Drama strategies for outcomes-based learning in the poetry classroom

Abstract

English: The implementation of outcomes-based education (OBE) in South Africa left a number of teachers feeling disadvantaged in terms of the knowledge and skills needed to pursue the ideals of the educational system. English teachers from Bloemfontein revealed the need for expanded opportunities to support the existing teaching approaches, particularly in the poetry classroom. It was claimed that pressure to 'cover' the curriculum together with time constraints and excessive workloads has led to a lack of teacher creativity. As a result, cases of learner boredom, indifference and an aversion to the subject were observed. This issue was addressed by investigating the connection between OBE and drama-in-education (DIE) and it was found that the two approaches have a number of features in common. Two Grade 10 English Home Language and two Grade 10 English First Additional Language teachers were recruited, by means of semi-random sampling, from two different schools in Bloemfontein. One teacher from each school was placed into the Control Group and the other into the Experimental Group. Teachers were subjected to a seven-month empirical study consisting of three phases, namely pre-intervention (Phase I), intervention (Phase 2) and post-intervention (Phase 3). During Phase I, the researcher conducted a situation analysis to identify the existing teaching methods in use in four Grade 10 English poetry classrooms, as well as the attitudes/perceptions of the teachers and learners to these and drama methods. The data (gathered through interviews, questionnaires and classroom observations) showed the use of traditional and OBE methods. While some of the teachers demonstrated a positive attitude to the existing teaching methods in use, others revealed that they either had a neutral attitude to these methods (due to a lack of knowledge with regard to alternative methods) or that they felt ambiguous about using them. Learner responses indicated that they were indifferent to these approaches, but that they had an overall preference for OBE methods. By contrast, all four teachers, as well as the majority of their learners, demonstrated a positive attitude to the hypothetical use of drama strategies in the poetry classroom. During Phase 2, the teachers in the Experimental Group were provided with a short training course on the implementation of drama strategies in the poetry classroom (the Control Group did not undergo training). The data, gathered through questionnaires and focus group discussions, confirmed the positive attitude of the teachers to the use of drama strategies, while revealing a sense of determination to implement these methods in their lessons. Phase 3 aimed to establish which drama methods had been employed by the teachers in the Experimental Group, which methods they found most useful, what their and their learners' attitudes/perceptions were to these methods, and the overall success of the lessons. The data showed that the teachers and the majority of their learners felt positive towards the use of drama methods and that the teachers found sound-tracking, examining archival materials, role-play, small-group drama, interviewing, and discussion-in-role to be the most effective drama strategies. Furthermore, the lessons proved successful since the learners demonstrated higher levels of cognitive, emotional and physical engagement with the poems under investigation. In addition, the researcher found that there had been a dramatic shift from learner indifference/boredom in the poetry classroom to learner enjoyment as a result of these methods. Another objective was to compare the trends between the Control and Experimental Groups in terms of their perceptions/attitudes to the use of drama strategies, especially after the exposure of the latter group to these methods. Finally, a statistical analysis of the results at the end of Phase 3 proved that both groups had made equal progress throughout the study and that the intervention had made no difference to the results of the learners in the Experimental Group. By contrast, the qualitative analysis showed that the learners in the Experimental Group demonstrated higher levels of engagement with the poems, improved levels of enjoyment and a decrease in boredom, indifference and aversion to the subject.

