A Comparative Study of Art Education Outcomes (Drawing) Using the Humanistic and Behavioral ( Traditional ) Approaches in Primary Schools in Babylon

Abstract

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the humanistic teaching approach in developing artistic skills among elementary school students in the city of Babel, Iraq, in the subject of painting. The study involved forty second-grade students who were randomly divided into two equal groups, with 20 students in each group. At the beginning of the academic year, all students took a painting pre-test. At the end of the year, their paintings were evaluated by the same teacher for both groups. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between the two groups in terms of progress, indicating that students taught using the humanistic approach performed better than those who received instruction through the behavioral (traditional) method. The independent t-test result was statistically significant (p = 0.000), favoring the experimental group (humanistic approach). The findings suggest that adopting a humanistic approach in art education, rather than relying on traditional behavioral methods, contributes to improving students’ attitudes toward artistic subjects and enhances their creativity both in art and in other aspects of present and future life.