This study examined the contextual factors that shape how young children come to value and use the visual arts in their learning. The research sought to understand more deeply, the impact of visual arts practices that are informed by sociocultural theories on children’s and their family’s perceptions and engagement with the visual arts in their learning. Recognising the profound impact of bidirectional relationships in the early years (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), this interpretive qualitative research focused on the interactions between children, teachers, and families at three early childhood settings and at six children’s homes in Auckland, New Zealand. The theoretical framework and study design were underpinned by sociocultural theories, bioecological theories, and by narrative inquiry. Participatory arts-based methods were fundamental as they allowed the research participants to play significant roles in telling their stories through textual and visual means. Through multi-layered analysis, a complex web of influences shaping how children engage in the visual arts emerged. A key finding was the impact of bi-directional interactions within settings and between settings. The teachers in this study wove together rich, contextualised visual arts curricula and actively engaged with children through the visual arts. They prioritised disseminating the value of these practices to their educational communities. As a result, parents recognised how visual arts can enrich and support their child’s learning. Teachers who actively role modelled enjoyment and expertise in the visual arts were a particularly potent influence. These findings demonstrate that developing shared values between settings in the microsystem can enrich children’s capacity to become imaginative visual researchers.

这项研究检查了影响幼儿如何重视和在他们的学习中使用视觉艺术的情境因素。该研究旨在更深入地了解视觉文化实践对社会文化理论的影响，这些影响对儿童及其家庭的观念以及在学习过程中对视觉艺术的参与。认识到双向关系在早期就产生了深远的影响（Bronfenbrenner，1979），这项解释性定性研究的重点是儿童，教师和家庭在三个幼儿时期以及在新西兰奥克兰的六个儿童之家之间的互动。理论框架和研究设计以社会文化理论，生物生态学理论和叙事探究为基础。基于参与式艺术的方法至关重要，因为它们使研究参与者可以通过文字和视觉手段在讲述故事方面发挥重要作用。通过多层分析，形成了影响儿童如何参与视觉艺术的复杂影响网络。一个关键发现是设置内以及设置之间双向交互的影响。在这项研究中，教师们编织了丰富的，情境化的视觉艺术课程，并通过视觉艺术积极地与孩子们互动。他们优先考虑将这些做法的价值传播给他们的教育社区。结果，父母意识到视觉艺术如何丰富和支持孩子的学习。在视觉艺术中积极扮演榜样享受和专业知识的老师的影响尤其大。