How Do You Teach Imagination? A Pedagogical Portrait

Abstract

The capacity to imagine may very well be the most underdeveloped and underutilized ability the human race has. This research, anchored in the aesthetic philosophy of Dr. Maxine Greene, explored the resulting pedagogy that was developed with a group of four key informants across the continental United States. These key informants were all affiliated with Lincoln Center Institute for Art and Education while Dr. Greene was Philosopher-in-Residence. Focusing on the experience of developing a pedagogy for imagination, including the benefits and challenges of utilizing such an approach, this study invoked the methods described in Lawrence-Lightfoot’s Portraiture to create a distinct written portrait of each of the key informants. Phenomenology as per Merleau-Ponty was also used to highlight the nature of the experience of the key informants and of the primary researcher as well. An application of Charmaz’s Dramaturgical Approach was also used in order to produce a written theatrical script that aims to explore the tenets of aesthetic education and the imagination from the eyes of a child. Key findings from this research include the need to introduce aesthetic literacy and pedagogy to teacher education programs, in addition to nurturing the development of the imagination in teachers currently in the classroom. Both the philosophy and pedagogy allow for a more germane experience of learning, one that permits an environment and the development of empathy. Further research in the area of aesthetic education should be further explored, especially in light of current (as of writing) circumstances internationally pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact that the pandemic has had on education as a whole.