Utopia and realities in arts and crafts education

– The significance of framework factors for teaching in arts and crafts

Abstract

This article problematizes the gap between formulations and intentions in the new national curriculum, LK20, and the prerequisites teachers have for teaching in the school subject of arts and crafts. Arts and crafts education aims to fulfill key intentions in the curriculum through its distinctive character of practical and aesthetic learning processes. According to the national curriculum, arts and crafts is a subject that should promote creativity, engagement, and curiosity. However, teachers express that the framework through which these intentions are to be realized is increasingly challenging to fulfill. In this article, we focus on the teachers’ descriptions of the framework factors and the consequences for teaching and learning in the arts and crafts school subject. The teachers’ perceptions have been collected through a survey. The results support findings in recent research and underpin that a number of framework factors prevent realization of the intentions stated in the curriculum of the arts and crafts subject in primary and lower secondary schools.