Art movements as visual languages for critical citizenship in pre-service primary teacher education

Visual and arts-based practices can offer pre-service teachers alternative ways of engaging with citizenship beyond verbal explanation and textbook-based instruction. This qualitative case study examined how 26 pre-service primary school teachers used selected art movements to express social issues through a critical citizenship lens. Conducted in an Art and Craft Education course, the study focused on Renaissance, Romanticism, Realism, Surrealism, and Pop Art as historically situated visual languages. Data included one participant-selected visual artefact from each participant and written process reflections. Artefacts were analysed through qualitative visual analysis and a five-point analytic rubric, while reflections were analysed thematically to contextualise participants’ artistic choices and civic interpretations. Findings showed selected movements enabled participants to position civic concerns in relation to justice, gendered inequality, public voice, media culture, responsibility, and future teaching. The study shows art movements can support visually grounded critical citizenship meaning-making in teacher education.