Aesthetic education has an exceedingly significant influence on the basic education process; it incorporates with moral, intellectual, physical and social education to comprise various components of comprehensive education. In Macau, the history of aesthetic education could trace back to a very long period, and the Eastern and Western culture interchange created educators with unique opportunities and advantages towards the development of aesthetic education. Aesthetic education had redefined its position in the education system, especially when it was affirmed in a series of Macau S.A.R. educational laws and government policies since the handover, and such emphasis in official documents had created immense opportunities for future development. Teachers are crucial in implementing educational policies and their roles act as medium in passing educational goals to students in the classroom. The aim of this study is therefore to explore the importance of aesthetic education in basic education from a theoretical perspective, and use the data of questionnaires and interviews to analysis teachers’ attitudes towards aesthetics education, aesthetic education laws, policies and curriculum in the Macau S.A.R. The similarities and differences between the principles of aesthetic education, the S.A.R. Government’s educational policies and genuine practices were also being analyzed in order to form constructive policy suggestions. The following preliminary results were concluded from this study: · Through bibliographical analysis, the study concluded that key Eastern and Western educational thinkers of ancient and modern times alike unanimously agreed that aesthetic education is a key part of comprehensive education. Although Macau had a long history of unique distinctiveness in cultural exchanges, some scholars claimed that educators had failed to fully development students' potential and there are still a lot of rooms for future improvement in the area of aesthetic education; · Through the analysis of the data of questionnaires and interviews, the study concluded that teachers in Macau mostly agreed that aesthetic education was a vital part of the educational process. However, their perceptions of the aims, functions and policies of aesthetic education needed to be further enriched. Considering the above factors, the following recommendations are suggested: · At the government level, the scope of aesthetic education must be clearly defined, vision and missions established. Dedicated personnel to work in the area of aesthetic education in public educational institutions should be assigned. Furthermore, it is vital to intensify systematic, sustainable and comprehensive aesthetic education (art education) training programs. · At the school level, schools need to provide comprehensive and quality art education to all students. To their teachers, schools should try to modify existing monistic instructional practices, encourage collaboration among teachers and encourage action research to enhance teaching standards, in order to share and promote successful teaching experiences. Schools should also provide training to future principal teachers and gradually reduce their workload and work-related pressure. · At the teacher level, schools should organize activities for teachers to experience musical art, plastic art, literature art, theatrical art and living art, so as to reinforce teachers’ attitudes in promoting aesthetic education across various subjects. · At the community level, community resources should be utilized more effectively, and community centers established to promote aesthetic education.

美育是與德育、智育、體育、群育相輔並行的一種和諧而必需的教育，在整個基礎教育過程中起著非常重要的作用。美育在澳門有著長遠的歷史，中西文化交融為澳門美育的發展提供了獨特的環境和優勢，而回歸以來，美育亦持續地被列入教育法規和政府施政方針之內，使美育在教育中的地位得到確定，美育由此也獲得了良好的發展機遇。 由於教師是實施教育政策和將教育目標落實到教室層次和學生身上的重要仲介，本研究旨在從理論層次上論證美育在基礎教育中的重要性，並透過問卷調查和訪談的結果，分析教師的美育態度以及澳門特別行政區政府在美育方面的法規、施政方針和課程設置的實施情況，繼而將美育的理念、特區政府的政策與教育實踐之間的異同進行比較，從而提出政策性建議。 本研究初步得出以下結果： · 透過文獻分析，總結出古今中外的重要教育思想家均認為美育在人的全面和諧發展中的重要性以及美育在學校教育中起著重要的作用；澳門的美育雖然有長久的歷史，而且有特色，但一些學者認為澳門美育仍存在不足之處，未能充分發展學生的潛能； · 透過問卷調查和訪談，總結出澳門教師雖然大致認同美育的重要性，但對美育的目標、功能、政策等方面的認識均有待提升。 考慮到以上因素，本研究提出以下建議： · 在政府層面，須清晰界定美育的範疇，建立美育工作的目標和前景，並在公共教育機構內編制負責美育工作的專責人員；增加有系統、持續及完整規劃的美育（藝術教育）培訓課程。 · 在學校層面，須確保學校提供全面而優質的藝術教育，改變過於單一化的教學模式，鼓勵透過教師間的協作和行動研究提升教學水準，分享並推廣成功的教學經驗，進行種子教師培訓計劃；減輕教師的工作量和壓力。 · 在教師層面，增進教師音樂藝術、造形藝術、文學藝術、電影戲劇及對生活環境的美感經驗活動，提昇情意教育成效；引進外地的先進經驗和創新理論；增強教師在各學科中推行美育的意識。