Art–science education: material engagement and learning through art–chemistry integration

Abstract

This dissertation aims to develop interdisciplinary art–science education through art–chemistry integration and material engagement, exploring how pedagogical practices involving materials and natural phenomena support pupils’ creativity, scientific understanding, inquisitive thinking, and ecological understanding. The research is conducted primarily in Northern Finland and is a response to the growing interest in interdisciplinary education that connects artistic practices, scientific experiments, and ecological awareness. In recent years, such approaches have gained attention as a way to address complex environmental and educational challenges, particularly in contexts where education is closely connected to local environments and material conditions. The research focuses on how pupils engage with natural materials, environmental phenomena, and interdisciplinary activities, and how these engagements contribute to their meaning-making in school contexts.

This article-based dissertation draws on Art-Based Action Research (ABAR). The research integrates theoretical perspectives on interdisciplinary education, multimodal and embodied learning, and relational approaches to material engagement. The empirical research was organized through three interconnected ABAR cycles conducted in China and Northern Finland. The first cycle was conducted in Changsha, China, while the second and third cycles took place in Rovaniemi, Finland. During the cycles, pupils engaged with materials and natural phenomena through chemical experimentation, observation, artistic creation, storytelling, and collaborative reflection. The activities involved bilberries, snow, recycled paper, and other materials selected according to the focus, season and learning environment of each cycle.

The findings show that material exploration provided a common ground for art and scientific learning. Pupils observed changes in colour, form, and material properties through experimentation, and developed their observations through drawing, painting, storytelling, and other forms of artistic expression. Experimentation and artistic interpretation encouraged questioning, comparison, and responses to unexpected results, connecting creative expression with inquisitive thinking and scientific understanding. As the research expanded from chemistry-based experimentation to forests and recycled materials, pupils also considered connections between materials, environmental processes, and their own relationships with the environment. In the Northern Finland studies, seasonal conditions, local environments, and familiar materials shaped these experiences. The dissertation contributes to the development of art–science education by showing how material exploration can connect artistic and scientific expression and inquiry within the same educational process. The ABAR cycles supported the revision of pedagogical practices through reflection on earlier activities, while the findings point to possibilities for developing art–science education in relation to materials, environmental conditions, and educational practices in various local contexts.