Process vs Product Drama in Education - Essay Example

s Product vs. Process Drama in Education 04 April Product vs. Process Drama in Education CHAPTER ONE: Review of the Background Literature Aims of the Open Study: The purpose of this thesis of open study is to research and answer the following research question: “What is meant by ‘product vs. product drama in education”? and “How was it interpreted by drama practitioners”? In designing and constructing a component for ‘Review of Background Literature’ for the essay or thesis entitled “Product vs. Process Drama in Education”, four diverse perspectives were taken into account. Descriptions of the intellectual, aesthetically creative, cognitively imaginative and historical perspectives of educational drama practitioners and theorists/authors were researched, analyzed and interpreted in such a method that a perspective of reflexivity resulted – qualitative in nature and design. When defining the ‘Product vs. Process Drama in Education’ concept, a historical perspective was demonstrated in the literary work of Gustave J. Weltsek-Medina, Ph.D., Adam Blatner, MD and Daniel Weiner, Ph.D. “Interactive and Improvisational Drama: Varieties of Applied Theatre and Performance (2008)”… When one engages in Process Drama, the potential exists for heightened sense of self-reflexivity… Process Drama is foremost a situation immersed in experiential knowledge and experience of Living Through”. The historical perspectives of the process vs. product drama enquiry were further expressed in the viewpoints of 19th century philosophers and educators learning took place within the self, internally, intrinsically. The intrinsic, imaginative of the student was part of learning and was based on the intrinsic needs of the individual. A new student-centered approach became a primary and secondary method of approaching process vs. product drama in education in England… the exploration of intrinsic, imaginative needs from the ‘mind’s eye’ or inner visualization of the student was the basis of discussion and practice for production and performance moving into the 20th century. Thus, many of the ‘product vs. process drama’ perspectives were based on the intrinsic processes of the student-centered learning experiences. Teacher and drama education practitioner, Harriet-Finlay Johnson (1900’s) claimed freedom of expression concerning ‘aesthetic valuation’ of product, production and performance of plays…a student’s aesthetics and perspective should be the diverse ‘lens’ through which the value of dramatic process or theatrical experiences be judged. CHAPTER TWO: Methodology of the Research Analysis of the research literature is a predominant method by which this thesis and other forms of qualitative studies are conducted. Methodologies of literature review involve in-depth or detailed analysis or the dissection of primary and secondary literary narratives that are collected, categorized and coded for the purposes of qualitative research. A. The Action Enquiry: This is a task, a quest for understanding the theoretical and clarifying viewpoints and perspectives that will answer the research question, “What is meant by ‘product vs. process drama in education”? and “How was the concept interpreted by drama education practitioners”? B. Description of the Context or Settings: The primary setting or context for the qualitative enquiry and research were the learning environments and laboratories in which access to the research tools of study and analysis were readily available. Libraries, studies, laboratories and sometimes the outdoor amphitheatre were used to conduct study and analysis. These context and/or settings were capable of carrying the tools necessary for literary analysis and essential for the qualitative research conducted. C. Samples/cases used for Qualitative Research: The theoretical and diverse lenses of perspectives shared by teachers, practitioners of drama education, professional consortiums of academic researchers of the UK, sociologists, psychologists, and other formal and informal participating partners of drama practice were the samples and cases used for qualitative (and some quantitative) research and analysis. D. Research Tools Basic research tools used in the construction of the research thesis were: Field notes taken during the synthesis of the qualitative thesis; daily reflexivity diary and learning journal were kept during the time span of the project/thesis; Secondary interview or narrative sources obtained from digital or online literature databases and authentic accounts acquired from author’s writings and/or books; Narratives collected from the sample/cases used in the qualitative research and analysis. The limitations that were experienced during the collection of research data included: 1. The inability to conduct on-site observations of the ‘product vs. process drama settings; observational structure was not available and respectful interactions were missed; 2. Time limits or constraints to conduct certain qualitative analysis, namely that of “The DICE Project: Consortium members and partner organizations”. Due to limitations in time allow to design an effective, appropriate and ethical questionnaire for certain participants of the consortium and partnerships, feasible analysis of narrative data from sample/cases was conducted. Likewise, the results of this type of research tool was not available as part of ‘best practices’ of