**6.1 Conditions that empower the role of the teacher**

Whether in history or art, conducting an inquiry or implementing inquirybased lessons requires a teacher with advanced skills. In order to promote student *Utilizing Creative and Critical Thinking to Build Knowledge and Comprehension… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.112688*

involvement in personal inquiry or artistic exploration, it is essential that teachers first become proficient in inquiry and remain up-to-date with the latest advancements in art education. It is critical for teachers to possess a thorough understanding of the inquiry process and maintain a solid grasp on current developments in the field of art education [19, 20, 55–58].

Moreover, for children's investigations to be successful, teachers' research on the area of interest is crucial. Thus, before or simultaneously with children's investigations, teachers should take the following necessary steps:


A crucial aspect of inquiry-based teaching is for teachers to relinquish control [23]. According to Kidman and Casinader [19], this means teachers must be willing to shed their title and authority and instead take on the roles of coach, mentor, facilitator, and critical friend. However, it's important for teachers to make this transition gradually. Students may not possess the necessary skills, maturity, or intellectual sophistication to take on full responsibility for their learning. Teachers can encourage students to lead the creative process and sometimes engage in playful interactions with them to create a more relaxed and enjoyable learning environment [46]. Therefore, teachers must teach students the necessary skills and gradually increase their independence and intellectual capacity over time [55].

Teachers can adopt several key roles during the transition process: "direct instruction provider," "organizer," "questioner," "discussion facilitator," "mentor," and "facilitator of interpretation" ([19], p. 44; see also [56, 61, 62]). It's important for teachers to switch between these roles depending on the needs of their students. For instance, with less experienced students, teachers should focus more on direct instruction, while with more independent and advanced students, they should take on a facilitator role. The balance between these roles may also vary depending on the topic being studied. For new and unfamiliar topics, students may require more guidance in the initial stages of exploration. Studies have shown that presenting challenges to children and empowering them to find solutions can enhance their creativity [59].

The teacher's feedback plays a critical role in this process, as it guides the learners in making decisions and taking independent actions [63]. Collaboration and

inquiry-based processes are fostered in both inquiry-based and art-based learning, leading to the development of trust among students, which allows them to take risks and learn from their failures without fear, creating a positive classroom climate overall [31, 64]. Furthermore, students are encouraged to be open and honest about any outside issues that may affect their work [23, 46, 65].

Teachers play a crucial role in helping children interpret data and information without bias. As a "facilitator of interpretation," they can guide children to differentiate between theories, opinions, and evidence, while also encouraging them to generate and evaluate new interpretations and ideas. This support promotes children's independence as inquirers and problem-solvers, as well as their conceptual knowledge, metacognitive strategies, and creativity. To ensure effective teaching, assessment should also be used to inform responsive teaching, with modes of assessment tailored to the varying capabilities of young children [63].

Another important condition in inquiry-based and art-based learning is exploring the materials, instruments, and tools involved. Skilled teachers select materials that aid their students' learning and are appropriate for the key concepts being taught. The equipment provided should encourage experimentation and exploration, and risktaking which are aspects of intellectual quality [20, 23, 31, 46].

## **6.2 Conditions that empower children's learning processes**

Studies have revealed that children possess the ability to plan various things, such as deciding what they want to learn or where they wish to go. To facilitate planning with children, teachers can adopt the K-W-L pattern, which involves identifying what they already Know about a subject, what they Want to learn about it, and what they have Learned after investigating it [66].

Research (see, for example, [40]) has shown that children often struggle to express their knowledge or learning interests about a subject. This can be attributed to various factors:


it and walked by, but they have not been able to process it any further. They have no other information, and they are unable to formulate any questions. In this situation, educators are tasked with sparking students' curiosity and pique. There are several ways to ignite curiosity, which can be used separately or in combination. These include going on a field trip to the place of interest, reading a book, story, or poem, or utilizing audio-visual resources such as TV shows, videos, websites, newspapers, magazines, and films. Teachers can also initiate classroom discussions, create incidental experiences, or establish ongoing projects that can lead to new areas of interest as experiencing a situation is necessary before questions develop [68, 69]. Additionally, arranging a learning environment that showcases related objects or creating interactive learning centers can pique children's curiosity and stimulate conversations about the materials and where they can take us [23, 66, 70].

Intellectual quality in children's learning is an indication of their empowered voice in both inquiry-based and art-based activities. This is demonstrated by certain features in children's work:


Intellectual quality involves also understanding the technical and expressive aspects of art forms or other artifacts. This is achieved through analyzing carefully chosen works of art and artifacts [18, 46, 58].

Meaningful learning is closely the empowerment of children [75]. According to Gibson, Anderson, and Fleming [46], this is accomplished by tapping into prior knowledge and personal identities, as well as taking into account external contexts and diverse viewpoints beyond the classroom. With reference to young children, meaningful learning might as well occur when children are given the opportunity to satisfy their natural curiosity and when they are involved in the planning of learning activities [28, 76].

In addition, it is vital for students to collaborate with others to express their emotions, co-construct or share their knowledge and creations, consider diverse perspectives, offer constructive feedback, and critically evaluate both the learning processes and outcomes of inquiry-based and art-based learning. Classes are turned into a "community of learners" or a "community of practice." Encouraging students to express themselves beyond verbal critique and feedback is important. There are various means of communication available to them ([46], p. 117; see also [64, 72, 74]).

The conditions mentioned above are prevalent in both learning approaches (inquiries and art-based approaches) and the contemporary interpretation of studying local history. Additionally, a high-quality learning environment is crucial for facilitating these intricate processes.
