Learning through drama : an active approach to learning

Abstract

The main aim of this dissertation is to show how introducing drama in academic subjects can benefit pupils and develop both their academic skills and the whole child. The project consisted of the researcher delivering traditional and play-way lessons to two classes of year 3 pupils. The class teacher was always present during the lessons to act as an observer. Both teachers and pupils were interviewed after the lessons were delivered. The pupils selected for the interview were chosen randomly to ensure fair testing. The Literature Review outlines the ideas of some philosophers and drama pioneers: Peter Slade and Dorothy Heathcote. They believed play was of utmost importance to the children and highlighted certain benefits. The Methodology chapter addresses how the researcher went about obtaining data and how this data was recorded. In the Results chapter, one can find the results gathered throughout this project described in detail. The Analysis chapter comprises the different themes that recurred during the interviews. In the Conclusion, the researcher shows the positive impact this project had on the pupils and the benefits acquired by implementing play-way.