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Intercultural Education
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Research note: Promoting intercultural education through art education

João Lopes da Silva a; Maria Adelina Villas-Boas a
a
University of Lisbon, Portugal

Online Publication Date: 01 March 2006

To cite this Article Silva, João Lopes da and Villas-Boas, Maria Adelina(2006)'Research note: Promoting intercultural education
through art education',Intercultural Education,17:1,95 — 103
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 Intercultural Education,
Vol. 17, No. 1, March 2006, pp. 95–103

Research note: Promoting intercultural

education through art education
João Lopes da Silva and Maria Adelina Villas-Boas*
University of Lisbon, Portugal
0maria@fpce.ul.pt
MariaAdelina
00000March
Intercultural
10.1080/14675980500502495
CEJI_A_150232.sgm
1467-5986
Original
Taylor
12006
17 and
& Villas-Boas
2006Ltd
Article
Francis
(print)/1469-8439
Francis
Education (online)
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Taking UNESCO’s proposal ‘learning how to live together’ as a starting point, we examined to
what extent visual education can be used as a tool to promote the aims of intercultural education.
We analyzed the power of using artistic images from different cultures to change students’ percep-
tion of cultural differences, thereby facilitating the development of attitudes of respect towards
different ethnic/cultural groups. We also investigated to what extent this strategy could contribute
to the integration of minority peers into a majority group. Students were assigned to either an
experimental or a control group. The experimental treatment consisted of exposing students to
several art object images associated with different cultures. Our measurement instrument was
based on an adapted version of the ‘Draw-A-Person-Test’, which we have called the ‘Draw-Two-
Persons-Test’. We also used a questionnaire to examine attitudes among subjects

Introduction
As the phenomena of migration and globalization effect the fabric of so many societ-
ies, new challenges emerge in what were once monocultural and ethnocentric class-
rooms. This is also the case for Portugal. For an increasing number of educators in
Portugal and elsewhere, the hope for a more tolerant and democratic world is based
on the replacement of old nationalistic ideas with a Human Rights’ ethos (Carneiro,
1988; Torres, 2002). This approach is excellently reflected in UNESCO’s concept
of ‘learning how to live together’ (UNESCO, 1996). At issue here is how to change
students’ attitudes with respect to diversity. Along these lines, it is our belief that art
education (implying here the use of art towards the global development of a person
and not the education of future artists) can be an important tool for promoting the

*Corresponding author. Dr Maria Adelina Villas-Boas, Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da

Educação, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013 Lisbon, Portugal. Email:
maria@fpce.ul.pt

ISSN 1467-5986 (print)/ISSN 1469-8439 (online)/06/010095–09

© 2006 Taylor & Francis
DOI: 10.1080/14675980500502495
 96 J. L. da Silva and M. A. Villas–Boas

aims of intercultural education. Consequently, we intended to connect three general

issues, which emerge from the global process:
1. the need for an intercultural attitude (Cortezão and Stoer, 1996; Roer-Strier,
2000; Villas-Boas, 2001)
2. the need for improved relations between the host society and ethnic/cultural
minority groups (Brice-Heath, 1989; Gurin et al., 2002),
3. the use of art education as a tool to promote the aims of intercultural education
(Clement, 1993; Dewey, 1989; Eisner, 1997; Gasman & Epstein, 2002;
Thomas & Silk, 1990).
In our research, we focused on the analysis of student attitudes in two multicultural
classrooms. We examined attitudes towards minority peers during art activities as
well as the effects of an experimental treatment on part of this group.
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Method
Research aims
In our research, we examined to what extent using art education can: (1) promote
respect between different ethnic groups; (2) contribute to the integration of ethnic
minority students in classrooms; (3) evaluate this experimental strategy through
attitude changes among a group of students.
More specifically, based on previous research (Harris, 1965; Thomas & Silk,
1990; Roer-Strier et al., 2001), we examined: (a) to what extent students’ analysis of
artistic images from different cultures could influence their own perception of
cultural differences, thereby facilitating the development of attitudes of respect
towards different ethnic/cultural groups; (b) to what extent this strategy could
contribute to the integration of minority peers into a majority group.

