Resumo:
This research is set within the interdisciplinary context of art education in early childhood, integrated with neuroscience principles and emotionally-focused design. This approach is grounded on the premise that sensory and emotional stimuli enhance teaching-learning processes, promoting knowledge construction and holistic child development. Within this framework, the study questions whether the recommendations proposed by Sales (2018) for creating animated cartoons featuring traditional nursery rhymes can amplify children's emotional and cognitive engagement during art-educational activities. The hypothesis posits that audiovisual materials developed according to these guidelines, which align narrative, musical, and visual elements, strengthen children's emotional connection with educational activities, thereby facilitating the retention of presented information. To test this hypothesis, a pilot episode following Sales' (2018) recommendations was developed, aimed at evaluating children's interactions and emotional responses during an educational activity using the produced animation. The methodology employed was predominantly qualitative, complemented by quantitative analyses through Kansei Engineering, which enabled the recording of children's emotional responses via questionnaires completed in collaboration with mediating agents. The study involved children aged up to five years, selected using specific criteria. Data were gathered through direct observation and semantic scales structured according to the Kansei methodology. The results achieved fulfilled the research objective, providing evidence that carefully planned stimuli enhance early childhood development. The study also highlights methodological challenges and suggests directions for future research in art education and emotionally-focused design applied to childhood.
