Teachers' Perceptions of Integrating Folk Arts in Primary Classrooms: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This qualitative study explored primary school teachers’ perceptions of integrating folk arts into classroom teaching in the context of recent Indian educational reforms. The study examined how teachers understood the use of folk arts, the benefits they perceived for student learning and engagement, the barriers they encountered, and the support they considered necessary for implementation. A purposive sample  of 15 primary school teachers from government and private schools in Tamil Nadu participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted in Tamil, audio-recorded with informed consent, transcribed verbatim, translated into English, and analysed thematically. Five major themes were identified: educational benefits; student engagement and holistic development; cultural awareness and knowledge transmission; challenges and barriers; and the need for training, resources, and institutional support. Teachers generally perceived folk arts as useful for supporting understanding, participation, communication, creativity, confidence, and cultural learning. At the same time, they reported constraints related to time, syllabus completion, training, resources, curriculum requirements, examination orientation, confidence, and financial support. The findings indicate a perceived gap between teachers’ positive views of folk arts and their routine classroom implementation. The study therefore highlights the importance of structured teacher preparation, curriculum support, teaching resources, and institutional encouragement when folk arts are integrated into primary classroom practice.