research analysis. E. Data/evidence Collected for the Thesis: ‘Product vs. Process Drama in Education was primarily collected from literature databases on the research topic and books written by education practitioners, researchers, theorists and teachers. The information, inclusive of direct, authentic quotes, was the primary method of qualitative (and some quantitative) descriptions and analysis. CHAPTER THREE: Results of the Research A. Restatement of the Research: The research question or issue was as follows: “What is meant by ‘product vs. process drama in Education’ and ‘How was it interpreted by drama practitioners”? The issue to be addressed is the focus of the drama educational purpose. Should the focus continue to be student-centered, as advocated by Harriet Finley-Johnson, Way and Heathcote – originating from the internal self, intrinsic, cognitively imaginative, creative awareness stemming from the student’s experiences. From this focal point the processes of creating the product or production were the result. The outcomes, the performances or play were to reflect the intrinsic learning experiences of the student of drama. B. Record Individual Research Findings During the scope of the project/thesis on ‘Product vs. Process Drama in Education’ many of the analytical (and quantitative results) findings were pulled from the collaborative discussion and events of “The DICE Project – Our Ethos” and the consortium of educational drama practitioners, sociologists, psychologists, and researcher/theorists. The research supports that educational theatre and drama significantly supports a significant and measurable impact on five of eight ‘Key Competencies’: (1) Communication of the mother tongue; (2) Learning to learn; (3) Interpersonal; (4) Intercultural and social competencies; (5) Civic Competencies; (6) Entrepreneurship and cultural expression. Likewise, the authentic narrative interview or quoting of Dorothy Heathcote (1976) was a most captivating excerpt of historical perspective, explaining that it was the intrinsic value of the learning that mattered. “… What I do at this moment obviously shapes up some part of what is to come. Everything that has happened before me I have something in common with, and this is my secret for finding material for drama” It is the narrative of the practitioner and teacher that draws much attention and research interest. The ‘mind’s eye’ of the teacher/practitioner is what captivates the audience and captures a process-into-product emergence. CHAPTER FOUR: Conclusion – Overall Discussion of Results A. Overall Discussion / Analysis of the Results Analysis and discussion of the research topic ‘Product vs. Process Drama in Education indicates that dialectic and debatable interpretations may be the outcome of research. Is drama in education a student-centered and intrinsic process or is it production / performance based? This is the rave of production and/or performance, the focus of interest and productivity. As stated in the qualitative research, in understanding the concept of ‘Process Drama’, it is demonstrated that creative, meaningful strategies are used to illustrate or elicit ‘a story’ from the student’s themselves. Their inner selves are given ‘a voice’. Characterization and personification come to life in ‘Process Drama’ – developing in direct relationship to the lived experiences of the participants themselves. Upon further discussion, dialectic foci and meanings of Process Drama have the ability to change due to perspectives and the viewpoints of diverse theoretical lenses of individual participants and their understanding of a moment in process. As featured in the Literature Review (for purposes of literary analysis), Weltsek-Medina, Blatner & Weiner, 2008, “Process Drama in Education” and “Interactive and Improvisational Drama” (2008)… “ Process Drama requires that participants to become completely immersed into the fiction and discover the life of their character based solely on the participants own lived experiences… discoveries made within the fictional world benefit the intrinsic sense of the individual and not the forward moment of character development in the plot of production”. B. Limitations of the Research, Methodology and Results: As stated previously, the limitations experienced during the qualitative analysis fall under the categories of (1) Ethics; (2) Theory; (3) Validity, Reliability, Accuracy; (4) Empirical or quantitative nature of data analysis. C. Implication of the Results for Practice: When implementing the results of the research analysis for further practice, it would be beneficial to discuss an collaborate on the current issues of ‘Product vs. Process Drama’ with experts in the field – teachers, drama education practitioners, sociologists, psychologists that are aware of theoretical perspectives and current events in the field. Consortiums, symposiums, lectures and, of course, reviews and critiques of theatrical performances and plays are categorized as ‘best practices’ in finding out how to improve practice. Source of photography: Product vs. Process. Retrieved from http://prekandsharing.blotspot.com/2012/02/childrens-art-process-versus-product.html Works Cited and Reference Weltsek-Medina, Blatner & Weiner. “Process Drama in Education: Interactive and Improvisational Drama: Varieties of Applied Theatre and Performance. Retrieved from http://www.interactiveprov.com/procdrmwb.html. [WEB]. Read More