How a dialogic space can impact children’s creativity and mood valence in Drama Pedagogy Training: Study with a French 4th grade sample

Abstract

Drama Pedagogy Training (DPT) is a kind of training based on an active educational methodology called Drama Pedagogy. It is mostly based on collaborative drama games and techniques, similar to what is commonly found in literature as creative drama as the objective is neither artistic nor academic. As an active pedagogy, participants co-construct their learning through participative dialogue, reasoning together about the learning experiences that are presented as collaborative dramatic games, thus favouring creativity and creating an active learning and teaching practice. In order to prove the effectiveness of DPT on French children’s creativity, we conducted a study on 55 4th grade children (m = 9.9; SD = 0.3) from two public and a private school. Children were randomly assigned to a DPT, either to an active control group and were measured on divergent and convergent thinking through EPoC in pre-test (T1), post-test (T2) and follow-up (T3) times of measurement. Mood valence was assessed through SAM scale at the beginning and the end of each session. Results showed a significant increase of creativity for the DPT group on divergent (t = 4.56; p < .000) and convergent thinking (t = 2.96; p < .004) measures on T2. Moreover, T3 showed significant differences on divergent thinking scores (t = 2.97; p < .005), nevertheless no statistical differences were found for convergent thinking scores. ANOVA analyses were made to see the impact effect of the training on creativity and mood valence. DPT enhances creativity and mood in French 4th grade school children.