[Drama Research Project] - Essay!!

THE POTENTIAL OF DRAMA TO ENHANCE STUDENT EXPERIENCES IN

AN AUTHOR STUDY UNIT

An Hoang Truong

The University of Melbourne

November 2011

AN TRUONG 297127 - Drama Research ProjectThe Potential of Drama to Enhance Student Experiences in an Author Study Unit

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT Page 3

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Page 4

LITERATURE REVIEW Page 6

METHODOLOGY Page 10

RESULTS Page 12

DISCUSSION Page 19

CONCLUSION Page 22

REFERENCES Page 23

APPENDICES Page 25

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ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research study is to explore the ways in which drama can enhance

students’ learning experiences in an author study unit and to reveal their perceptions of drama

in relation to the activities they partake. The qualitative case study was conducted at a

Western suburban government primary school in Melbourne over the course of two weeks.

Students were informed of the research project from the beginning and encouraged to be as

honest in their responses as possible, for the sake of quality data. Data was collected through

a range of methods including observations, student reflections and work samples, informal

interviews and a survey/questionnaire.

The results of this study revealed that drama has a very positive effect on many aspects of a

student’s learning experience. Significant findings indicate that drama is socially beneficial,

motivates students to take charge of their learning, develops their self-confidence and

intrapersonal skills. Lastly, the novelty of it simply makes it fun and exciting.

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INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

In recent times, there have been many calls for classrooms to become holistic,

interactive student-centred environments, yet many classrooms today remain fixed on

discrete skills and product-based learning. Educators are being pushed to consider the way

their students’ brains work, how diverse each learner’s needs are and how they can cater for

these needs throughout the curriculum.

Teaching approaches therefore need to provide students with opportunities to be

creative in meaningful, multi-sensory and socially engaging learning contexts (Baldwin &

Fleming, 2003). Drama is a multi-sensory method that gives students’ the experiential

framework to examine texts visually, auditorily and kinaesthetically. Its focus on process and

participation makes it a remarkably effective tool for creating emotional and intellectual

learning (Baldwin & Fleming, 2003).

However, because many teachers are concerned about time restraints and getting

through the sheer breadth of the primary curriculum they are required to teach, they easily

dismiss the recommendation to integrate the arts in their children’s education. McMaster

(1998) claims that some teachers have misleading ideas about what drama in the classroom

entails, thinking that acting and performances don’t teach much and are excuses for students

to have fun. On the other hand, others worry that trying to incorporate drama in their

classrooms equates to wearisome, time-consuming preparations. Some teachers simply feel

inadequately trained to utilise drama.

As an undergraduate student teacher just shy of becoming a professional, I often feel

afraid that I will slip into easy, non-threatening traditional methods of teaching that involve

predictable patterns of teacher-student exchanges and monotonous learning routines. For that

simple reason, I have dedicated this research inquiry to learning about drama and having a

close look at exactly what it can offer a classroom.

My research project was undertaken in a Western suburban government primary

school in Melbourne with an enrolment of approximately 250 students. It boasts a highly

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diverse and multicultural population and has a strong focus on literacy and numeracy

achievement.

My study aims to investigate the effects of drama on students’ learning experiences

and to gain an understanding of their attitudes towards the activities they will be participating

in as a part of an author study unit. In order to achieve this, the study was designed around

one focus research question and sub-question to help guide the inquiry:

How does drama enhance students’ learning experiences in an author study unit?

What are students’ perceptions of using drama in the classroom?

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LITERATURE REVIEW

An emerging and strongly advanced contention among childhood teachers and researchers is

that children learn most effectively through dramatic play and active interaction within a fun

and meaningful environment (Brown and Pleydell, 1999; Davis, 2007; Maley & Duff, 2005;

Via, 1987). In conjunction, many studies have been conducted on drama and its positive

impact on student learning (Moore, 2004; Wagner, 2003; Wilburn, 1992), with the majority

of them highlighting the importance of a classroom which encourages and supports children

in their physical, emotional and intellectual engagement with learning. They detail how

drama can foster such a learning environment, and illustrate its power to enhance every

aspect of a child’s literacy development, advocating it as a powerful tool in any language

classroom.

Much of the literature make reference to drama as a medium through which all types of

learning styles can be catered for. Ashton-Hay (2005) and Baldwin & Fleming (2003) assert

that drama intersects Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory. This theory suggests

that there are many types of intelligences and thus every learner has their own preferred way

of learning. Drama-oriented activities appeal to a wide range of learners and help integrate

and cultivate all kinds of intelligences. Improvisation and performance, for example, require

that students speak and listen in authentic settings, negotiate physical space, use body

language and gesture, interact and cooperate with others as well as reflect on personal

feelings and identity (Baldwin, 2004); as such, they must exercise a variety of intelligences,

including linguistic, spatial, kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and spiritual. This

allows learners to capitalise on their strengths at the same time as extending their range, and,

in turn, encourages them to be actively involved in the activity (Zyoud, 2010). Drama

enriches students’ learning experiences because the more sensory organs they use while

learning, the greater the quality of their thinking and engagement (Bengtsson, 2009).

Likewise, Davis (2005), through her research, found that students’ engagement was most

heightened when there was some sort of sensory element to the scene they had to act out.

