An Artist within, brings out the Drawing in Class: A Creative Approach to Teaching and Learning Engineering Graphics and Design
Siphesihle Eugene Mthethwa 
Issue: Vol.5 No.16 Issue Article 44 pp.3247-3256
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451644 | Published online 24th December, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Allowing Engineering Graphics and Designs (EGD) learners to express themselves with music in the EGD class is part of what makes the lesson worth having. Validating learners to sing their hearts out during the lesson allows them to be willing to work on and complete their assigned EGD activities, love the subject, and long for the next lesson. This study therefore aimed to explore how an infusion of music in EGD lessons would impact teaching and learning of EGD. Some scholarly findings show that music can deeply provoke emotions, influence mood and affect cognitive performance. A qualitative approach was adopted and a purposive sampling technique where 13 grade 11 and 12 technical students doing EGD were sampled and music was infused during their EGD period. Data generated was collected using structured interviews and classroom observations. Thematically, data was analysed and responses were themed, compared, and contrasted to shed light on a creative approach to EGD and how it can enhance the teaching and learning of EGD. This study found that allowing learners to sing does give them a sense of ease and they become comfortable around the teacher. It relaxes their minds and enhances their performance. The study recommends that although the results have been positive, it also depends on the style of teaching that one uses and is comfortable to use. This study contributes towards creating enabling learning environment for EGD learners.
Keywords: Students, Music, Emotions, Attachment, Productivity, Engineering Graphics and Designs.
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Siphesihle Eugene Mthethwa is currently a lecturer at School of Education, Faculty of Arts and Design, Durban University of Technology, South Africa. He graduated in 2019 with his Bachelor of Education in Technology education, and on the same year started working as a Teacher at a High School in KZN where he taught Electrical Technology and EGD. He furthered his studies doing Honours in Technology Education and majored with EGD. After graduation, he continued to do his Masters in Adult and Community Education where his research focus was in EGD. Towards completion of his Masters, He was appointed as a lecturer at Durban University of Technology (DUT) for Electrical Technology. He attended his debut academic conference where he received an award for Best Post Graduate Student presentation, 3 months after joining DUT. Early 2024, 6 months after joining DUT, he won an award amounting to R150 000 for his Community Engagement Project where he was implementing Design Thinking (DT) and Project Based Learning (PBL). The award was from DUT’s Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT). Around the same time he also won a runner up prize of R3000 for the same project from DUT’s Community Engagement department.
Mthethwa, Siphesihle Eugene. “An Artist within, brings out the Drawing in Class: A Creative Approach to Teaching and Learning Engineering Graphics and Design,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.16 (2024): 3247-3256. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451644
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