Afrikaans: Die implementering van uitkoms-gebaseerde onderwys (UGO) in Suid-Afrika het 'n aantal onderwysers laat voel dat hulle benadeel word in terme van die kennis en vaardighede wat hulle nodig het om die ideale van die opvoedkundestelsel na te streef. Engelse taalonderwysers in Bloemfontein het die behoefte getoon vir uitgebreide geleenthede om die huidige benaderings tot onderwys uit te brei, veral in die poësieklaskamer. Daar is gesê dat druk om die kurrikulum 'te dek', tesame met tydsbeperkings en oormatige werkslading, gelei het tot 'n tekort aan kreatiwiteit onder onderwysers. Gevolglik is gevalle waargeneem waar leerders verveeldheid, onbelangstellendheid en 'n aversie aan die vak toon. Hierdie kwessie is aangespreek deur die verband tussen UGO en drama-in-onderwys (OIO) te ondersoek en daar is gevind dat die twee benaderings 'n aantal kenmerke in gemeen het. Twee Graad IOonderwysers in Engels Huistaal en twee Graad IOonderwysers in Engels Eerste Addisionele Taal was deur middel van semi-lukrake steekproefneming uit twee Bloemfontein skole gewerf. Een onderwyser van elke skool was in die Kontrolegroep geplaas en die ander in the Eksperimentele Groep. Onderwysers het deelgeneem aan 'n sewe-maande empiriese studie wat uit drie fases bestaan het, naamlik pre-intervensie (Fase I), intervensie (Fase 2) en post-intervensie (Fase 3). Gedurende Fase I het die navorser 'n situasie-analise uitgevoer om die huidige onderwysmetodes wat in vier Graad 10 Engelse poësieklaskamers gebruik is te identifiseer, asook die houdings/persepsies van onderwysers en leerders teenoor hierdie metodes en dramametodes. Die data (wat deur onderhoude, vraelyste en klaskamerwaarneming ingesamel is) toon die gebruik van tradisionele en UGO metodes. Terwyl sommige onderwysers 'n positiewe houding teenoor die bestaande onderwysmetodes getoon het, het ander onderwysers 'n neutrale houding getoon (a.g.v. 'n tekort aan kennis van alternatiewe metodes) of hulle het onseker gevoeloor die metodes se gebruik. Die leerders se response dui daarop dat hulle ongeërg voeloor hierdie benaderings, maar dat hulle wel 'n algehele voorkeur vir UGO metodes gehad het. By wyse van kontras het al vier onderwysers, asook die meerderheid van die leerders, 'n positiewe houding teenoor die hipotetiese gebruik van dramastrategieë in die poësieklaskamer getoon. In die verloop van Fase 2 is die onderwysers in die Eksperimentele Groep van 'n kort onderrigkursus oor die implementering van dramastrategieë in die poësieklaskamer verskaf (die Kontrolegroep het nie onderrig ondergaan nie). Die data, wat ingesamel is deur vraelyste en fokusgroepbesprekings, het die onderwysers se positiewe houding teenoor die gebruik van dramastrategieë bevestig en het 'n gevoel van vasberadenheid om hierdie metodes in hulle eie lesse te implementeer aangedui. Fase 3 het onderneem om vas te stel watter dramametodes deur die onderwysers in die Eksperimentele Groep gebruik is, watter metodes hulle die nuttigste gevind het, wat hulle leerders se houdings/persepsies van hierdie metodes was, en die algehele sukses van die lesse. Die data het getoon dat die onderwysers en die meerderheid van hulle leerders positief gevoel het teenoor die gebruik van dramametodes en dat onderwysers gevind het dat klanknavolging, ondersoek van argiefmateriaal, rolspel, kleingroepdrama, onderhoudvoering en in-rol bespreking die doeltreffendste dramastrategieë was. Verder was die lesse suksesvol, aangesien die leerders hoër vlakke van kognitiewe, emosionele en fisiese betrokkenheid by die gedigte wat ondersoek is, getoon het. Die navorser het ook gevind dat 'n dramatiese skuif onder leerders plaasgevind het; leerders was aanvanklik ongeërg of verveeld, maar het genot in die klaskamer begin ervaar weens hierdie metodes. 'n Ander doelstelling was om die neigings wat te voorskyn gekom het tussen die Kontrole- en die Eksperimentele Groepe, in terme van hulle houdings/persepsies teenoor die gebruik van dramastrategieë, te vergelyk, veral nadat die laasgenoemde groep aan hierdie metodes blootgestel is. Laastens het 'n statistiese analise van die resultate aan die einde van Fase 3 bewys dat albei groepe gelyke vordering deur die loop van die studie gemaak het en dat die intervensie geen verskil in die resultate van die leerders in die Eksperimentele Groep gemaak het nie. By wyse van kontras het die kwalitatiewe analise daarop gewys dat die leerders uit die Eksperimentele Groep hoër vlakke van betrokkenheid by die gedigte getoon het, sowel as meer genot en 'n vermindering in vlakke van verveeldheid, ongeërgdheid en aversie tot die vak.