A scoping review on applied drama methods used in social work education

Abstract

This article presents the findings from a scoping review on the occurrence of applied drama used in social work education. Evidence from the last decade has highlighted the efficacy and use of simulation-based learning and role-play in social work education to prepare students for practice, but less is known regarding applied drama methods. The review focused on identifying the use of applied drama and interdisciplinary learning that exists in social work education. There were fifty-three articles retrieved and forty-eight papers in total included in the review but only nine used applied drama techniques and five of which evaluated or specified the use of theatre of the oppressed. This paper will focus on the methods and findings of the application of drama in social work education, as this area has had less attention than simulation-based learning and role-play methods, which the other thirty-nine articles reviewed addressed. This paper only focuses on the findings relating to applied drama methods and the small but burgeoning interest in the use of theatre of the oppressed approaches developed by Augusto Boal in the 1970s. The review identifies a gap in current research on the use of applied drama and how it might potentially enable further development of skills and competence for social work students.