Drama-in-Education for Critical Historical Thinkers: A Case Study in the Greek Context

Katerina Kosti; Theodora Papaioannou

doi:10.33178/scenario.14.2.2

Authors

Katerina Kosti University of Peloponnese
Theodora Papaioannou University of Thessaly

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33178/scenario.14.2.2

Keywords:

Drama in education, Critical thinking, Case study, History Teaching, Primary students, Primary school

Abstract

The case study presented in this article refers to the connection of drama-in-education and critical thinking in history, in order to highlight the importance of drama for the teaching of history in primary schools in Greece. The research plan adopted is quantitative and qualitative, and the research strategy applied is that of case study. For the purposes of this study, four scenarios based on drama-in-education techniques were designed and applied on a sample of forty-three primary students. The analysis of the findings show that the students’ understanding of historical contexts and objectives of historically active subjects was encouraged by drama-based instruction.

Author Biographies

Katerina Kosti, University of Peloponnese

Katerina Kosti works as a Secondary Education Teacher. She graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of Athens and obtained a postgraduate degree (MA) from the Postgraduate Program Museum Studies at Athens’ University. She earned her Ph.D. in the Department of Theater Studies of the University of Peloponnese with her Doctoral Thesis on the use of Drama in History Teaching. Her post-doctoral research at the Department of Theater Studies of the University of Peloponnese is about Reminiscence Drama and is entitled "Drama in the Third Age as a means of developing ‘Ego Integrity.’"
Theodora Papaioannou, University of Thessaly

Theodora Papaioannou works as a Primary Education Teacher. She has an MA from the Postgraduate Program Modern Learning Environments and Teaching Material Production of the Department of Primary Education of the University of Thessaly in Greece. She holds a Ph.D. in from the University of Thessaly with her Doctoral Thesis on the use of Dramatic Art in Literature Teaching. Her post-doctoral research at the Department of Early Childhood Education at University of Thessaly is entitled “The contribution of Drama in Education and Puppetry in the development of the intercultural competence of Primary Education students.”

References

Alkistis (2008): Mavri Agelada? Aspri Agelada. Dramatiki Tehni stin Ekpaideusi kai Diapolitismikotita. Athens: Topos. [Alkistis (2008): Black Cow – White Cow. Drama?in?education and Interculturalism. Athens: Topos]

Ashby, Rosalyn & Lee, Peter (1987). Children's Concepts of Empathy and Understanding in History. In: Portal, Christopher (ed.): The History Curriculum for Teachers. London: Falmer, 62-88

Avdi, ?vra & Chatzigeorgiou, ?elina (2007): Techni tou Dramatos stin Ekpaideusi. Athens: Metaihmio. [Avdi, ?vra & Chatzigeorgiou, ?elina (2007): The Art of Drama?in?education. Athens: Metaihmio]

Avdi, ?vra & Chatzigeorgiou, ?elina (2018): Otan o daskalos mpeni se rolo. Athens: Metaihmio. [Avdi, ?vra & Chatzigeorgiou, ?elina (2018): When the teacher gets in role. Athens: Metaihmio]

Barton, Keith & Levstik, Linda (2008): Didaskontas Istoria gia to Syllogiko Agatho (transl. in Greek: Theodorakakou Afrodite). Athens: Metaihmio. [Barton, Keith and Levstik, Linda (2004): Teaching History for the Common Good. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410610508]

Belliveau, George; Prendergast, Monika & Anderson, Hugh (2008): BC History in Action. A Guide to Teaching History Through Drama. Grades 8 to 12. London: British Columbia Ministry of Education. http://www2.gov.bc.ca ›education›teach›pdfs›drama812 [last assessed April 22, 2020]

Booth, David (2012): Reconsidering Dorothy Heathcote's Educational Legacy. In: Drama Research 3/1, Testimony, 1-19. http://www.nationaldrama.org.uk/journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/Testimony.pdf [last accessed April 22, 2020]

