_00066_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/crre_00066_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error