The framework which drama provides makes it very much a constructivist and active

learning method; it is student-centred and encourages learners to self-direct and take

ownership of their learning. Drama increases motivation and provides strong incentive for

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learning and discovering (Cornett, 2011) and, “when taught effectively, offers opportunities

for students to project themselves safely into fictional worlds that challenge, interrogate and

demand their engaged and committed attention” (Miller & Saxton, 2009). When children

role-play fictional characters from a text, as performers, they feel the need to read deeply into

the text in order to justify their portrayal of the character (Baldwin & Fleming, 2003). Cornett

(2011) maintains that performance gives rise to a sense of anticipation and both Clipson-

Boyles (1998) and McMaster (1998) affirm this, stating that having an audience is motivating

for students because it gives them a sense of purpose and focus; they all want to succeed in

putting on a good show. In turn, this places the onus on the student to be focused and

responsible (Zyoud, 2010).

Essentially, drama is social and involves interaction and communication of meanings. “By

verbally and nonverbally taking part in created imaginative worlds, learners can experience

how language functions in different situations” (Young-Joo, 2005: 20). Many educators and

researchers agree that drama is a medium for fostering personal, social and emotional

development; it requires peer interaction, including feedback, and the building of social

relationships and healthy classroom dynamics because learners must work together to create

and share their drama (Baldwin & Fleming, 2003; Cornett, 2011; Moore, 2004). This is in

accordance with Vygotsky’s theory of social development (1978), which stresses the

importance of social interaction in assisting with cognitive growth. Moreover, drama

activities compel students to express various emotions, to problem solve, negotiate action and

meaning, listen to different opinions and perspectives and, consequently, this enhances their

awareness of themselves as learners and communicators (Dowdy & Kaplan, 2011; Zyoud,

2010). Role-playing characters from a text has the value of nurturing children’s emotional

intelligence, which is the capacity to “know, understand and manage their emotions through

reflecting on them and linking them consciously and rationally to their actions” (Baldwin,

2004: 51). They explore character emotions and interaction and learn to empathise in

authentic settings (Dowdy & Kaplan, 2011).

A further factor that is believed to make drama such a learning enhancement is that it

provides a safe and imaginative setting for students to take risks and develop self-confidence

(Baldwin & Fleming, 2003; Zyoud, 2010). It offers children avenues to develop their own

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ideas and experiment with registers and vocabulary without the fear of failure, and McMaster

(1998) furthers this view by advocating that drama builds on the natural ability to play and

pretend and so all children can experience success from the beginning, which is a real

confidence booster. Researchers have observed the way shy students are able to “hide

behind” a character when they pretend to be somebody else, allowing them to abandon any

reservations and assume a persona through which they can speak and act out in ways they

would otherwise be too tentative to. In this regard, it is an ideal method for students to

increase self-esteem and learn to be more assertive (Ashton-Hay, 2005; Zyoud, 2010). Many

educators also endorse the use of drama as a way to bolster creativity and imagination. In

drama, students essentially spend a lot of time functioning in open make-believe or ‘as if’

settings, which gives rise to curiosity and the need to explore, experiment and think creatively

(Baldwin & Fleming, 2003; Cornett, 2011).

For teachers and researchers who have observed drama in the classroom, a point of

concurrence is the way drama “integrates communication, language and literacy development

within shared contexts” (Baldwin & Fleming, 2003: 10). McMaster (1998) argues that drama

generates varied opportunities for students to develop language skills in role, whether through

speaking or writing, in rich, exciting contexts. Students adapt their language in consideration

of a target audience and the purpose for communicating, whether that be suggesting,

instructing, explaining or challenging (Clipson-Boyles, 1998). In particular, studies show that

when students write in the context of drama, they produce their best writing (Wagner, 1998;

Winston, 2004). Teachers note that when students become a witness of a crime, or an

explorer in search of a cure for a deadly illness plaguing the school, they gain a strong sense

of purpose for writing and that is when they are able to manipulate their linguistic skills most

effectively. Their language becomes richer, their writing more complex, their ideas more

substantial, and they demonstrate a clear sense of audience in their writing. Being in role

enables them access to a new realm of attitudes and feelings and it equips them with strong

reason to write. (Baldwin & Fleming, 2003; Wagner, 1998; Winston, 2004).

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METHODOLOGY

Research Design:

The results from this research investigation have been obtained through the

framework of a qualitative case study. Qualitative research involves making sense of human

behaviour in its natural setting using a range of data sources (Greenhalgh & Taylor, 1997).

This is supported by Merriam (1998), who advocates for the understanding of phenomenon

from the participant’s perspective rather than the researcher’s so as to ensure quality

constructive data. Qualitative research entails the researcher being the primary instrument for

data collection and analysis. The work that the researcher conducts is known as fieldwork,

which is practical work carried out by the researcher in the natural environment, known as the

field (Merriam, 1998).

I chose to do a case study because the focus of my study involves answering a “how”

question. In educational research, qualitative case studies provide a way to gain holistic

perspectives and thus in-depth understanding of subjects and the contexts they function in

(Merriam, 1998). They are useful for examining small samples that do not necessarily

represent a wide population.

With the limited time I had for my research and the size of the site, I believe using the

framework of a qualitative case study is the most effective and appropriate way to seek

answers to my research question.

Context:

My study was effected in order to investigate and recognise how drama can enrich

students’ experiences of a particular author study unit, as well as their perceptions of drama

according to the activities they participate in. The class comprises 20 students: 9 boys and 11

girls. Almost 90% of the students are of Asian ethnicity, though only one student is

considered ESL.

