Educational Potential of Artistic Mediation with Children at Risk of Exclusion Through Teachers’ Narratives

The research explores the educational potential of artistic mediation with children at risk of social exclusion, drawing on the narratives of twenty early years and primary school teachers. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, it examines perceptions of openness to the creative process, the use of art in teaching practice and its value as a socio-educational tool. The findings show that experiences of artistic mediation generate feelings of harmony, concentration and achievement, thus fostering a more collaborative and emotionally balanced classroom climate. The study also observes that art serves as a means for teachers’ reflective practice, encouraging critical thinking, the formulation of questions and an approach to assessment that focuses more on processes than products. In vulnerable contexts, artistic mediation proves particularly effective for expressing emotions, strengthening self-esteem and reinforcing group cohesion. Taken together, the findings suggest that artistic mediation should be understood beyond its instrumental value, recognising it as a transformative practice that promotes both educational inclusion and professional reflection on teaching, thereby helping to enhance the quality and humanistic purpose of pedagogical interventions.