Page 117 - Razvoj kompetenc prihodnosti v pedagoških študijskih programih

Reconsidering Contemporary

Approaches to Teaching Art History:
From Theoretical Frameworks

to Empirical Insights

Marjana Dolšina Delač
University of Ljubljana,
Faculty of Arts
marjana.dolsinadelac@ff.uni-lj.si

This chapter explores how contemporary didactic approaches can enhance
the teaching and learning of art history through both theoretical reflection
and empirical investigation. Building on the evolution of art-historical peda-
gogy from formalist to contextual paradigms, the study integrates a series of
pedagogical experiments conducted within the elective university course ti-
tled Contemporary Approaches to Teaching and Learning Art History. The re-
search aims to identify effective strategies for fostering student engagement,
critical thinking, and sensory awareness in a digital educational environment.
Using a small-scale qualitative methodology based on observation, reflection,
and analysis of student-designed lessons, the study highlights the benefits of
multisensory learning, formative assessment, flipped classroom models, and
authentic learning contexts. Findings suggest that the most effective art his-
tory teaching approaches balance technological innovation with embodied,
humanistic engagement, reaffirming the relevance of art history as a reflective
and interdisciplinary discipline.
Keywords: art history didactics, contemporary teaching approaches, active stu-
dent engagement, digital tools, artificial intelligence
© 2025 Marjana Dolšina Delač
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-293-568-9.7

Introduction
Art history education has evolved since its introduction in the 1930s (Dolšina
Delač, 2020), however, traditional methods, such as teaching ex cathedra
and monological methods still represent the most common educational ap-
proach (Dolšina Delač, 2025). This reliance on such methods is primarily due
to the need for abundant factual knowledge essential for scaffolding and
discipline-specific competences, such as the art historical analysis of an art-
work. Even so, the paradigmatic changes of art history with a shift from a

Volk, M., Ivanuš-Grmek, M., Retelj, A., Štemberger, T., Vogrinc, J., Vošnjak, M.,
in Vršnik Perše, T. (ur.). (2026). Razvoj kompetenc prihodnosti v pedagoških
študijskih programih. Založba Univerze na Primorskem.