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Participants:

Four students were chosen by the classroom teacher as a cross-section that

represented the class well. For the sake of anonymity, students have been given pseudonyms.

They are of mixed abilities and strengths:

Steven is a student functioning at a very high level across all subjects and is a leader

by nature.

Georgia is an above-average functioning student who loves drama and acting. Her

teacher describes her as extremely ‘theatrical’.

Henry is an average functioning student who is quiet in class but rather loud and

unruly with a group of friends. His teacher wants him to open up in class more.

Tina is a below-average functioning student who is socially adept in personal and

individual contexts but extremely timid in front of an audience.

Data Collection Devices:

Observations: I took substantial observatory fieldnotes at the research site every day over

the period of two weeks, with the exception of the first few lessons where I was teaching the

class and could only take reflective notes in hindsight. The rest of the notes I recorded was as

an observer during the majority of the author study unit on Alison Lester, which was

conducted by the classroom teacher. See Appendix B – for detailed samples of my

observation.

Students Interviews: The four students selected as a cross-section of the class were

informally interviewed during or after each drama activity to reveal insights into their

attitudes towards drama and/or the activities. I did not have a writing instrument or notepad at

hand so as to put students at ease and invite more honest opinions from them. I kept it as non-

threatening and casual as possible, jotting down notes only after I had finished ‘conversing’

with them. I asked questions similar to those I put down for the survey. See Appendix C – for

details on the interview.

Students Surveys/Questionnaires: At the end of the unit, each student was given a

survey/questionnaire to complete (See Appendix C). Questions enabled me to gather their

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thoughts and feelings about the activities they had done throughout the unit, both positive and

negative. Students were encouraged to be completely honest as “that would be much more

helpful”. All have been analysed to generate whole class data. 20 students were present in the

class, but only 18 surveys were completed and handed in.

Student reflections and work samples: These were collected and analysed as further

avenues for triangulation of data. Student reflections were on the improvisation activity they

did and the work samples were their ‘in role’ jungle explorer writing pieces. See Appendix E

for sample student reflections.

Data analysis:

Because the bulk of data I collected was of qualitative/narrative nature, I had to be

systematic and use coding that allowed me to reduce the information into categories for ease

of interpretation. I decided to organise the data by format (observations; interviews; surveys;

reflections/work samples) and drew out the most significant points I could from each.

Once that was completed, I combed through the newly organised data once again, this

time looking for key words that cropped up as or were related to the categories I had

formulated in my literature review (e.g. senses, intelligences, student-centered and active

learning, social and collaborative, confidence, motivation, speaking/listening/communicating

etc.). From what I could gather this second time around, I created the final summation of dot

points and put it against the research question to make sure that it matched.

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RESULTS

The results that emerged from the data I collected throughout my field work were

interpreted in relation to the research questions as a way to see a) whether drama enhanced

children’s literacy experience in the ways discussed in the literature review, and b) children’s

personal thoughts on drama and the activities they took part in.

The following is a summary of the data I collected which I have organised according

to format.

Observations:

See Appendix A for sequence of lessons and Appendix B for observation/reflection notes.

Table 1:

Lesson: Significant Observations

Lesson 1

*I taught this

lesson

- Virtual field

trip

- ‘In role’

writing

Many students claimed to not have done drama in the class before.

Most students seemed focused and engaged.

Shyer students could only participate more liberally when whole class was

asked to act out a verb.

Students showed a lot of excitement when asked to lie down and close their

eyes for the virtual field trip.

Students generally gave limited answers when tapped on shoulder.

Definite sense of hesitation and uncertainty from most students.

Many students eager to write, but displayed limited signs of being ‘in role’

as a jungle explorer.

Lesson 2

*I taught this

lesson

- Character

Significant Observations

Students’ use of language indicated that they were attempting to put

themselves in the position of their character (“I think he would…” “Don’t

you think he would…”).

Some groups worked very well together and engaged in vibrant discussion,

while others needed a little push in terms of ideas and the thought processes

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exploration they could have used to come up with more appropriate answers.

Lesson 3

*I observed this

lesson

- Improvisation


Improvisations with the students proved quite chaotic. Some students were

simply mucking around, while the more quiet ones tended to stand to a side.

Even though it seemed like they wanted to talk, they were quickly

overwhelmed by the more outspoken students.

The talk at times was heated and there was a lot of cooperative

communication. Some of the dialogue was inferred from students’

understanding of their character and how they might talk or interact in the

given scenario. Social responses included: proposing, agreeing/disagreeing,

directing and questioning.

Although by the end of the lesson students had learned to listen, take turns

and were creative with their conflicts and dialogue, they seemed to find it

difficult to stay in character. They were conscious of it at first, but gradually

slipped into their normal personas and forgot about distinguishing

themselves as a unique character.

Students showed a lot of enthusiasm but were not focused enough.

Lesson 5 & 6

*I observed

these lessons

- Story book

creation


Students given ‘roles’ in their group to fulfill helped to focus them and give

them a sense of purpose.

All children could participate on equal grounding here thanks to their roles.

The more withdrawn students were able to assert themselves.

Over the two lessons, students quickly took on their responsibilities and

generally managed themselves throughout, with the teacher only intervening

with reminders about roles and time.

Students who were rowdy in previous drama activities were able to manage

themselves well here.

A lot of their communication revolved around work. Social responses

included: suggesting, clarifying, confirming, instructing, praising. The

language was generally positive.

