Popular culture and the art subject : A qualitative study on art teachers’ stance on popular cultures role and meaning within the art subject

This study explores the role and significance of popular culture in lower secondary art education. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three art teachers to examine their views on popular culture, its use in teaching practice, and its influence on students’ image-making. The findings show that popular culture is primarily understood as a source of inspiration and motivation rather than explicit teaching content, closely connected to students’ everyday visual cultures and social media. From a social constructivist perspective, the study suggests that popular culture can function as both a resource and a challenge in art education, depending on how it is addressed pedagogically.