Drama for Schools: teacher change in an applied theatre professional development model

Applied theatre often draws upon critical pedagogy and constructivist methodology as a way to bring participants into direct engagement with their own learning experiences. As learners, adults bring a wealth of perspectives that further affect how they interact with an applied theatre experience. Drama for Schools (DFS) is a professional development programme that partners graduate students and academics with teachers in elementary and secondary education. DFS hopes to shift the learning culture of classrooms through the use of drama-based instructional methods (e. g. interactive games, improvisation, and role playing). This article investigates how DFS facilitated change in (1) teacher identity; (2) pedagogy; and (3) teacher perceptions of their students. Data sources in this study included monthly written reflections and focus groups by DFS participants. Results varied across the research. Teacher's did not appear to change their views substantively over the course of the year. However, instructional strategies shifted in distinct ways, often reflecting the critical pedagogical nature of the drama-based strategies. Furthermore, teachers reported that DFS strategies facilitated risk-taking by all members of the classroom. As a result, the roles of teacher and learner in the classroom became more fluid during drama-based instruction. Implications for this work include a discussion of how DFS, as an applied theatre professional development model, is a vehicle for potential positive change in the learning culture of classrooms.