The Effectiveness of Teaching Based on Kolb's Experiential Learning Model in Developing Conceptual Understanding and Soft Skills among Female Students of the Art Education Course

The current study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of teaching based on Kolb's model of experiential learning in the art education course on developing conceptual comprehension and soft skills among third-grade students in Makkah city. Semi-experimental approach was used to design the study method. The study sample consisted of (60) female students who were randomly selected and divided into control and experimental groups with pre-and post-testing. The study sample consisted of (60) students who were randomly selected; the control group included (30) students, and the experimental group included (30) students. To achieve the objectives of the study, two instruments were designed: The conceptual comprehension test for the field of explanation, interpretation, and application; and the soft skills scale consisting of four main domains, namely: Professional skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, communication skills, and following skills, which included (12) indicators. The statistical analysis program (SPSS) was used to check the reliability and stability of the two study instruments and analyze their data. The results of the study showed that there were statistically significant differences at a level of significance less than (a≤0.05) in the average scores of the control group and the experimental group students in the post-application of both the conceptual comprehension test and the soft skills scale, in favor of the experimental group. The study also showed the effectiveness of teaching based on experiential learning in developing conceptual comprehension and soft skills among middle school students with a large impact. The study recommended the importance of implementing experiential learning strategies in teaching the art education course at the intermediate stage, and qualifying art education teachers to use experiential learning in teaching various fields of arts.