Abstract
Within the scope of the Master's Degree in Artistic Education at the Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa, this work appears, entitled The place of visual arts in the context of a Waldorf kindergarten. Therefore, through this investigation, we seek to understand the role of Fine Arts in Waldorf Pedagogy, in the context of kindergarten, to understand how Fine Arts are integrated into this pedagogy and how children develop their artistic expression in this context. The methodology used is identified as qualitative, with various instruments and techniques for collecting and processing data being used, such as interviews with members of the educational community (children, educator and parents). We also opted for direct observation in a classroom context in a Waldorf Kindergarten in the Lisbon district with children aged between three and six years old. The interpretation of the data collected was carried out through a process of content analysis, which allowed us to draw some conclusions considering the object of study and its problems.
Waldorf Pedagogy, developed by Rudolf Steiner, places great emphasis on the visual arts as an essential part of a child's integral development. Art is not just an isolated subject, but is integrated into all areas of the curriculum, however, in this pedagogy the approach to the use of images is carefully considered, especially in the early years, which goes against the knowledge that allowing children to have contact with images offers several advantages for their cognitive, emotional and social development. If, on the one hand, a practice of fine arts, within a Waldorf pedagogy, through the exploration of traditional techniques and the use of natural elements, based on the manipulation and combination of a wide variety of materials, enhances the imagination; on the other hand, a cultivated practice of visual arts, using images, is also not dispensable, as it can contribute so much to enriching children's visual repertoire, stimulating their creativity and critical sense.
Keywords: Early Childhood, Artistic Education, Fine Arts, Waldorf Pedagogy, Visual Culture