Teachers’ Opinions on the Management of Educational Projects in Early Childhood Education Institutions

Abstract

The article explores the educational potential of glass icons as a pedagogical resource in middle school art classes, demonstrating that the integration of ethno-folkloric and religious elements of the Orthodox Christian faith into the teaching process goes beyond the mere acquisition of an artistic technique, constituting an approach to the holistic development of the student’s personality. Based on the psychopedagogical theories of Jean Piaget, Viktor Lowenfeld, and Lev Vygotsky, the article argues that middle school age represents the optimal stage for introducing complex artistic techniques with symbolic depth, responding to the specific needs of adolescents’ cognitive and identity development. The reverse glass painting technique, with its rich tradition in the Transylvanian centers of Nicula, Șcheii Brașovului, and Făgăraș, simultaneously offers the students an interdisciplinary experience, authentic contact with Romanian cultural heritage, and a tool for strengthening spiritual and community identity in a world dominated by technology and value relativism.

Keywords: icon on glass, art education, middle school, cultural identity, ethno-folkloric and religious heritage, holistic education