Esthetic engagement with art creation can promote students' understanding of human and nature relationships

As technology advances and we use more natural resources, the connection between humans and nature has become strained. The human-centric view held in much of society has led to overexploitation of natural resources and further separated us from the natural world. To rebuild a positive relationship with nature, we must understand and appreciate coexistence with the natural world. One method for re-establishing this connection is esthetic engagement, which emphasizes feelings, whole-body involvement, and lived experiences to develop the relationship between humans and nature. This article discussed the value of esthetic engagement, then introduced a case study examining the use of esthetic engagement in environmental education.

There are several approaches to esthetic engagement, from those developed by ancient Chinese philosophers as early as the 11th century BCE to those employed in the 1960s by scholars in Western society. Each approach views the relationship slightly differently. For example, the Chinese philosopher Guo Xi emphasized that elements of the natural environment can be viewed as living beings; humans are therefore able to connect with nature completely. Alternatively, some Western views regarded nature as artwork, maintaining a slight disconnect between the human and natural realms. Though separated by millennia, the basic principles of esthetics remain the same: there is an interconnectedness between humans and nature. These philosophies embody the idea that humans and natural elements are inherently connected, and to experience the natural world, one must be fully immersed in it, allowing all of one's senses and perceptions to be open to and influenced by the environment. Ecological education through esthetic engagement embraces knowing through immersive nature experiences that go beyond appreciating nature and are more profound. Stories, use all your senses, and art creation can all be used in esthetic engagement.

To further explore the application of esthetic engagement in environmental education, the researcher conducted a study that took place over a six-week period during the fall 2017 semester at Nanjing Normal University in Nanjing, China. Participants were students in the researcher's Arts and Art Education course, pursuing undergraduate degrees in elementary education or pedagogy. The 66 students split themselves into 13 groups to work on a project focused on exploring the relationship between humans and nature based on esthetics and arts. Prior to completing the project, the researcher presented the class with a lesson on Chinese esthetics. Each group identified their own specific topic related to an environmental issue or experience. The groups then took photographs of areas around the campus and recreated the photos using art forms such as collages, drawings, music, or videos. After completing the project, students provided reflections on their experience.

Students centered their projects around topics such as smog, pollution, and animism. Their reflections indicated that they enjoyed the experience of creating art and working as a team to complete their project. The combination of lived experience and art creation allowed them to have a more in-depth natural experience, which resulted in students showing more regard for nature and deepening their understanding of the human-nature relationship. The researcher concluded that students who participated in these esthetic engagement experiences learned to protect nature because they appreciate and love nature.

This study had some limitations. The study only included students from one undergraduate-level class in China, limiting the generalizability of results to other age groups or countries. Also, the study relied on student reflections as the primary method of data collection, which may not provide enough information to draw conclusions about pro-environmental behavior.

The researcher recommended further exploration into the field of esthetic engagement, including the interaction between eco-esthetics and eco-ethics or politics. They also indicated a need to identify and understand the pedagogical implications. However, some pedagogical implications can be gleaned from this study. Engaging students using esthetics can help students better understand the relationship between humans and nature. Practitioners should consider the key elements of esthetics, such as feelings and lived experience, when implementing environmental education programming. Student-led art creation that explores an environmental topic may serve as a useful tool for engaging in this approach.