The Effects of Art Appreciation Activities Using Media Art on Young Children's Art Appreciation Abilities and Self-Expression LEE RAYOUNG Department of Early Childhood Education, Graduate School of Gwangju University Director by Professor Kim Se-Ru Th...
The Effects of Art Appreciation Activities Using Media Art on Young Children's Art Appreciation Abilities and Self-Expression LEE RAYOUNG Department of Early Childhood Education, Graduate School of Gwangju University Director by Professor Kim Se-Ru This study aims to investigate the Effects of Art Appreciation Activities Using Media Art on Young Children's Art Appreciation Abilities and Self-Expression. To achieve this purpose, masterpieces were reconstructed into media art formats so that children could experience the works audiovisually and actively participate in activities that integrated appreciation and expression. The following research questions were established: (1) What effects do media art–based masterpiece appreciation activities have on young children’s art appreciation ability? (2) What effects do media art–based masterpiece appreciation activities have on young children’s self-expression? The participants of this study were forty 5-year-old children attending a kindergarten in G City. Twenty children in the experimental group participated in masterpiece appreciation activities using media art, whereas twenty children in the comparison group participated in traditional appreciation activities using printed images of masterpieces. The study was conducted twice a week for eight weeks, totaling sixteen sessions, and consisted of appreciation activities and related expressive activities centered on the same masterpieces. The art appreciation ability was measured using the tool developed by Kim Hye-kyung (2014), and self-expression was measured using the scale reconstructed by Park Geum-hee (2014) to fit the characteristics of young children. The scale was further revised and supplemented to reflect expression within the context of appreciation. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 28.0, and independent samples t-tests were conducted to examine differences between and within groups based on pre- and post-test results. The results of the study are as follows. First, the experimental group that participated in the media art–based appreciation activities showed significantly higher scores across all subdomains of art appreciation ability compared to the comparison group. Second, the experimental group also demonstrated significantly higher levels of self-expression across all subdomains than the comparison group. These findings indicate that masterpiece appreciation activities using media art positively influence young children’s self-expression. In conclusion, media art–based masterpiece appreciation activities were found to enhance both art appreciation ability and self-expression among young children, suggesting that this teaching approach is effective. The results imply that artistic experiences through media art help children express their thoughts and emotions in diverse ways and offer meaningful direction for early childhood education. Keywords: masterpiece appreciation, media art, art appreciation ability, self-expression, young children