There was a strong atmosphere of productivity as the class buzzed with life

– everyone was doing something positive to contribute to their team,

whether they were at the computer or at their table.

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Lesson 7

*I observed this

lesson

- Performance

rehearsals


Similar to the previous two lessons, students were self-directing and showed

strong signs of cooperative behaviour.

Students seemed very serious about rehearsing, and many asked to rehearse

not just once or twice, but again and again until they were able to perform

smoothly.

The whole lesson was filled with smiles and laughter; they really seemed to

enjoy themselves.

Lesson 8

*I observed this

lesson

- Performance


Supportive atmosphere; positive feedback from the audience of students –

clapping, laughing, cheering. The students seemed to love it.

Some of the more timid students performed with surprising enthusiasm.

Henry in particular, who was quite subdued during the rehearsals,

vigorously ad-libbed almost everything when it was his turn to get up in

front of the class. The response he got in the form of laughter seemed to

really encourage him, driving him to extend and exaggerate his

performances.

Student Interviews:

Four students of different abilities were informally interviewed to reveal insights into

their attitudes towards drama and/or the activities they were engaged in (See Appendix C).

Table 2:

Drama activity Student’s Responses

‘In role’ writing

Steven – I could picture the jungle in my head very clearly, but I had to think

hard to come up with rhyming for my poem.

Georgia – I didn’t really think about being a jungle explorer, I was just

imagining the jungle around me and writing down what I could see in my

head.

Henry – I’m used to writing narratives so I wrote mine like that. I forgot to

make it a letter. I thought the virtual field trip was helpful. It gave me ideas.

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Tina – Pretending to be somebody else and writing gives me more ideas.

Improvisation

Steven – I felt like I was the actual character and I could forget about

everything else. It was easy, but I would prefer having a script. I want to do it

again.

Georgia – I loved it! I wish we could do more of this drama. I feel strong and

confident when I get to act.

Henry – I was nervous at the beginning, but then I got used to it. It was kind

of fun.

Tina – I liked being my character. But in the elevator, it was hard to talk. I got

too shy.

Character and

story book

creation

Steven – There were so many problems. People kept disagreeing and some

people didn’t do as much work as others.

Georgia – I enjoyed it a lot because I liked that we all had roles. It made

everybody feel important. It was also nice to mix with others I don’t talk to

normally, and share ideas with them.

Henry – I got to use my drawing skills, so I liked it. Being in a group is fun

too, and I got to make more friends.

Tina – It was tiring because I had to do all the typing. After when we finished

and we got to see the book all together, it felt good though.

Performance

Steven – I made people laugh – that was good. Pretending to be somebody

else made me not have to worry about looking stupid.

Georgia – Acting for me is one of the funnest things ever. I loved it so much,

to have people watching me act.

Henry – It was more fun than I thought. I pretended to be somebody really

cool and confident. I felt nervous at first, but now it’s okay. I made people

laugh and I felt better about everything, not scared anymore. I didn’t have to

hide anymore. I feel really good about that.

Tina – It was scary. I think if I did this more, I can do it better.

Student Surveys/Questionnaire:

See Appendix D for sample survey/questionnaire responses.

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Figure 1:

Table 3:

Figure 3:

Absolutely! Yes I don’t know No Absolutely

Not!

I enjoyed role-playing 12/18

(66.6%)

4/18

(22.2%)

1/18

(5.5%)

1/18

(5.5%)

I enjoyed creating my

own character

8/18

(44.4%)

10/18

(55.5%)

I enjoyed making a

picture story book with

other students

6/18

(33.3%)

8/18

(44.4%)

3/18

(16.6%)

1/18

(5.5%)

I enjoyed performing

my role in the picture

story book

7/18

(38.8)

4/18

(22.2%)

4/18

(22.2%)

1/18

(5.5%)

2/18

(11.1%)

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Absolutely! Yes I don’t know No Absolutely

Not!

I would like to use my

new character for

writing in the future

2/18

(11.1%)

5/18

(27.7%)

6/18

(33.3%)

5/18

(27.7%)

I enjoyed working in a

group

8/18

(44.4%)

8/18

(44.4%)

2/18

(11.1%)

Drama helps me

become more confident

7/18

(38.8%)

7/18

(38.8%)

1/18

(5.5%)

2/18

(11.1%)

1/18

(5.5%)

Drama is fun and

interesting

14/18

(77.7%)

3/18

(16.6%)

1/18

(5.5%)

Drama motivates me

and helps me learn

5/18

(27.7%)

9/18

(50%)

4/18

(22.2%)

I would like to do more

drama in the classroom

11/18

(61.1%)

4/18

(22.2%)

3/18

(16.6%)

Significant Questionnaire Findings (See Appendix D):

Many students noted that they needed to be more confident and more expressive in

drama for their experience to improve. A few mentioned that the role-play

improvising helped them to become more confident.

Many thought they needed more time for all drama activities, especially rehearsing

for the performance. Some noted they felt rushed and couldn’t put on their best

performance.

Many students listed creating their own picture story book as the least enjoyable,

because it was time-consuming and many of them encountered problems within their

groups.

A few suggested trying to incorporate drama in mathematics – to spice it up – like a

‘Welcome to the Maths Show!’

Most wanted to do drama again because it was a lot of ‘fun’, they enjoyed working

with others and it gave them the freedom to act the way they wanted.

