The common Drama Club of the 5th Lyceum (Senior High School) and the 7th Gymnasium (Junior High School) of Kavala, Greece, participated in an innovative project aiming to motivate students to practice English through alternative and fresh Applied Drama practices.
For this reason, research has been conducted, whose results are depicted in the blog's pages, along with material used, aiming for similar practices to be exercised and Drama benefits recognized in educational milieus.
Abstract
The current dissertation is based on an action
research and case study scheme performed in two Greek schools of Secondary
Education, namely the 7th Gymnasium and 5th Lyceum of Kavala, with the purpose
of investigating how students’ motivation to learn English may be enhanced and
linguistic skills practiced through Theater and Drama practices. In this
context, the Greek educational context is presented and motivational parameters
influencing Foreign Language Learning of adolescents are explained. Special
focus is given to motivation through Applied Drama projects in schools and,
thus, the practices of Drama in Education (DIE) and Theater in Education (TIE) are
theoretically portrayed.
The entire study involves the process of
upstaging a musical in the English language, namely the preparatory stage, the
rehearsals and the performances, along with an innovative teaching-via-theater
scheme, exercised by the stakeholders involved. Hence, a combination of process
and product-oriented practices are utilized to achieve maximum results
concerning motivation and practice of linguistic skills of the participating
students.
The research conducted is grounded on three research
questions which examine: i ) the emotions instilled in EFL students during the
process, ii) the extent to which the project may influence students’ motivation
and language practice and iii) the potential benefits gained. This study is an
outcome of methodological triangulation, incorporating both qualitative and
quantitative research methods. As such, the educator’s personal log,
interviews, videos throughout the process and recorded conversations in social media
platforms enabled qualitative extraction of findings, whereas observations from
colleagues, and answers to questionnaires provided to the students/actors and
the audience of all TIE-DIE phases enriched quantitative analysis of the
provided data.
As will be exhibited in the dissertation, language
skills concerning learning English have been practiced, students’ motivational
stance has been enhanced owing to a plethora of positive emotions experienced
in the process and a positive attitude towards Drama practices in an educational context
has been developed. However, owing to the fact that this study is only a
limited investigation of this crucial topic of research, the researcher fervently
suggests that similar inquiries should take place in Greek schools, with the
aim of recording further results and potentially incorporating such practices
in the school curricula.
Keywords: Applied Drama, Secondary
Education, Motivation in EFL, Emotions
