「死亡教育」是生命教育中很重要的一環，但臺灣目前國中教育提供對生命多元的體驗尚有不足，易導致青少年有輕生或危及生命的行為，可見教導正確的死亡與生命價值觀的重要性，因此研究者就協同職前及在職美術教師，共同進行死亡教育藝術主題課程的設計。希望藉由此課程增進國中生正確死亡概念與態度，體會生命真意，進而珍惜生命，培養積極的人生觀。本研究是採協同行動研究的方法，透過課堂觀察、省思日誌、訪談、文件蒐集等，來進行資料的歸納與分析。結果發現學生能以積極正面的態度面對死亡，做好規畫與安排；思考如何照顧臨終者及善用有限的生命，做有意義的事；也學會如何賞析死亡議題的繪本，進一步在繪本的創作中表達對有限生命的看法；教師藉由主題教學，也獲得了專業的成長。
Death education is an important part in life education. However, the current junior high school curriculum in Taiwan cannot provide diversified life experience for junior high students, which causes teenagers to have the tendency to either commit suicide or behave in a jeopardous way. The significance of teaching correct life and death values is thus revealed. As a result, the researcher in the present study worked with pre-service and In-service art teachers to design a course on death education in arts thematic curriculum. It was expected that a correct perspective and attitude of junior high students towards death can be improved through this course so that they may understand the true meaning of life, cherish their lives, and develop a positive outlook on life. Through collaborative action research, the present study gathered documents and collected data via observations in class, reflective journals, and interviews. The results indicated that students took a positive attitude toward death by making plans and arrangements well. They also thought about ways to take care of the dying people and meaningful things to accomplish in a limited period of life. Besides, they learned to appreciate picture books on death issues. They further expressed their opinions about the limited days of a life in picture books that they created. The study also found that thematic teaching benefited teachers in professional growth as well.
