The effects of creative drama on student teachers’ creative pedagogy and identity

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of creative drama on student teachers’ creative pedagogy and identity construction. 15 student teachers were observed teaching prior to and following an intensive 30-h creative drama workshop which was designed based on Heathcote’s (1984) understanding of drama in education in order to cultivate creative pedagogy and ‘character’ building. The student teachers’ performance was video recorded to be evaluated by three raters using an observation scheme. In addition to the observations, participant-driven data were collected through reflective diaries and focus group interviews. The results showed improvement in pedagogical skills as well as increased awareness in shaping personal and professional identities. Because of their involvement in numerous drama activities, the participants particularly improved their creativity, spontaneous decision-making, and their use of body language. As a result, we proposed the Funnel Model for teacher education programs and discussed a teaching as a performing art approach with a teacher as a drama leader role.