Sample
For the purpose of our research, we selected a public school with a multicultural
population. The school is situated in the center of a major Portuguese city. We had
been given permission to conduct the research in this school by the local School
Board. They also helped organize the sample. This sample consisted of two 5th
grade classes.
The classes were similar with respect to several variables, namely age (mean age of
students was 11 years), ethnicity (both classes contained the same percentage of ethnic
minority students), gender (44% female and 56% male) and their art teachers were
similar in age, training, professional experience and style of teaching (see Table 1).
All students categorized as belonging to an ‘ethnic group’ were third generation
children. All were born in Portugal and considered themselves to be Portuguese
citizens. For classification purposes, we decide to name those who had Portuguese
heritage ‘Lusos’.
 Promoting intercultural education 97

Table 1. Sample distribution, according to ethnicity and gender

Experimental group Control group

Ethnicity Female Male Ethnicity Female Male

Country of heritage Freq. % Freq. % Freq. % Freq. % Freq. % Freq. %

Angola 2 10.0 – – 2 10.0 2 10.5 – – 2 10.5

Brazil – – – – – – 1 5.3 1 5.3 – –
Cabo Verde 2 10.0 1 5.0 1 5.0 1 5.3 – – 1 5.3
Mozambique – – – – – – 1 5.3 1 5.3 – –
Lusa (Portugal) 15 75.0 7 35.0 8 40.0 14 73.7 6 31.6 8 42.1
S. Tomé 1 5.0 1 5.0 – – – – – – – –
Total (N) 20 100.0 9 45.0 11 55.0 19 100.0 8 42.1 11 57.9
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Research design
Since we did not use a randomly selected sample, we had to develop a quasi-experi-
mental design with experimental and control groups. Operating under the assump-
tion that children’s drawings can be viewed as psychological projective instruments
(Di Leo, 1991; Thomas & Silk, 1990), comparisons were made by means of a pre-
test and post-test, based on Goodenough (1926), Harris (1963) and Machover’s
(1965) ‘Draw-A-Person-Test’. This test was later adapted by Roer-Strier et al.
(2001) by introducing drawings of two persons on the same sheet of paper. We have
called this adapted version of the test the ‘Draw-Two-Persons-Test’ (DTPT).
Although the ‘Draw-a-Person-Test’ has been used for psychological evaluation, the
adapted version has been used by for cross-cultural comparison. This was also the
purpose of our research.

Procedures
Both the experimental and control groups were told (separately) to draw a non-
European person and a European one on the same sheet of paper to the best of
their ability and in the way they most preferred (DTPT pre-test). Subsequently,
the experimental group participated in the experimental treatment during ten
sessions of 90 minutes each. The experimental sessions consisted of analyzing
several art object images belonging to different cultures through an aesthetic
approach, in which various core art elements have been identified. This process
represented, at the time, specific content related to the Portuguese Art Curriculum
for Elementary Schools. After the experiment, the same DTPT test was, once
again, given to both groups using the same instructions that were used during the
pre-test. Finally, we developed and applied a questionnaire in the experimental
group, in which we investigated to what extent minority peers had been integrated
into the majority group.
 98 J. L. da Silva and M. A. Villas–Boas

In the experimental sessions, students were invited to analyze the most important
world regions, their cultural and artistic expressions. For this purpose, we made
contact with several embassies, which supplied us posters, slides, videos, original art
objects and ethnic music. We also invited the students’ parents and older students.
An African father attended a session and two older students belonging to Indian and
Chinese families were present, wearing ethnic traditional clothes. These events
became important for the students, according to their questionnaire responses.
After the experiment was done, we had to test our hypothesis H2. This need
required the appliance of a questionnaire. At the time, the investigator made reports
about each session’s most important facts and students’ statements and opinions
which had contributed to the structure of the referred instrument to collect data.
The questionnaire was anonymous and was composed of open questions in order to
obtain qualitative answers. Its analysis was organized by themes, and the data were
collected in a frequency and crossed mode.
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Results
Draw-Two-Persons-Test analysis
In order to avoid subjectivity in the analysis of the drawings, we focused on measurable
differences between the pre-test and post-test. This analysis identified six aspects
where significant differences could be found:
1. Drawn persons’ area
● Analysis: In the Experimental group, there were no differences between the
area used to draw persons during pre-test and post-test measurements, while
such differences did emerge in the Control group (see Table 2). The area
relegated to drawings of non-European persons decreased significantly in the
latter condition (p<0.05; see Table 3).

