Research on Drawings and Paintings by Preschool Children: A Systematic Review

Vollständiger Abstract

Worum geht es in dieser Arbeit?

This study is a systematic review that aims to examine the studies conducted between 2015 and 2024 on preschool children’s drawings. The inclusion criteria were that the studies were conducted between 2015 and 2024, that they included drawings of preschool children, and that the sample group consisted of children aged 5–6 years. Studies conducted with children aged 6 and above were excluded. In the study, “distribution by years, genre and method preferences, themes and results” were analyzed. A literature search was conducted on Google Scholar, YÖKTEZ, and Dergipark with the keywords “painting,” “drawing,” “perception,” “draw,” “painting,” “drawing,” “perceptions”; a total of 140 studies, 90 articles, 18 theses (108 domestic studies in total), and 32 international studies were included out of 2100 studies. Data were collected and analyzed by document review method. The year 2022 was determined as the year with the highest number of studies with 22 studies, followed by 2019 and 2020 with 19 studies each. It was observed that qualitative research methods were predominantly preferred in the studies and the article type stood out. Themes such as COVID-19 pandemic perception, emotions, environmental pollution, play, family, space, engineer perception, gender, school, teacher, children’s rights, and time attracted attention. It was concluded that children used pictures and drawings as a means of expressing their emotions, displaying their creativity, and expressing their thoughts. In addition to the prominent themes, the results of less studied and important themes are also included. Cite this article as: Güven, G., Tutumlu, R., & Köksal, H. (2025). Research on drawings and paintings by preschool children: Asystematic review. HAYEF: Journal of Education, 22, 0047, doi: 10.5152/ hayef.2025.24047.