KARNEVAL I KLASSRUM –KUNSKAP Pà HJUL

SUMMARY
The aim of this dissertation is to develop knowledge of learning in and through
art related to clown work in basic education. The meeting between youths and
clown in a school environment is described in the dissertation. I investigate the
meaning given to an arts- didactic work with the clown from both pupil and
teacher perspectives. My own experience of the clown gives rise to a number of
“temporary hypotheses” regarding that the meeting between a young person and
a clown can lead to personal and deep reflection on vital questions at the same
time that the meeting provides an outlet for fantasy and involves a playful
exploration and testing of identity. If these hypotheses hold true will be seen
when my results are presented and analyzed.
The clown is an oft-loved character appearing in various forms throughout
history. Clowns often emanate from the concrete but the concrete leads to an
abstract, advanced thinking. A crushed hat or a wilted flower, for example, can
be the starting point but behind the hat and the wilted flower there is a world to
discover. I attempt to capture pupils’ learning on both an external and internal
plane as well as find a language to describe how pupils through the clown shape
their own lives. By investigating the teacher’s contribution to clown work in the
classroom I intend to increase knowledge of the professional teacher’s approach
to artistic work.
The science theoretical approach for the dissertation is hermeneutic
phenomenology as described by Hans-Georg Gadamer and Maurice Merleau-
Ponty. Sociocultural theory in accordance with Vygotsky’s thoughts comprises
the contextual framework. Knowledge is produced both individually and in
interplay with others in a cultural context. In order to further narrow the area of
research, I have formulated three research questions that I have answered by
analyzing empirical material. The first research question pertains to pupils’
staging, construction, reflection, and work process. The second question is
didactic, where the teacher’s work in an artistic process has been studied. The
third question is an interpretive question that is discussed in light of the answers
from the two aforementioned questions. The research questions are:
1. How do pupils stage themselves in work with the clown?
a) How do they construct the clown character?
b) How do they reflect on their clown construction?
c) What characterizes the work process in clown work?
2. What characterizes the teacher’s contribution to the arts-didactic work?
3. What importance does the meaning-making knowledge in the pupils’ work
with the clown in the classroom have?
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