Table 2. Descriptive statistics

Experimental group Control group

Pre-test Post-test Pre-test Post-test

Variable:
drawn person’s
area (mm2) NEa Ea NEa Ea NEa Ea NEa Ea

N 20 20 20 20 19 19 19 19
Minimum 1161 1625 1080 1554 2482 3760 1360 1480
Maximum 31200 15120 13440 26108 18720 16212 14100 18124
Mean 7214.05 6073.95 5304.20 4948.65 9182.11 8757.37 6561.84 7269.84
Std. deviation 6787.98 3622.22 3563.64 5464.74 5452.91 4357.51 3715.52 4554.91

aNon-European and European specifications. SPSS 11.0 software device.

 Promoting intercultural education 99

Table 3. Wilcoxon test—comparison between pre-test and post-test

Experimental group Control group

Variables N Z p-value N Z p-value

NEa drawn person area (mm2) 20 −1.717 0.086 19 −2.213 0.027*

Ea drawn person area (mm2) 20 −1.904 0.057 19 −1.408 0.159
Distance between drawn persons (mm) 20 −3.061 0.002** 19 −2.254 0.024*

aNon-European and European specifications. *p<0.05. **p<001.

● Interpretation: Children tended to allocate more space for objects they deemed
more important (Di Leo, 1991; Thomas & Silk, 1990).
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2. Distance between drawn persons

● Analysis: The distance between drawn persons increased significantly in both
groups (see Table 3).
● Interpretation: The distance between drawn persons indicated low self-esteem
and insecurity regarding others (Di Leo, 1991; Roer-Strier et al., 2001).
3. Ethnicity
● Analysis: the experimental group accentuated ethnic aspects more in the post-
test when drawing non-Europeans. The drawings by the Control group of differ-
ent ethnicities showed mostly indistinguishable characteristics (χ2(1)=4.496;
p<0.05; see Table 4).
● Interpretation: The artistic approach associated with different cultures led
students to understand and respect cultural diversity (Dewey, 1989; Clement,
1993; Gasman & Epstein 2002).
4. Drawn persons’ position on the sheet of paper
● Analysis: The drawings of the experimental group showed that non-European
persons were placed on the right side of the sheet in the post-experimental
condition (p=0.05; see Table 5). There was no movement in the placement of
persons in the Control group.
● Interpretation: A person drawn on the right side of the sheet suggests that the
author placed this person in his/her near environment (Machover, 1965).
5. Distinguishing features on the drawn persons’ clothes
● Analysis: The experimental group kept these distinguishing features on the
drawings of non-European persons’ clothes, while the Control group removed
some (X2(1)=11.299; p<0.01; see Table 4).
● Interpretation: The manner in which persons were drawn points to the influence
of the environment on the child (Thomas & Silk, 1990).
 100 J. L. da Silva and M. A. Villas–Boas

Table 4. Chi-Square and Fisher’s Tests—experimental and control groups comparison

Pre-test Post-test

Variable Test Value DF p-value Test Value DF p-value

Non European ethnic χ2 0.014 1 0.905 χ2 4.496 1 0.034*

characterization (ethnicity)
European ethnic characterization Fisher – – 0.342 Fisher – – 0.182
(ethnicity)
Each drawn person’s position in χ2 9.753 1 0.002* Fisher – – 1.000
the sheet
Distinguishing features on drawn Fisher – – 0.155 χ2 11.299 1 0.001**
NE a) persons’ clothes
Distinguishing features on drawn χ2 3.284 1 0.070 χ2 3.143 1 0.076
E a) persons’ clothes
Distinguishing features on drawn χ2 0.616 1 0.433 χ2 0.742 1 0.389
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NE a) persons’ heads
Distinguishing features on drawn Fisher – – 1.000 Fisher – – 0.235
E a) persons’ heads

aNon-European and European specifications. *p<0.05. **p<0.01.

6. Distinguishing features on the drawn persons’ heads

● Analysis: The Experimental group kept these distinguishing features on the
drawings of non-European persons’ heads, while the Control group, especially
‘Lusos’ (Portugal) students, tended to remove them (p=0.063; see Table 6).
● Interpretation: The artistic approach of different cultures contributed to an
increase in the value students placed on the importance of learning about
those cultures (Dewey, 1989; Clement, 1993; Eisner, 1997; Gasman &
Epstein, 2002).
All six variables identified above suggested that individuals in the experimental
group developed more respect for each other, as well as for different ethnic groups
and diversity in general. The results also suggested that this group had developed
intercultural attitudes (Dewey, 1989; Di Leo, 1991; Clement, 1993; Eisner, 1997;
Gasman & Epstein 2002; Roer-Strier et al., 2001; Thomas & Silk, 1990).

