BUILDING ON AESTHETIC CONCEPTS THROUGH A NARRATIVE PLAY MODEL WITH CLAY IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE
Keywords:
Аesthetic education, clay-based pedagogy, narrative-play model, symbolic learning environment, compositional thinking, early primary education, sensory development, creative autonomy, master potter, art therapy integrationAbstract
This study introduces an original narrative-play model employing clay, developed by Dr. Avi Abner, with a targeted pedagogical focus on the further development of aesthetic sensibility in primary school students. The model is structured around four distinct phases- symbolic introduction, personal choice, creative realisation, and cultural interpretation-each contributing to a coherent educational trajectory grounded in imaginative freedom, sensory engagement, and intrinsic motivation. The lead educator assumes an essential role in orchestrating a symbolically enriched learning environment that evokes associative and interpretive responses without curtailing the pupil’s autonomy of expression. The empirical component of the research involved 64 students from Year 3 and Year 4, evenly assigned to an experimental and a control group. The practical implementation was conducted with the expert support of ceramist Margarita Petrova and in close collaboration with art therapy specialist Teodora Dimitrova. The assessment, based on three core indicators- compositional thinking, aesthetic coherence, and symbolic engagement—revealed a marked developmental progression within the experimental group. These findings substantiate the pedagogical efficacy of the model as a viable and impactful approach to aesthetic education within the framework of early primary schooling.
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