Quite a few of them only ‘loved’ it and ‘found it fun’ but did not circle anything else,

indicating that they may not be aware of the benefits of drama on their learning.

There were no students who hated drama or even found it boring.

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Student reflections and work samples:

See Appendix E for sample student reflections and Appendix F for writing samples.

Table 4:

Significant findings based on student reflections

Most students really enjoyed the improvisation activities and wanted to do it again.

Several students said they started out shy, but then they got used to it.

Some students showed further self-reflection, mentioning that it would have been a

better experience for them had they abandoned any reservations and tried to be more

confident/enthusiastic.

Significant findings based on student work samples

Some students displayed a heightened awareness of audience and purpose, but most of

them didn’t.

‘In role’ writing generates rich language – vocabulary choices (crunching, hissing,

roaring, splashing, dashing) as well as image-making.

* * *

Overall significant findings:

Drama has a significant impact on boosting students’ self-confidence.

Data revealed that drama generates extremely social and collaborative atmospheres,

which students enjoy.

Drama gives students the opportunity to take charge of their learning and become

more independent.

Drama enables students to reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses as a learner

and as a person.

Children find drama fun and interesting, and are excited about having it in the

classroom.

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DISCUSSION

My field work has provided me with a reinforced view of the significant impact

drama can have on children’s attitudes and literacy learning. Collecting a variety of data over

the course of the author study unit allowed me to confidently make several inferences that

parallel the literature and research available on its worth. However, the limited scope of the

two weeks was not enough to fully realise the potential of drama to enhance students’

experiences in relation to all features divulged in the literature review.

Drama as a confidence booster was one key finding that emerged in nearly all forms

of data. This was especially prevalent by the end of the unit, as the survey results (See Table

3) revealed that 14 out of 18 students found that the drama activities enabled them to become

more confident. This most certainly enhanced their experiences, as they were able to

participate and contribute without being bound by shyness. Henry, for instance, was able to

gain confidence through drama (“I pretended to be somebody really cool and confident. I felt

nervous at first, but now it’s okay. I made people laugh and I felt better about everything, not

scared anymore. I didn’t have to hide anymore.”) (See Table 2). However, one exception was

the ‘in role’ writing, an activity that happened to be one of the first ‘drama’ activities students

engaged in. As Winston (2004) suggests, students ‘in role’ should be able to access a new

realm of attitudes and feelings which give them a strong reason to write. The majority of

writing samples did not indicate this, as writing purpose and target audience were not overtly

referred to. I mainly attribute this to the fact that the virtual fieldtrip, which was simply read

to students, was not tangible enough to put them into the frame of mind of a ‘jungle

explorer’. They needed to be part of a more perceptible context; for example, a soundscape,

or a tableau. The novelty of the drama activity and natural inhibition of some of the students

were perhaps additional factors leading to their limited responses during the virtual fieldtrip.

The data also revealed that students value the social, collaborative context which

drama creates. A staggering 16 out of 18 students (See Table 3) indicated that they enjoyed

working in a group. Baldwin & Fleming (2003), Cornett (2011) and Moore (2004) state that

drama involves peer interaction, including feedback, and the building of social relationships

and healthy classroom dynamics, as learners must cooperate to create and share their drama.

Results of this study are consistent with this statement; the improvisation, construction of

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characters and story book, and the final performance were all socially and emotionally

engaging, whether students were confident or not (See Table 1). Throughout the unit they

were placed in groups and were obliged to work together; this inevitably produced a range of

social interactions, including but not limited to: suggesting, deciding, agreeing, disagreeing,

directing, questioning and clarifying. This was mostly true when students got into groups to

create their picture story book. Georgia, for instance, remarked specifically on her

appreciation of the collaborative setting (“It was also nice to mix with others I don’t talk to

normally, and share ideas with them.”) (See Table 2). On the other hand, the role-playing and

improvisation of Alison Lester’s characters did not see students going beyond surface traits

such as gender and occupation to think about such things as character feelings and

motivations. They needed more time to explore these with the guidance of the teacher, and

perhaps a text that contained characters in actual conflict. The open-ended nature of the

improvisation was possibly too overwhelming for the inexperienced students, and, as such,

they may have needed more structure and sequence to follow.

Zyoud (2011) claims that students find motivation to be focused and responsible for

their learning when there is an audience or an impending aspect of performance. As noted in

Lesson 7’s significant observations (See Table 1), students appeared extremely serious about

rehearsing and refrained from wasting time because they wanted to ‘get it right’. The

anticipation of a performance, similar to Clipson-Boyles’ (1998) appraisal, drove their intent

and gave them purpose in what they were asked to do. Furthermore, the drama sequence of

lessons (See Appendix A – for sequence of lessons) continually encouraged students to be

active in their learning, substantiating the fact that drama is student-centred and constructivist

in nature.

The context of two weeks was insufficient for me to gauge in depth whether drama

can develop creativity, communication and language skills in students. If I had the

opportunity to conduct research over several months, which has the added benefit of knowing

the students well, then indeed the data would reveal much more as learners’ progress can be

monitored. For that reason, I cannot justify the other literature findings in my review based

on the results of this study alone.