Charmaz, Kathy (1995): Grounded Theory. In: Smith, Jonathan A.; Harré, Rom & Van Langenhove, Luk (eds.): Rethinking Methods in Psychology. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 27-49, https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446221792.n3

Cohen, Louis (2011): Research Methods in Education. London: Routledge

Davis, O.L. (2001): In Pursuit of Historical Empathy. In: Davis, O.L.; Yeager, Elizabeth Anne & Foster, Stuart J. (eds.): Historical Empathy and Perspective Taking in the Social Studies. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, Publishers, INC., 1-12

Dickinson, Alaric & Lee, Peter (1978): Understanding and Research. In: Dickinson, Alaric & Lee, Peter (eds.): History Teaching and Historical Understanding. London: Heinemann, 94-120

Dodwell, Cherry (2013): Using Creative Drama Approaches for the Teaching of History. In: Cooper, Hilary (ed.): Teaching History Creatively. Abingdon Oxon: Taylor & Francis, 119-133

Fairclough, John (1994): History Through Role?Play. London: English Heritage

Fines, John, & Verrier, Raymond (1974): The Drama of History. An Experiment in Co-operative Teaching. London: New University Education

Fleming, Kate (1992): A Land fit for Heroes: Recreating the Past through Drama. In: Teaching History 68, 14?16

Foster, Stuart J. (2001): Historical Empathy in Theory and Practice: Some Final Thoughts. In: Davis, O.L.; Yeager, Elizabeth Anne & Foster, Stuart J. (eds.): Historical Empathy and Perspective Taking in the Social Studies. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, Publishers, INC., 167-181

Goalen, Paul & Hendy, Lesley (1992): The Challenge of Drama: An Historical Investigation of Sati. In: Teaching History 69, 26-33

Goalen, Paul & Hendy, Lesley (1993): “It's not Just Fun, It Works!” Developing Children's Historical Thinking Through Drama. In: The Curriculum Journal 4/3, 363-384, https://doi.org/10.1080/0958517930040305

Goalen, Paul (1995): Twenty Years of History through Drama. In: The Curriculum Journal 6/1, 63?77, https://doi.org/10.1080/0958517950060105

Greene, Jennifer (2007): Mixed Methods in Social Inquiry. New York: Wiley

Heathcote, Dorothy (1985): Collected Writings on Education and Drama. London: Hutchinson

Heathcote, Dorothy & Bolton, Gavin (1995): Drama for Learning: Dorothy Heathcote’s Mantle of the Expert Approach to Education. Portsmouth: Heinemann Press

Heathcote, Dorothy (2008): Means and Ends: History, Drama and Education for Life. In: Primary History 48, 6?7

Kempe, Andy (2012): “Superteachers", Saints and Solitaires: An Investigation into Advanced Skills Teachers of Drama. In: Drama Research 3/1, 1-20. http://www.nationaldrama.org.uk/journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/Andy-Kempe.pdf [last accessed April 22, 2020]

Kempe, Andy (2011): Daisy's Diary: Issues Surrounding Teaching History through Drama. In: Drama Research 2/1, 1-16. http://www.nationaldrama.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/DR-Vol2-No1-Article-2-Daisy-s-diary.pdf [last accessed April 22, 2020]

Kondoyianni, Alkistis & Kosti, Katerina (2011): E?itimde Drama Yolu ile Tarihsel Empatiyi Beslemek: Lise Birinci S?n?f Ö?rencileriyle Gerçekle?tirilen Bir Eylem Ara?tirmasi. In: Yaratici Drama Dergisi 6/12, 52-57. http://www.yader.org/index.php/yader/article/view/yader.2011.009 [last assessed April 22, 2020]

Kontoyianni, Alkistis (2012): Dramatiki Techni stin Ekpaideusi. Athens: Pedio. [Kontogianni, Alkistis (2011): Drama?in-education. Athens: Pedio]

