Expressive Art Workshops and Early Psychosocial Detection: A Mixed-Methods Study
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Abstract
Background and Aim: Early psychosocial difficulties among learners can negatively affect academic participation, emotional regulation, and social functioning, particularly in contexts where verbal self-expression is limited. Although expressive arts have been associated with psychosocial support, empirical evidence on their role as non-clinical, screening-supportive practices in basic education remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of expressive art workshops as supplementary tools for early psychosocial awareness in Philippine basic education, focusing on facilitator observation, ethical non-diagnostic practice, and preventive educational support.
Materials and Methods: An applied mixed-methods design was employed involving 29 facilitators working in school-based wellbeing and psychosocial support contexts, including counselors, healing arts practitioners, and trained volunteers. Quantitative data were collected using Likert-scale instruments measuring workshop implementation quality and perceived psychosocial observation capacity. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, composite indices, one-sample t-tests, and exploratory Pearson correlation analysis. Qualitative facilitator reflections were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis to identify recurring observation patterns and contextual influences.
Results: Findings demonstrated high workshop implementation quality and moderate-to-strong psychosocial observation capacity. The Workshop Implementation Index was significantly above the neutral midpoint (M = 4.42, t = 14.86, p < .001), while the Detection Capacity Index also showed significantly positive ratings (M = 3.73, t = 6.03, p < .001). A positive but non-significant association was found between implementation quality and observation capacity (r = 0.34, p = .071). Qualitative findings revealed three major themes: (1) expressive art as a safe medium for non-verbal communication, (2) psychosocial indicators emerging through learner engagement patterns, and (3) environmental and facilitation conditions influencing observation effectiveness. Facilitators reported that emotionally safe and non-directive workshop conditions supported learner participation and enabled ethical observation of behavioral and emotional cues without diagnostic interpretation.
Conclusion: Expressive art workshops may serve as feasible, ethical, and non-intrusive screening-supportive practices within basic education settings. The study contributes to educational management and psychosocial support literature by positioning expressive arts as structured observation contexts that strengthen early awareness, monitoring, documentation, and referral processes without functioning as clinical assessment tools.
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