Despite many students claiming that they hadn’t done drama in the classroom before,

and despite the rather limited context of two weeks, 17 out of 18 students found drama fun

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and interesting, with a substantial 14 of them circling ‘Absolutely!’ on the survey (See Table

3). Students’ responses to the drama were overwhelmingly positive, which I have to admit, I

did not quite expect. I was told prior to entering the research site that many of them needed to

‘come out of their shells’ and that they had not experienced much drama before. Looking at

Figure 1, it is most obvious that my preconceptions are unfounded. Individual tasks may have

been perceived differently from student to student, but for the most part, the activities

appealed to them. Having fun and getting to make people laugh (See ‘Performance’ responses

in Table 2) were certainly motivating factors. I am left in no doubt that drama has the ability

to enhance students’ experiences.

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CONCLUSION

This study, despite its limited scope, demonstrates the capacity for drama to enhance

students’ experiences and attitudes in a particular author study unit. The unit could have been

a lot more thorough and fleshed out, but notwithstanding, I was able to confirm several

contentions that were asserted in my literature review – that 1) drama has the power to

increase learners’ self-confidence, 2) it creates very social and interactive settings within

which children learn, 3) it provides them with the motivation to become self-directing and

responsible for their learning, 4) it develops self-reflection and intrapersonal skills and 5) it is

simply enjoyable and engaging for students.

The feedback I have received in this unit alone has been greatly valuable for both the

classroom teacher and myself. It has allowed me a concise understanding of what to expect

when employing drama as a teaching method, and has driven me to reflect on how I can

better utilise it. For instance, the ‘in role’ writing and some aspects of the improvisation I

have considered not as successful as the performance process. With a class that’s new to

drama, I recommend that students receive more prompts and guidance. Developing tension

and conflict may also compel students to engage more deeply in imaginary roles.

To increase drama’s potential and to really take advantage of it, comprehensive

planning and clever teaching is ideal. Moreover, one cannot afford to use it irregularly, or

even just for ‘fun’; drama should be an integral part of the classroom for it to really take root

and reach its potential as a teaching tool. I believe it’s all about developing that classroom

culture that celebrates active and engrossing student-centred learning.

The effectiveness of drama has been well documented, but the prospect for it to be

applied to every other discipline hasn’t quite been realised. Long-term studies of drama being

used as an all-encompassing pedagogy may be worth pursuing to further validate the

contributions drama can make.

Overall, all children have an ingrained sense of play and the majority of them just

need a little inspiration to find the spontaneity and creative expression that could empower

their learning in ways yet to be seen.

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REFERENCES

Ashton-Hay, Sally (2005) Drama: Engaging all Learning Styles. In Proceedings 9th International INGED (Turkish English Education Association) Conference, Economics and Technical University, Ankara Turkey.

Baldwin, P. & Fleming, K. (2003). Teaching Literacy through Drama: creative approaches. New Fetter Lane, London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Baldwin, P. (2004). With Drama in Mind. Stafford, UK: Network Educational Press Ltd.

Bengtsson, J. (2009). Students’ Perceptions of and Attitudes to Drama in English Language Education. Retrieved from, http://dspace.mah.se/handle/2043/7584, September, 2011.

Brown, Victoria & Pleydell, Sarah. (1999) The Dramatic Difference. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

Clipson-Boyles, S. (1998). Drama in Primary English Teaching. Boswell Street, London: David Fulton Publishers.

Cornett, C.E. (2011). Creating Meaning Through Literature and the Arts. (4th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Crumpler, T., & Schneider, J. J. (2002). Writing with their whole being: A cross study analysis of children's writing from five classrooms using process drama." Research in Drama Education", 7(1), 61-79.

Davis, S. (2005). Cyberdrama and Forms of Youth Engagement. Retrieved from, http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16225/1/Susan_Davis_Thesis.pdf, September, 2011.

Davis, S. (2007). Drama, Engagement and Creativity. Retrieved from, www.inter-disciplinary.net/ati/education/cp/ce3/ Davis %20paper.pdf , August, 2011.

Dowdy, J.K. & Kaplan, S. (2011). Teaching Drama in the Classroom: a toolbox for teachers. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

Greenhalgh, T., Taylor, R. (1997)How to read a paper: papers that go beyond numbers (qualitative research).British Medical Journal; 315: 7110, 740-743.

Maley, A. and Duff, A., (2005) Drama Techniques: A resource book of communication activities for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

McMaster, J.C (1998). “Doing” Literature: Using Drama to Build Literacy. The Reading Teacher, 51, 574-584.

Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass Publishers.

Miller, C. & Saxton, J. (2009). Drama: bridging the conversations between our inner selves and the outside world. Retrieved from, www.englishliteracyconference.com.au/.../SaxtonMiller-Keynote.doc, August, 2011.

Moore, M.M. (2004). Using Drama as an Effective Method to Teach Elementary Students. Senior Honors Theses, Paper 113. Retrieved from, http://commons.emich.edu/honors/113/, August, 2011.

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http://commons.emich.edu/honors/113/

http://www.englishliteracyconference.com.au/.../SaxtonMiller-Keynote.doc

http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/ati/education/cp/ce3/Davis%20paper.pdf

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16225/1/Susan_Davis_Thesis.pdf

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0325001219/qid=1007450330/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_8_1/104-2810512-0844718

http://dspace.mah.se/handle/2043/7584


Via, 1987 - Via, R. (1987). “The magic if” of theater: enhancing language learning through drama. In W. M. Rivers (Ed.), Interactive Language Teaching (pp. 110-123). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Wagner, 2003 - Wagner, B. J. (2003). Imaginative expression. In J. Flood, P. Lapp, J. R. Squire, & J. M. Jensen (Eds.), Handbook of research on teaching the English language arts (2nd ed., pp. 1008-1025). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Wagner, B.J. (1998). Educational Drama and Language Arts. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Wilburn, D., (1992) Learning Through Drama in the immersion classroom; in E. Bernhardt (ed), life in language immersion classrooms. Multilingual Matters. Bristol.

