LEARNING-SERVICE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOTIVATION A case study of the area of arts education in high school

Abstract

This article presents the results of an investigation focused on the analysis of the influence that the realization of a service-learning experience has on the development of motivation towards arts education of secondary school students. The study took as the axis of inquiry a project carried out in the paediatric area of a Primary Health Care Centre. The general objective was to explore the motivational aspects of art education students in order to determine whether their level of appreciation of artistic activity increased after the development of a project. To this end, a series of specific objectives were deployed, focused on finding out the evolution of interest in the area during the project, studying the factors that trigger student motivation, understanding the operability attributed by the students to the artistic content and finding out the significance of the learning acquired. The case study was used as the research methodology, and document analysis, observation, interviews and discussion groups were used as strategies for gathering information. From the findings obtained, it is concluded that service-learning is a relevant pedagogical scenario. The results achieved show an improvement in the students' ability to systematise the processes of artistic creation through an understanding of the operability of the contents and significance of their learning. The experience helped them to have a favourable attitude towards learning the contents of the subject and to have a greater interest in art education. The participants felt more motivated, either because they enjoyed the group learning environment, the artistic content of the project or because of its final applicability in a real environment. The students were actively involved in the learning process, showing curiosity, interest and determination.