Aesthetic Positive Pedagogy in Schools

This chapter will share data from several research projects conducted in schools. Each of the projects related to the teaching of literacy through the arts. The process used in each classroom was Aesthetic Positive Pedagogy. Students were therefore encouraged to lead the learning through their own voice and choice. Students ranged from ages 6–13 and the content aligned with subject English. Data included teacher and student interviews, samples of work, as well as observed classroom practice that was video-recorded. In this chapter, we share three vignettes that illustrate the students’ work on literacy and the arts through an APP approach. We then share some key tenets of APP so that teachers can start to explore the implementation of APP in their classrooms. Through each of these projects we found that teachers intrinsically used some elements of an APP approach such as encouraging discourse as well as setting up positive spaces for learning. We argue, though, that with more knowledge and understanding related to APP metalanguage, students’ learning outcomes could be more influenced by an aesthetic understanding of their personal, social and cultural needs and place in the world.