Research output
Evidence of the Impact of Visual Arts & SEL Education within the Indian context
What happens to a child when they engage in arts?
Visual art is a powerful tool to enhance children’s social-emotional skills and yet there's limited research on its impact in emerging democratic societies like India, home to one of the world's largest marginalized child populations.
Read about the impact as we answer the question with first-hand research and bring forth the evidence!
Evidence of the Impact of Visual Arts & SEL Education within the Indian Context
Our Approach
Through first-hand understanding, we have observed the development of skills and competency outcomes through Visual Arts & SEL. This enabled us to dive deeper into understanding the manifestation of behavioral outcomes in students. We have intended to measure SEL within the art classroom contexts where these skills are facilitated, practiced, and lived.
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Key Findings
Over the year, the research affirmed our belief: sustained engagement in Visual Arts & SEL nurtures skills like imagination, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and perseverance- preparing students not just for school, but for life. The key findings of the study are summarised below:
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Through visual arts & SEL, students didn’t just learn to draw, they learned to think critically, express their emotions, and work collaboratively with their peers.
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Classrooms became safe, joyful spaces where students were free to explore, experiment, and engage with each other, sparking their curiosity and creativity.
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Joy as an experience played a crucial role in nurturing collaboration, student participation and interest in the classroom. When students felt happy, they were eager to share ideas, ask questions, and work together, creating a co-learning environment.
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Respect, compassion, and confidence grew naturally. Students learned to value their own work and that of their peers, offering help and encouragement without being asked.
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With facilitators guiding rather than instructing, students felt empowered to express themselves, turning the classroom into a space of discovery rather than judgment.
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Highlighting On-ground research
Capturing stories
"Pop art makes my Happy look like it is breaking a wall and coming out - thats how much happy I feel when I am drawing in art class!"
- Yusuf, Grade 3
"I want to turn the city into a village and the village into a city, and hence added metro and car in a village and then farmer, cows and fields in a city" she said as she discussed which border she wanted to cross.
- Tairin, Grade 7