THE PEDAGOGICAL POWER OF CLAY: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF CERAMICS IN ART EDUCATION

Abstract

This narrative review explores the pedagogical significance of ceramics in art education, emphasizing its cognitive, social, emotional, and cultural contributions. Clay-based practices enhance creativity, spatial reasoning, problem-solving, and emotional regulation, while also fostering collaboration, empathy, and cultural identity. Despite these benefits, ceramics remains underrepresented in curricula due to limited access, teacher training, and institutional support, particularly when compared with the dominance of digital media. The review synthesizes literature published between 2000 and 2024 from ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and JSTOR, supplemented by reference chaining. Analysis reveals both the transformative potential of ceramics as a holistic and inclusive medium and the persistent gaps, including the underrepresentation of non-Western traditions and lack of longitudinal studies. To strengthen its role in education, future research should evaluate long-term impacts, expand interdisciplinary applications, and advocate for policies supporting broader curricular integration.