Abstract

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 This project attempts through the creative processes involved in traditional animation, to nurture emotional self-awareness in students and in doing so impact positively on their wellbeing and learning. In today’s digital world where growing socio-economic inequalities are rife, our children have access to many digital devices which bombard them with visual imagery that often influences their wellbeing in a myriad of subtle and invisible ways. Both visual and emotional self-awareness is crucial in the identification of these messages. 

 

 Reflecting the need to empower personal awareness, and in line with the UNESCO Strategy on Education for Health and Well-Being (2016), the NCCA has developed the Wellbeing Guidelines for Junior Cycle in 2017 (NCCA, 2017). The guidelines list six indicators of Wellbeing of which ‘’Being Aware’ of my thoughts feelings and behaviours’ is included. Of great importance is the development of students’ ability to define their own emotions and feelings and to recognize them in the behaviour of other children (Rusu, 2018). Through emotional self-awareness, we learn to self-regulate which is crucial to wellbeing.

 

 In line with this need and understanding for heightened wellbeing, this smallscale research project investigated the Junior Cycle Visual Art classrooms capacity to enhance student's emotional self-awareness while engaged in a Traditional Animation project focused on expressive self-portraiture. 

 

 The ten-week project was conducted with fifteen 5th Year students in a mixed secondary school in Galway City. Action research was initiated, and qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data.

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 The research findings revealed that the repetitive nature of Traditional Animation with a focus on expressive self-portraiture (when combined with the reflective practices embedded in the Visual Art classroom) fostered a deep focus, which at times was akin to a meditative state. This served to heighten student emotional self-awareness in the Visual Art classroom.

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