Semiotic Pedagogy and Art Education

Abstract

Charles Sanders Peirce, father of American semiotics and pragmatism, insisted that educational institutions were places for learning and not for instruction. If Peirce's argument is accepted, then it is necessary to redefine the roles of teachers, students, and subject matters in relation to learning. Semiotics, with its emphasis on codes, signs, and their interactions, is especially appropriate for rethinking the learning and teaching process in art, as well as parameters which may constrain the art education field. This paper identifies three basic semiotic issues and describes classroom activities that show relevance to an alternative pedagogy in art education.