“In what ways does drama-based instruction support learning for elementary and middle school students?”
“According to phenomenology, it is the interactions between the students’ individual construction of experiences and those experiences created through the inter-subjective interactions that construct the students’ collective understanding…” (Sæbø, 2011, p. 25). Drama is a social experience; therefore, using drama-based instruction provides space to form a larger collective understanding.
In my literature class, I learned about constructivism – an individual will create meaning in a way that makes sense to them. I also learned about social constructivism which echoes the aforementioned idea, but adds, that the ‘meaning’ will be created through a social process. Learning must hold meaning for students or else learning becomes shallow and superficial. Drama supports both an individual and a shared learning process, thus, allowing students to reach a deeper understanding of the topic of discussion. Young learners can expand their knowledge within the context of a group of people with the same experience offered from numerous perspectives; therefore, the foundation of the individual’s understanding is greater than their single experience alone.
In my own experiences, specifically from drama workshops, I notice that my understanding of a story drama is greater when I am able to discuss within a group. As my group members share their experiences and we begin to cultivate a collective understanding I recognize areas where my understanding may have been lacking or where my understanding differs from others.
Word Count: 226
Collective (5) Blog Posts: 1245
Resources:
Sæbø, A.B. (2011). The Relationship Between The Individual and the Collective Learning Process In Drama. In Key Concepts in Theatre/Drama Education. (pp. 23-27). SensePublishers.