Table 5. McNemar Test—comparison between pre-test and post-test

Experimental group Control group

Variables N p-value N p-value

Each drawn person’s position on the sheet 20 0.021* 19 1.000

Drawn lines between drawn persons 20 1.000 19 0.125

*p <0.05
 Promoting intercultural education 101

Table 6. McNemar Test—comparison between pre-test and post-test of Luso (Portugal) students

Experimental group Control group

Variable N p-value N p-value

Distinguishing features on drawings of 15 0.453 14 0.063

Non-European persons’ heads

However, with respect to the variable ‘distance between drawn persons’, the
results seemed not to correspond with the other results associated with the experi-
mental condition. We think that this specific result is due to the way curricular art
classes are designed, where students are taught to organize the sheet using similar
spaces between graphic elements.
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Responses to the questionnaire

The responses to the questionnaire suggested that 80% of the experimental group
appeared to enjoy the approach adopted to learn about other cultures. Sixty per cent
of these students admitted that, before the experiment, they held inaccurate beliefs
about other cultures and that, after the experiment, they had changed their percep-
tions. Sixty-five per cent stated that the experiment had changed class interactions
for the better and 80% believed that intellectual ability was the same among various
ethnic groups. Ninety per cent of the students recognized the importance of an art-
based approach to ethnic and cultural diversity in changing their perceptions.

Triangulation of data
Examining and combining the results of both measurement instruments led to the
following conclusions:
1. The experimental group changed its attitude into a more intercultural one.
2. No discriminatory attitudes were found among the experimental group, and this
group appeared to be open to diversity at school.
3. However; there was a negative influence on students with non-Portuguese heri-
tage, and this affected the school environment. There was an increase in
perceived ethnic differences and a decrease in minority students’ self-esteem.
This issue deserves further attention.

Discussion
The results suggested that there were significant differences between the pre- and
post-tests of the experimental group and between the post-tests of the experimental
and control groups. These results demonstrated that art-based education may
contribute to the development of students’ attitudes regarding respect towards
different ethnic/cultural groups. The results also revealed that stereotypical and
 102 J. L. da Silva and M. A. Villas–Boas

other negative influences stemming from the broader community could be

addressed by the kind of art-based educational approach we tested here. Thus, we
can conclude that these approaches can contribute to future aims of ‘Learning how
to live together’. It is important to note that the experimental condition fits well into
the standard Portuguese curriculum in public schools.
The most significant limitation of the experimental condition was the ten session
period that had been given to us to affect attitude change. It is known that long
periods of time are required to change embedded attitudes (see e.g. Bandura (1969);
Ficher (1992)). The fact that the sample had been selected according to the school’s
criteria could have also skewed results. Moreover, the sample size was too small to
make theoretical generalizations.
Though most results from the experimental condition were highly positive, we
should like to express our concern for the finding that there was an increase in
perceived ethnic differences and a decrease in minority students’ self-esteem. As
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stated before, this issue needs further attention. The results taken as a whole,
however, do suggest strongly that art education can have a significant impact on
intergroup relations. This is an important conclusion at a time when the almost
blind focus on ‘standards’ has threatened the very existence of art in education.

Acknowledgments
The Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education of Lisbon supported this
research. We wish to thank Dr Fátima Nibau for her help regarding the statistical
phase of the research, Professor Dorit Roer-Strier and Dr Barry Van Driel for their
friendly support and suggestions during the research.

Notes on contributors
João Lopes da Silva holds a Master’s degree in Intercultural Education from the
School of Psychology and Sciences of Education at the University of Lisbon. He
is also a sixth-grade Art Teacher in a Portuguese public school. E-mail: lopes-
dasilvajoao@hotmail.com
Maria Adelina Villas-Boas (PhD) is an Assistant Professor at the School of Psychol-
ogy and Sciences of Education of the University of Lisbon (Portugal), where
she is Coordinator of the Master’s degree program in Intercultural Education.
She teaches Introduction to Educational Sciences, Intercultural Education and
the Family, School, and Community Relationships. Her main areas of interest
include pedagogy, methodology of educational research, intercultural education
and family–school relationships.

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