Date of Award

1992

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

PHD - Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Education

Abstract

A phenomenological study of imagination employing "archetypal hermeneutics." The theoretical background for the research comes from the disciplines of Archetypal Psychology and Ontological Design. The research focuses on 296 Kindergarten to fifth grade public school children's drawings of imagination within an educational setting and aims at understanding imagination and its educational value. The research demonstrates that images of imagination are purposeful and intelligible when viewed with imagination, and it provides distinctions regarding imagination's nature. Images seen imaginally were regarded as teachers which deepen learning, the artistic process, and living in the world. Conclusions challenge developmental theories of learning based on objectivist's assumptions, and suggests ways of viewing education with more imagination for the sake of deepening its purpose and revisioning its goals. Imagination was seen as a reflective process of reversing a subject/object split through receptively receiving the "other" with an attitude of praise, and engaging with and appreciating its multiple poetic essence.

Language

English

Number of Pages

440

Embargo Period

6-10-2017

Download

Share

COinS
 

Rights

The author owns the copyright to this work.