Overload and Demotivation of Students: What Does Education Through Art Have to Offer?

Petra Štirn Janota and Darja Štirn

Summary:  The article addresses the current problems of the modern education system in which instrumentalist goals and the standardisation of knowledge are overemphasised, leading to overload, lack of motivation and lack of creativity among students. Authors such as Biesta, Recalcati and Medveš are critical of this and argue in favour of integrating subjective experiences and art into the educational process. This article presents practical examples from the SKUM project – Developing Communicative Skills through Cultural and Arts Education that demonstrate the positive effects of integrating art into the educational process. The positive effects include greater student engagement, better understanding of subject-matter and the development of critical thinking. Art encourages exploration, reflection and creativity, contributing to the overall development of students as subjects capable of dialogue with the world. We conclude the article with an optimistic view of the future of education that embraces the arts as a means for deeper understanding and meaningful expression in the world.