Kosti, Katerina (2016): Drama in education as a mean for fostering historical empathy in high school student. Unpublished PhD Dissertation. Nafplion: University of Peloponesse

Kosti, Katerina; Kondoyianni, Alkistis & Tsiaras, Asterios (2015): Fostering Historical Empathy through Drama?in-?ducation: A Pilot Study on Secondary School Students in Greece. In: Drama Research 6/1, 1-23. http://www.nationaldrama.org.uk/journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/Katerina_Kosti_et_al.pdf [last accessed April 22, 2020]

Lee, Peter & Ashby, Rosalyn (2001): Empathy, Perspective Taking, and Rational Understanding. In: Davis, O.L.; Yeager, Elizabeth Anne & Foster, Stuart J. (eds.): Historical Empathy and Perspective Taking in the Social Studies. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, Publishers, INC., 21?50

Lee, Peter; Dickinson, Alaric & Ashby, Rosalyn (1997): “Just Another Emperor”: Understanding Action in the Past. In: International Journal of Educational Research 27/3, 233?244, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-0355(97)89731-5

Levstik, Linda & Barton, Keith (2011): Doing History. New York: Routledge, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203834930

Little, Vivienne (1983): History through Drama with Top Juniors. In: Education 3-13 11/2, 12-18, https://doi.org/10.1080/03004278385200171

Mertler, Craig A. (2012): Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Ministry of Education (2018): Programma Spoudon Istorias pemtis taxis (2018). Athens: Ministry of Education in Greece [Ministry of Education in Greece (2018): Curriculum for the teaching of History 5th grade. Athens: Ministry of Education in Greece]

Neelands, Jonathan & Goode, Tony (2011): Structuring Drama Work. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Nichol, Jon (2013): Creativity and Historical Investigation: Pupils in Role as History Detectives (proto-historians) and as Historical Agents. In: Cooper, Hilary (ed.): Teaching History Creatively. Abingdon Oxon: Taylor & Francis, 101-118

O' Toole, John; Stinson, Madonna & Moore, Tiina (2009): Drama and Curriculum: A Giant at the Door. Sydney: Springer

Papadopoulos, Simos (2010): Paidagogiki tou Theatrou. Athens: Idi?tiki ekdosi [Papadopoulos, Simos (2010): Theatre Pedagogy. Athens: Private edition]

Rantala, Jukka (2011): Assessing historical empathy through simulation – How do Finnish teacher students achieve contextual historical empathy? In: Nordidactica – Journal of Humanities and Social Science Education 1/1, 58?76

Robson, Colin (2010): Ereuna tou Pragmatikou Kosmou (transl. into Greek: Dalakou Katerina). Athens: Gutenberg. [Robson, Colin (1993): Real World Research. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.]

Sarafidou Yasemi-Olga (2011): Synarthrosi Posotikon ke Poiotikon Prosegiseon. Athens: Gutenberg. [Sarafidou Yasemi-Olga (2011): Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches' Articulation. Athens: Gutenberg]

Saye, John & Brush, Thomas (2002): Scaffolding Critical Reasoning about History and Social Issues in Multimedia-Supported Learning Environments. In: Educational Technology Research and Development 50/3, 77-96, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02505026

Shemilt, Denis (1984): Beauty and the Philosopher: Empathy in History and Classroom. In: Dickinson, Alaric K.; Lee, Peter J. & Rogers, Peter J. (eds.): Learning History. Oxford: Heinemann, 39-84

Thompson, Fred (1983): Empathy: an Aim and a Skill to be Developed. In: Teaching History 37, 22-26

Wagner, Betty Jane (1985): Elevating the Written Word through the Spoken: Dorothy Heathcote and a Group of 9- to 13-Year-Olds as Monks. In: Theory into Practice 24/3, 166-172, https://doi.org/10.1080/00405848509543168

Williams, Yohuru (2009): Teaching U.S. History Beyond the Textbook: Six Strategies for Grades 5-12. Thousand Oaks: Sage