Can an Artist’s Brush Improve Student Well-being? It All Starts with the Teacher

When we think of visual arts and crafts lessons at school, we often picture the final products: a colorful painting, a handmade object, or something proudly taken home. However, the most meaningful outcome of these lessons might be something we cannot place on a shelf: pupils’ experiences of engagement, participation, and connection during learning.

This idea inspired my master’s thesis. I wanted to understand what helps teachers notice these moments in the classroom and whether teachers’ own confidence in teaching arts subjects plays a role.

Why did I study this?

Visual arts and crafts lessons are often seen as opportunities for children to express themselves, work together, and experience learning in creative ways. These activities may support pupils’ participation, emotional engagement, and social interaction. Yet we still know relatively little about how teachers interpret these experiences in the classroom.

I became interested in whether teachers’ beliefs about their own abilities influence what they notice and value during arts activities, especially during teacher education, when future teachers are still developing their professional confidence.

What did I study?

In this study, I examined 113 pre-service class teachers at the University of Helsinki. I explored the relationship between teacher self-efficacy, teachers’ confidence in their ability to teach visual arts and crafts, and how they perceived pupils’ well-being-related experiences during arts activities.

Rather than measuring children’s well-being directly, the study focused on what teachers observed in the classroom. This included pupils’ engagement, participation, social interaction, and the overall learning atmosphere during visual arts and crafts lessons.

What did I find?

The findings showed a clear connection: pre-service teachers who felt more confident about teaching visual arts and crafts also tended to view arts activities as more supportive of positive pupil experiences.

Teacher self-efficacy statistically explained about 19% of the variation in how teachers perceived pupils’ well-being-related experiences. While this does not mean that confident teachers directly create better outcomes, it suggests that confidence may shape how teachers notice and interpret what happens during classroom activities. Teachers who feel more capable may be more attentive to pupils’ participation, emotional engagement, and interaction during arts lessons.

Why does this matter?

Teachers’ perceptions influence everyday classroom decisions. They shape how teachers support pupils, which activities they choose, and what kinds of learning experiences they value.

The findings suggest that teacher education should support not only practical teaching skills but also confidence in teaching arts subjects. When teachers feel more capable, they may be better equipped to recognize the many ways arts activities can contribute to pupils’ experiences in school.

What questions remain?

This study also raised new questions. How do teachers’ views change as they gain more classroom experience? Do pupils themselves describe arts lessons in similar ways? Future research could help us better understand how arts education supports children’s everyday experiences of learning and well-being.

Author: Mansoureh Aghaei

Teacher Self-Efficacy and Perceived Well-Being-Related Outcomes in Visual Arts and Crafts Education

About the author:

Mansoureh Aghaei is originally from Iran and has a background in Psychology, which has shaped her strong interest in mental health and psychological well-being. She is interested in exploring the connections between psychology, education, and the arts, and how these fields can work together to support meaningful learning and well-being. She believes that school activities, especially visual arts, can play an important role not only in learning but also in supporting children’s emotional and social well-being.