Abstract
ART EDUCATION IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABILITY: A MONOGRAPHIC INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CRAFTS EDUCATION
This study examines the historical, structural, pedagogical, and cultural development of the Department of Art Education at the Atatürk Faculty of Education (AEF-RİEABD) through a monographic research approach and evaluates this development from the perspective of sustainability. The research is based on a multi-source dataset covering archival documents, architectural plans, yearbooks, curriculum records, personal archives, photographic materials, and student data from 2004 to 2023. Data were analyzed following Yin’s (2003) analytical strategy—data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing—while credibility was ensured through data, methodological, and theoretical triangulation. The findings reveal that the physical structure of AEF-RİEABD has undergone continuous transformation, including the expansion of studios, diversification of student workspaces, and the institutional integration of digital practices. The academic staff profile has become increasingly interdisciplinary over time, and the undergraduate curriculum has evolved from traditional applied arts to digital art, environmentally oriented content, and interdisciplinary courses. Activities such as the video corridor project, online exhibitions, reading room initiatives, and theme-based workshops have contributed substantially to social and cultural sustainability. The student profile demonstrates clear generational differences, with the post-2000 digital native cohort playing a decisive role in shaping the department’s pedagogical transformation. Overall, the institutional development of AEF-RİEABD aligns closely with the literature on sustainability-oriented art education and offers an innovative model in terms of digitalization, spatial transformation, curriculum renewal, and cultural continuity. The study provides concrete recommendations for restructuring art education programs in Türkiye within a sustainability framework.
Keywords
Art education, sustainability, monographic research, digitalization, curriculum development, spatial
