Art-Based Research in Pedagogy in the Context of Individual and Institutional Change: A Study on the Mandala as Expression of School Difficulties
Art-Based Research in Pedagogy in the Context of Individual and Institutional Change: A Study on the Mandala as Expression of School Difficulties

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this article is to explore how the process of creating mandalas can support young people in coping with school-related difficulties. The study considers this process at both the individual and institutional levels, focusing on students' emotional and reflective experiences as well as on its potential to enrich school-based support practices. Such phenomena can be captured thanks to the evocative nature of the Art-Based Research (ABR) framework, which is presented here as a new, creative research perspective in pedagogy. The article discusses the role of the mandala in art therapy, including its Jungian interpretation, its use as a means of expression, and its function as an intermediary strategy for helping young people cope with difficulties in the school environment. The proposed research model integrated various forms of artistic expression, including visual, poetic, musical, and movement-based forms. The study relied on participatory and projective methods, emphasizing the importance of artistic translation, recipients' responses, and the role of the researcher as both participant and interpreter of the process. The results indicated the potential of art therapy using mandalas to reveal and organize inner experiences. The findings suggest that the process of creating a mandala by people facing difficulties in the school environment serves not only as a tool for self-understanding but also becomes a mediator in their process of coping with challenges. The creative, participatory, and reflective nature of ABR promotes knowledge of the studied reality and its transformation through a reciprocal process of evocation and strengthened dialogue between theory and practice.

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