Theories in Drama Education

So far on my blog I have discussed five drama strategies that teachers can implement in both primary and junior grades cross-curricularly. Although there are various other drama strategies and techniques teachers may want to study and use, I thought it would be helpful to address some of the theories associated in drama education so that teachers understand the various ways that students learn and how they can teach the drama strategies listed below in an effective manner so that students comprehend and are taking away valuable knowledge from their experiences in the classroom.

Learner’s Theory:

The Learner’s Theory refers to how information is absorbed, processed, and retained in the learning process. The traditional method of teaching requires students to listen, record and recall information on a test. However, this theory provides evidence that students who engage in that type of rote learning do not retain information for large periods of time. Instead, the students who are engaged with material, challenge and discuss important concepts, actively participate in lessons and have an opportunity to teach their peers actually remember more than their peers who do not. This is extremely important in the teaching profession because incorporating drama strategies into various lessons encourages students to actively participate in constructing their knowledge by recognizing that learning is a process and is built by a community of learners. Moreover, engaging students in learning through use of various drama strategies can also incorporate a diverse range of multiple intelligences into lessons, helping all students in feeling included. The Learner’s Theory not only assists in meeting students’ cognitive needs, but enhances their ability to remember information gained from their experiences in the classroom.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs focuses on the motivation levels of students to engage in the learning process based on their levels of needs being met. This theory emphasizes the importance of meeting students’ basic needs as a foundation for learning. Meeting students’ basic needs is a critical component for education. As a teacher, it is important that we ensure all of our students have adequate water, food, sleep, clothing and shelter and this demonstrates to students that as a teacher, you are reliable, care for them, and provide them with the chances they need to succeed. Therefore, it is imperative to really get to know your students, their desires, strengths and weaknesses, and needs. Another important aspect of this theory in relation to teaching is developing an environment that is safe, with guidelines, schedules and routines that allow students to feel secure in their learning environment. When students feel safe and secure, they often feel as though they belong in this welcoming environment and will be motivated to learn and grow as a classroom community. When students feel a sense of community, they often have the opportunity to develop a strong sense of self-esteem and confidence in their abilities as teachers and other classmates are there to support them and acknowledge and showcase students’ individual achievements and talents. When students are given the opportunity to engage in authentic learning and have choice in their education, they will be much more likely to develop an ownership over their learning, be more engaged with the overall learning process, and experience increased motivation to continue growing and learning. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory states that if there is a deficiency in any of the lower levels of basic needs, then students may lack the ability to progress through the hierarchy. The basic needs form the foundation for learning,; so, if a step is missed, students will most likely be unable to progress in their learning to meet their higher-level needs including developing a strong sense of self-esteem, cognitive stamina and self-actualization. Therefore, in a classroom it is critical for teachers to create an atmosphere in which all students’ needs are being met to ensure their students have the ability and opportunity to progress through the learning process. 

Corridor of Voices

The Corridor of Voices or Voice Alley strategy focuses on the exploration of characters’ inner thoughts and feelings. This strategy involves a student/character walking through a pathway between two lines made up of other students. While this student/character is walking through the pathway, the other students verbally express their own thoughts, advice, emotions, and moral concerns about a particular topic, issue, or experience that the character is going through or involved in. This strategy is used to focus on the character who is facing a difficult decision, dilemma, or situation. The voices on the outside may first present the negative side of a situation and how the character might feel, and then with the same issue, present the positive side. Teachers may or may not wish to have the student/character make a final decision after passing through the corridor of voices and explain why they selected this decision (e.g. what influenced them). 

This strategy can be integrated across various subjects such as language arts, social studies, history, and science. For example, the teacher may read a book with the class, show a video, etc. (related to any academic subject) where a character is presented with a dilemma or difficult situation. Students will then have to put themselves in the position of this character and think about what they would do and voice their thoughts to the student selected to walk through the corridor. This really enables students to think about their emotions and thoughts and builds on their ability to take on the perspective of others. Furthermore, it allows them to bring in knowledge about this particular area of study and use it to help guide them in making an informed decision, for example. Teachers may also use this strategy to help students build on their previous knowledge of social justice issues such as bullying, homelessness, and disability. Students would then have to demonstrate how society might treat these individuals in different situations or even in different parts of the world (e.g. how a bully might treat a victim à how the victim might feel). As a class, the teacher might have them do additional activities where students are required to analyze opposing views surrounding different topics and apply their knowledge through various other drama techniques such as hot seating or news reporting.

