Arts Education as Epistemic Intervention: A Three-Level Model for Structural Integration in Higher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18533/vr91vv98Keywords:
higher education, arts education, creativity, social impact, interdisciplinarityAbstract
Arts education plays a fundamental role as a key factor in the cognitive, social, and professional development of individuals. Despite extensive evidence highlighting its transformative potential - particularly regarding the development of transversal skills - arts education remains largely absent from the curricula of non-arts higher education programmes. Drawing on Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences and Donald Schön’s model of reflective practice, this article examines the relevance of arts education in fostering students’ holistic development, creativity, and social engagement.
The study adopts a critical conceptual analysis informed by narrative literature synthesis to move beyond mere advocacy toward theoretical clarification and institutional feasibility. It evaluates empirical evidence and institutional exemplars, such as the MIT Media Lab and Orquestra Geração, to discuss the possibilities and limitations of integrating the arts into broader curricula. The analysis interrogates the tensions between intrinsic humanistic values and instrumental justifications centered on employability and innovation.
To provide analytical precision for future reform, the article proposes a three-level model of arts integration encompassing curricular, institutional, and societal dimensions. It argues that arts education should be understood not merely as a tool for creativity, but as a legitimate mode of knowledge production and an epistemic intervention that reshapes the university’s knowledge architecture. The article concludes with specific, actionable institutional recommendations, emphasizing that structural commitments - such as assessment reform and sustainable resource allocation - are essential for addressing the multiple challenges of the contemporary world.
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