Drawing As a Catalyst for Creativity in Secondary School Visual Art Education: A Narrative Review of Contemporary Educational Perspectives

Abstract

This narrative review examines contemporary educational perspectives on the role of drawing in fostering creativity within secondary school visual art education. Rather than aiming for exhaustive coverage, this review selectively synthesizes influential and representative scholarship to construct a critical understanding of drawing-based creativity development.
Creativity is increasingly regarded as a key educational outcome in the twenty-first century, yet the role of drawing in fostering creativity within secondary school visual art education remains conceptually fragmented across educational, psychological, and sociocultural perspectives. This narrative review examines contemporary understandings of how drawing contributes to creativity development and synthesizes key theoretical and pedagogical insights relevant to secondary school contexts.
Relevant literature was purposively selected from Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and Google Scholar, with primary attention given to peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025, alongside influential foundational works. The selected literature was analysed through thematic narrative synthesis to identify major conceptual themes, theoretical perspectives, educational challenges, and emerging pedagogical approaches.
The review demonstrates that drawing functions as a cognitive, expressive, and reflective practice that supports visual thinking, divergent thinking, self-expression, and creative confidence. Three complementary theoretical perspectives—Comprehensive Arts Education (CAE), Amabile’s Componential Theory of Creativity, and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory—collectively explain the curricular, psychological, and sociocultural dimensions of creativity development. The literature further highlights the potential of student-centred learning, project-based learning, STEAM education, digital technologies, reflective practice, and collaborative learning to strengthen creativity-oriented visual art education.
The review concludes that drawing-based learning represents a valuable pedagogical approach for fostering creativity in secondary school visual art education and proposes an integrated conceptual framework to guide future research and practice, particularly within examination-oriented educational settings