Winston, J. (2004). Drama and English at the Heart of the Curriculum. Chiswick High Road, London: David Fulton Publishers.

Young-Joo, B, (2005). Developing Communicative Competence through Drama-oriented Activities in an EFL Classroom. Retrieved from, www.paaljapan.org/resources/proceedings/PAAL8/pdf/pdf003.pdf, August, 2011.

Zyoud, M. (2010). Using Drama Activities and Techniques to Foster Teaching English as a Foreign Language: a theoretical perspective. Retrieved from, http://www.qou.edu/english/conferences/firstNationalConference/pdfFiles/muntherZyoud.pdf, August, 2011.

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http://www.qou.edu/english/conferences/firstNationalConference/pdfFiles/muntherZyoud.pdf

http://www.paaljapan.org/resources/proceedings/PAAL8/pdf/pdf003.pdf


APPENDIX ASequence of Lessons

LESSON 1

TEXT: Imagine by Alison Lester

1. Read text to class.

2. Discussion; vocabulary building (powerful verbs).

3. Virtual field trip (detailed sensory adventure read out).

4. Brainstorming/sharing details on feelings, thoughts and sensations.

5. Writing in role as a jungle explorer.

LESSON 2

TEXT: Rosie Sips Spiders by Alison Lester

1. Read text to class.

2. Discuss story structure, characters, roles.

3. Look at summary table of all characters – students come up with own categories for a new table (e.g. fear, superpower, game…).

4. Students break up into their ‘expert’ groups of three, brainstorm and fill in the table according to what they know about their character.

5. Share as a class – fill in table on whiteboard.

LESSON 3


1. Reread picture book, talk about characters again.

2. Revise in their expert groups their character.

3. Brainstorm what their character would do in given scenarios.

4. All students leave expert groups and form a new group, where they represent their new character.

5. Improvise (in role) in their given scenario – stuck in an elevator.

6. Regroup, discuss what went well and what could’ve been better. One group presents their improvisation to the rest of the class.

7. Students improve (in role) in another given scenario – stranded on an island.

8. Students reflect in writing their thoughts and feelings on the activity.

LESSON 4


1. Brief revisit of picture book again to look closely at characters and how they are constructed and presented.

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2. Class agrees on categories to write on about their own invented character (e.g. pets, fear, toy, food etc.).

3. On a blank A3 piece of paper, students create a mind map or flow chart of their own character.

4. Students must use the sentence constructions found in the picture book (e.g. Markus enjoys playing with a Frisbee…) to guide their writing.

5. Students share their character with a partner, then class comes together and few students are selected to present their character to the rest of the class.

LESSON 5 & 6


1. Class presented with a ‘Process’ chart where they look carefully at the stages/procedure that they’d need to create a book and put on a performance (Role – order – rehearsing – performance).

2. Students break off into groups of 5, and each student is assigned a role (Manager – Editor – Publisher – Designer – Illustrator). As a class, thorough discussion on what each role involves.

3. Students put their characters and writing together in a plan first. Designers and editors required most at this stage.

4. Students move onto typing up their stories on the computer, while illustrators begin drawing front cover. Managers oversee that everybody has something to work on and provides assistance when needed.

5. Picture story book printed.

LESSON 7


1. Students discuss performance aspects – organisation, props, what can be acted out or said.

2. Rehearsal for the rest of the lesson.

LESSON 8


1. Last minute rehearsals.

2. Class gather to the front. Space created for movement.

3. Each group comes up at time, teacher reads out their story.

4. Students, ‘as’ their character, come out to the front when their character is mentioned and acts out their role. Speaking is optional, but mime/acting is a must.

5. Class reflection/discussion.

6. Students fill out survey/questionnaire.

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APPENDIX BSample Observatory/Reflective Notes

13th October --- Thursday. Period 1 & 2: Literacy Lessons.*On demand testing first.

TEXT: Imagine by Alison Lester6. Read text7. Discussion --- vocabulary building8. Virtual field trip9. Brainstorming/Sharing10. Writing in role

Jess had a lot of trouble with the netbooks/internet connection, so because of the delay with on demand testing, was behind schedule (30 minutes). This lesson was planned for two lessons (1 hour per lesson). Felt slightly rushed, but still, a good lesson overall. First time for both students and me working with drama (students have done a bit of performing before, but that’s about it).

- Time to studying each of the pages in this picture book had to be cut down a little.

- Reading of the text, discussion and vocabulary work went by well, most of the students were focused and engaged. When asked to act out the verbs on each page, several students were too shy and giggly. Expectedly, the more outgoing (‘theatrical’, as Jess puts it) students flung their hands up in the air every time, eager to act out every verb. At the end of the reading when I randomly called out verbs and the whole class had to act it out, the shyer students could participate more liberally. There was one or two I noticed who looked particularly reluctant to participate.

