Do drama activities based on Gospel stories affect aspired moral identity? Evaluation of the Impact of an Intervention in a Secondary School Classroom

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of drama activities based on Gospel stories on the aspired moral identity of secondary school students. Seventy 13-year-old students at a gymnasium in Nicosia, divided into an experimental and a control group, were taught the same four Gospel stories, but only the intervention group participated in drama activities. The experimental group students wrote down their impressions in a small text. All the participants took “The Value Clarity Questionnaire” (VCQ) to measure the results before and after the study. The experimental group’s pre-test VCQ score was significantly higher than the control group’s, while both groups’ post-test scores showed significant improvement. Interestingly, the control group also benefited from teaching Gospel stories and improved in areas with lower scores than the experimental group before the study. Most students found drama activities more engaging and effective in encouraging them to reflect on their values and identify the person they want to be. The findings suggest that drama activities based on Gospel stories can positively impact students’ value clarity. This is important because value clarity is linked to a life consistent with one’s values, well-being, and improved self-esteem. This small study could be expanded and contribute to a greater understanding of how drama activities in religious education classes can assist students in forming their aspired moral identity.