Abstract:

This doctoral research develops and empirically examines an innovative, interdisciplinary teaching design that uses art-based, material-driven practices to foster core psychosocial competencies in educational settings. The theoretical framework synthesizes resilience and emotion psychology with art education and material aesthetics.

The core of the model is the "Layered Learning Practice" applied to artistic-creative processes. It translates the psychological development of resilience into a tangible, four-layer artistic practice:
1. Foundation & Embodied Perception (What/Why): The process begins with haptic, foundational experiences like kneading clay or preparing marbling baths. This stage focuses on conscious bodily perception and grounding, using the material as a tool for self-awareness ("embodiment").
2. Integration & Coordination (How): Basic components are fluidly connected. For example, kneaded clay is layered, or colors are sequentially applied to the marbling bath. In group settings, this requires coordination and the emergence of initial shared "patterns."
3. Application & Adaptation (Where/When): The integrated material (layered clay, marbled paper) is shaped into a specific form, such as a bowl or a final artwork. This stage simulates realistic conditions, requiring adaptation, dealing with "pressure," and accepting the partially uncontrollable outcomes of the process (e.g., marbling patterns).
4. Mastery & Creative Flow - Encircling all layers: Creativity and intuition are not a final stage but a continuous element permeating all layers. Mastery is understood as the fluid movement between these layers and the reflective transfer of the artistic process to one's inner psychological "layers."

The "Marbled Learning" method specifically uses marbling techniques (promoting acceptance of ambivalence and error culture) and structured layering as reflexive media. Participants externalize, visualize, and creatively reorganize inner emotional states and strength patterns, creating "inner maps."

Practical Testing & Initial Findings: The model was piloted in two workshop settings (Germany and Austria, total N=11). Participants (aged 20-65, students and professionals) engaged in the 3-4 hour art-based process. A qualitative content analysis (Mayring, 2002) of post-workshop interviews indicated that the majority of participants left feeling strengthened, in a more positive mood, and with new insights regarding personal patterns and group dynamics.

The model aims at a dual competency gain: 1) strengthening personal resilience through a flexible, multi-layered self-concept, and 2) promoting empathy through perspective-taking on the visible "layers" of others. It provides concrete, transferable didactic strategies for holistic personality development, effectively linking aesthetic education with the promotion of key psychological competencies.

Keywords:

Art-Based Educational Research, Resilience Promotion, Layered Learning Practice, Aesthetic Education, Material Aesthetics.