- Virtual field trip went well. Students were animated and seemed excited when they were told they had to lie down on the ground. Took longer than expected to get them to close their eyes while I read out the field trip. Perhaps I should’ve given clearer instructions at the start about how I wanted students to tell me what they were feeling/thinking/seeing when I tapped them on the shoulder. After I finished with reading out the field trip and I went around to tap a few students on the shoulder, they gave limited answers (e.g. I’m drinking water … I felt cool --- I see a tiger…; one even shrugged her shoulders and that was it) as the last thing in the virtual field trip was the mention of drinking water…). I felt quite a bit of hesitation and uncertainty from several of the students whose shoulders I tapped. Perhaps the novelty of the drama activity and natural inhibition of some of the students were factors. I do think I might need to be more explicit and give more examples before starting on such a task next time.

- Students responded well to writing task. After having brainstormed words/phrases to do with the senses and the jungle setting on the interactive whiteboard, students went back to seats and started on their descriptive writing. They had the option of writing a letter, or a poem or a song, as long as they attempted to describe the jungle. I definitely should’ve made a bigger deal out of

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the fact that they were jungle explorers – I mentioned it, and the virtual trip reinforced it, but none of them really showed signs of being ‘in role’ as a jungle explorer, though many were eager to write, knowing the purpose of their writing was to gift Ms. Carter (who was ‘ill’ and couldn’t come along on the expedition) with a description of exactly what they saw and felt so as to transport her to that world. Perhaps a concrete prop, like an ID badge or something, would’ve made the experience that little more tangible. I think creating a soundscape/tableau would’ve been a lot more helpful too. I had to consider time restraints though.

- Informal interviews with selected 4 students were good – had a range of opinions on what they thought about the tasks.

17th October --- Monday. Period 1 & 2: Literacy Lessons.

TEXT: Rosie Sips Spiders by Alison Lester9. Reread picture book, talk about characters again10. Revise in their expert groups their character11. Brainstorm what their character would do in given scenarios12. All students leave expert groups and get into a new group, where they represent

their new character13. Improvise (in role) in their given scenario

Jess took on the drama lessons for the rest of this week. She wanted to try her hand at it and it gave me the opportunity to sit back, observe and take notes. Make sure students brainstorm on their characters to enough to feel comfortable getting into role.

- Share in the way of a written response.- Have to be very explicit with instructions! Give examples of characters in

different contexts, how they react (stranded island example – Who is going to say: “Oh my gosh, I’m not going to get my hands dirty!”; who’s going to be able to hunt, build shelter, navigate the island etc.) and who they get along with. Why? I feel that this part of the lesson should’ve been extended to better equip the students and get them really familiarised.

- During the improvs, a lot of students were mucking around. Some were too shy and just stood aside (even though it seemed like they wanted to talk, they were quickly overwhelmed by the more outspoken students, or those who happened to be with friends and could be loud and feisty without hesitation).

- However, one group in particular had direction (they all cooperated and created certain conflicts they then attempted to overcome, in role). Jess stopped the class and had them all come to the front of the classroom, where she asked this group to perform in front of the others so they had a better idea. Talked about what they were doing right – listening, taking turns, being creative with their conflict. Although one problem arose here: students had a bit of a hard time staying IN character. At first, everyone is enthused about their character and acting in role, but after a while they all just appear to be themselves and forget to uphold their special personas. Perhaps having name tags or a prop or something here may have validated their roles a little more and served as reminders for them to be in role.

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- Stranded Island scenario (2nd scenario). Having already done a scenario just before, this time around, students seemed a lot more directed. One of the groups who had been a little disjointed in the first scenario, worked together this time. They quickly took out chairs and built themselves a make-believe aeroplane. While sitting in the plane, they heatedly talk about the situation and what should happen. Their communication is more cooperative, and not as many voices overlapping each other.

- As their improvisation continues though, it’s obvious that things begin to deteriorate again. Friends go off in groups, too many voices going on now – it’s chaotic once again. They’re enthusiastic, but not focused. Many of them have slipped out of role too and say/suggest things that they would do, not the character they’re supposed to be playing.

- One student says: I’m not going to get my hands dirty (in role), but nobody else in her group notices or responds. Even when their character is not equipped to be an expert/leader, some of the students take charge (S, who displays leadership qualities on a regular basis) and directs everything. N is bored and rocking in her chair – not involved. K, who needs to be characterising Ernie (wildlife expert), should be leading the group, but instead she hangs behind and says nothing. Perhaps instructions should’ve involved more specific goals – each character should contribute somehow and should be the focus of the improvisation at one point, as an example.

- Reflections: Jess asks – what are the sorts of things we could reflect on?- When asked if they liked the drama activity, most students raised their hand.

Quite a few raised hands too when they were asked if they wanted a script to follow, since it more often than not became overly noisy/uncontrolled. Structure was definitely needed here, as well as specific objectives to perhaps try to meet, which would’ve controlled and directed the improvisation even more so. Maybe smaller groups would’ve helped too, as with big groups it’s easy to get left behind.

- However all students seemed pretty enthusiastic about it. I think it’s really important that students receive explicit instructions and lots of suggestions that get their thinking flowing. They need the direction. Free improvisation may be a bit much for them at this point.

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APPENDIX CInterview (leave blank).

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APPENDIX DSample Survey/Questionnaire Responses

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APPENDIX ESample Student Reflections

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APPENDIX FSample ‘In Role’ Writing

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[Drama Research Project] - Essay!!

Documents

drama research project

perceptions of drama

research study

author study unit introduction

students brains work

qualitative case study

student reflections

productbased learning