Using drama-in-education to facilitate active participation and the enhancement of oral communication skills among first year pre-service teachers

Abstract

This study provides an evaluation of a program in drama-in-education aimed at enhancing the English oral communication skills among a cohort of 63 first year intermediate phase (English second language) teachers and to establish to what extent they would be prepared to use such creative approaches in their classes as potential teachers. The data for this in-depth qualitative case study was collected through observation of their dramatic presentations, informal interviews with them based on their drama-in-education experiences and written accounts of their learning. The findings suggest that the potential of drama-in-education to enhance oral communication skills amongst English second language trainee teachers is phenomenal. A number of trainee teachers also indicated that they would definitely implement drama in education in their classes as potential teachers, since their exposure to this technique had contributed to the development of their critical and creative skills and their confidence.