News Reporting

News Reporting is a drama technique whereby one or more performers speak about events that have occurred in a text. It is a very accessible and familiar drama form for young students. News reporting enables students to explore both sides of an issue and focus on the different points of view contained in any event. Teachers can also expand on this strategy for junior grades and use it to explore how events can be biased or distorted by the media. News reporting is a great strategy for students to not only improve on their communication skills, but simultaneously allows them to practice creativity. 

There are many ways teachers can use news reporting both in primary and junior grades. For example, in the primary classroom, a teacher might read a storybook to the class as a read-aloud and then have students news report on different events throughout the book in small groups. Different students will be playing different roles and this can really help students in understanding point of view and the perspectives or thoughts/feelings of various characters in different situations. This strategy can easily be incorporated into various academic subjects such as history, social studies, science, language arts, and media literacy. For example, in a junior classroom, teachers may be studying current events with students and have students select one of interest to them, either individually or in groups. Students will then present the information they found on this topic and act it out as an actual news report airing on TV and discuss various characters involved in the event and their point of view. This can also be adapted to social studies and history where students study historical events and present them as a news report. Furthermore, students can use this in language arts by studying fictional characters and events in stories and in science by discussing new discoveries or information about earth, for example. If students do not feel comfortable presenting to the class as themselves, they could also use puppets and hide behind a table covered with blankets or have permission to have their script with them on stage.

News reporting is an excellent strategy to use across subjects as it is engaging for students and promotes knowledge and deeper understandings of the topics being studied. Additionally, news reporting allows students to think critically, be creative, and can even allow them to be humorous and have fun throughout the entire process.

Hot Seating

Hot Seating is a strategy in which a character or characters, played by the teacher or a student, are interviewed by the rest of the group. This activity invites students to recount a specific event, explore motivation and multiple perspectives/experiences related to a theme, topic, event, character or idea. The traditional approach for using hot seating is for the student playing the character to sit on a chair in front of the class which is arranged in a semi-circle and the class will then ask the student different questions about their character, role in certain events, how they are feeling, why they did something, etc. Because this strategy puts students on the spot, which not a lot of students may be comfortable with, teachers can modify it by having students hot seat in pairs or small groups. This way, students can represent different roles or a group of characters together (e.g. two people involved in a car crash or a group of protestors or refugees). 

Hot seating is a great strategy that teachers can use cross-curricularly to demonstrate and study certain characters in history or in books, events, topics, or themes. For example, students in the junior grades may study social studies and important people in history. They could then do research on a significant character related to a topic studied in class and then engage in a hot-seating activity with the other students to help them learn more about this person. Furthermore, students in older grades can pair up and find individuals with opposing views, each student studies their character, and then they can engage in hot seating together in the form of a debate. 

Hot seating is a great way for all students to build on their critical thinking, questioning, and communication skills. An important thing to remember about hot seating is to not focus as much on the facts, but to rather concentrate on personal feelings or observations noted.

Tableaux/Still Image

In a tableaux, students make still images with their bodies to represent a scene. A tableaux can be used to quickly establish a scene that involves a large number of characters. Because there is no movement, a tableaux is easier to manage than a whole-group improvisation – yet can easily lead into extended drama activities. It can be used to explore a particular moment in a story/production or to replicate a photograph or artwork for deeper analysis. This strategy can be used in many different subject areas. One way a teacher might use tableaux is to ask students to strike a silent, motionless pose to show how they feel about certain characters or events in a story that the class has read. Teachers can also modify this activity for older students by having students create a tableaux in small groups of what they thought was the most important event in a chapter book that they are studying as a class. This strategy requires students to be conscious of body language, facial expressions and proximity between characters to understand the situation or scene. It also enables students that are less likely to verbally communicate their thoughts in front of a class to create meaning and tell a story.  

Here is a great video that provides greater detail of what a tableaux is and how teachers can implement this strategy in the classroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlxw9qflKxk