Identifying the stages of visual and auditory aesthetic development in students based on their gender

The aesthetic ability of individuals and their aesthetic development has been considered in various studies. However, it is important to pay attention to this issue during the stages of aesthetic development, and what changes occur in terms of visual and auditory aesthetics.

In this regard, the main aim of this study was identifying the stages of visual and auditory aesthetic development in students.

The design of this study was developmental and cross-sectional. 300 students from Tuyserkan were selected by stratified cluster sampling. Data were collected by interview using a researcher-made instrument. During the interview, participants' responses to visual and auditory stimuli were recorded and then analyzed by content analysis. Data were analyzed using the Chi-Square test.

The results of this study showed that the visual aesthetic ability developed in 5 steps: objectivism (7 to 9 years), sensory (9 to 11 years), emotional (11 to 13 years), interpretive (13 to 15 years), and response/ practical (15 to 17 years) and their auditory aesthetic ability developed in 5 steps: objectivism (7 to 9 years), analytical (9 to 11 years), sensory-emotional (11 to 13 years), practical (13 to 15 years), and symbolic (15 to 17 years). The results of the Chi-Square analysis showed that the difference in the frequency of identified categories is also significant (P < 0.001). But there was no significant difference between girls and boys in terms of visual and auditory aesthetic development (P < 0.001).

The aesthetic ability of students in each age group is different from the periods before and after that age group, and it is subject to change and transformation. Aesthetically, people look at the phenomena of their surroundings from a different perspective. Of course, there are not many gender differences in this regard. Applying these findings to the educational system can improve the quality of planning and better service delivery.