The imaginative cognition approach and the theory of children's creative capacity development: theoretical relationships between Efland and Lowenfeld about the construction process of children's drawing

Abstract

This article aims at analyzing Arthur Efland's approach to imaginative cognition and Viktor Lowenfeld's theory of creative capacity development, establishing the contributions of these approaches and their correlation, focusing on the study of the development of the child creative process through graphics. To reach this goal, we emphasize that Arthur Efland (2004) suggests an approach based on imagination, which uses metaphors and narrative experiences as resources to prove that imagination is a well-structured cognitive development activity. We also show the theoretical contributions of Viktor Lowenfeld (1977) where, he explains, the development of children's drawing through stages according to the children's ages. We conclude that both theories are the foundation of children's creation, providing opportunities for the emergence of experiences with drawings that work on imagination, autonomy, creativity and respect for individuality, consequently, favoring the integral development of children.