Educating Students at Teacher Education Faculties in Art Fields (Visual Arts and Music) in the Online Environment

ABSTRACT

During the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the instruction at faculties in Croatia was realised mostly online. Online teaching exclusively has proven inadequate due to the specificities of realising art courses regarding their practical part normally implemented in specialised art studios and music cabinets, that provide special equipment, tools and means, and due to the importance of monitoring and supporting students by their mentors in the creative learning process itself. Students' didactic-methodical practice with children in preschools and schools can be realized in a quality manner only through direct work in their natural surroundings where, besides teaching the subject area, social contact and the preschool teacher/child and teacher/student interactions play an important role. This research was carried out at faculties of teacher education in the academic year 2020/2021. The research goal was to determine the satisfaction with online instruction in art courses (visual arts and music) and technical readiness of students at teacher education faculties. The participants evaluated the quality of studying and support in the online environment in the art fields. Research results have shown that students of teacher education are satisfied with the implementation of art practice in online teaching as well as with their own work results. As was manifested, they are not satisfied with didactic-methodical practice nor regard themselves competent enough to perform art activities with early and preschool age children independently. The participants have expressed their satisfaction with the feedback from teachers, which positively influenced their motivation and encouraged them to work further. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.