Educational Drama and Educational Psychology

Introduction

Drama incorporates self-expression and performance, and it has been employed as a teaching tool in the field of education. Students are physically, emotionally, and socially engaged in this component of theater as they learn to connect to people and the problems that touch them in their daily lives.

Dramatic exercises like improvisation, dramatization, and even pantomime stimulate the participants’ creativity and sharpen their analytical abilities.

When it comes to teaching, drama is a really effective instrument. The learner gains the ability to solve problems, which helps them make sense of their thoughts, feelings, and even their list of life objectives. A student may link to the events going around him during the performance and relate them to what is really happening in his daily life and the challenges he experiences; this will suggest some answers to these problems, therefore developing the student’s creativity to handle such problems. Winter, Jack (1997).

As a result, drama improves students’ communication skills. During the performance, all students are expected to participate, allowing them to express themselves and interact with one another since the performances are spontaneous and depend on the creativity of the individual depending on the topic at hand.

Students may comprehend their own emotional emotions as well as those of others via dramatization. When there is an emotional response to a topic, such as a play about parents dying and their children becoming orphans, it is easier to see how people feel about that topic. Not only the people who are directly affected, but also other students may be able to express their attitude and remorse toward the idea. This is beneficial because it helps kids to empathize with the sorrow or even joy of others.

As a result, a drama is a tool that promotes openness, participation, demonstration, and observation in a non-threatening setting. As a result of feeling comfortable expressing their thoughts clearly, the pupils use this technique to increase their creativity and foster confidence.

Additionally, it gives kids a place to practice self-control, accept who they are without judgment, respond positively to criticism, work effectively with others, and be constantly accepted despite their disparities in social, economic status, and physical appearance. P. Farrell (2010).

Psychology of Academic Achievement

The kid may learn certain abilities via performances in class, and these skills will benefit him in class tasks like reading. Among these abilities are:

Cognitive

Children who participate in performances acquire better linguistic abilities and a deeper comprehension of materials. These abilities include reading, comprehension of the narrative or even the topic, and a broadening of vocabulary. As a result, these pupils’ academic development has improved. W. Huitt and J. Hummel (2003).

Emotional

Children acquire coping mechanisms for dealing with their emotions as well as an understanding of both their own and other people’s emotions. If people take part in a play that truly explores a range of various emotions, this is made simple. They acquire the skills to both express and repress them. They establish a self-concept that is linked to emotional intelligence, which is expanded upon in academics.

Social

Children who participate in theater get to know one another better, which improves their capacity to form friendships, which leads to social interaction, imitation, and even social innovation. The youngsters will always feel comfortable to debate topics with their classmates or even raise questions in class, which in turn improves academic achievement.

Educational Psychology Principles

growth perspective

Students who adhere to this principle succeed academically, are able to speak up in class about issues that concern them and concepts they find difficult to comprehend, and this is corrected in drama because a student who participates well in these performances will have a different turn in the mind. Her thinking is flexible, which is true.

existing knowledge

Prior knowledge of a learner influences both his conceptual development and transformation; pupils may build on what they already know and correct any faults they may have had in the past. When performing in theater, students will learn to omit the mistakes they constantly make and build on the understanding of what they already know.

Stage theories’ bounds

It has been noted that education and cognitive growth are not constrained by developmental phases. It is noteworthy that these changes have no negative impact on learning; in contrary, pupils who are experiencing these changes will always go to older persons with different capacities for guidance. This is seen in theatre as well since it improves social communication, which eventually allows students to interact with one another regardless of their socioeconomic level.

facilitating situation

When the instructor moves the pupils from one context to another, it makes it simpler for them to comprehend the subject. The simplest technique is to have students utilize their understanding of a specific subject to provide a solution to issues that arise in real-world work; this is closely related to the use of theater in teaching. They will be able to identify with the drama’s difficulties and come up with answers.

Practice

Academic adjustment is made easier by students who put what they have learned into practice; this improves their knowledge, abilities, and even social confidence. With consistent practice, they are able to converse with one another and convey their feelings much as they would during a performance. Their daily lives are affected by this.

Feedback

Giving pupils quick feedback and comments helps them learn more and may even inspire them to participate in academic activities. This plays a significant role in the learning process. Drama illustrates this by posing a problem and offering a potential solution concurrently as it is being performed. There is available quick feedback.

Self-regulation

Students are expected to gain self-control, organization, planning, and memory techniques as well as to develop their academic abilities. They are able to identify ideas that need a lot of practice thanks to these talents.

Proponents

Aristotle and Plato

These researchers identified disparities in education, physical fitness, the development of moral character, and the potential and constraints of education. Even the impact of poetry and music on education, personal development, and the function of teachers in the lives of their pupils were discussed. Knowledge has the capacity to steadily advance via experience and personal understanding. Even Plato developed the association concept, which comprises contrast, similarity, sequence, and contigency (2011).

Locke, John

John argued that learning could only come from experience and that most individuals do not naturally possess knowledge. He argued that knowledge and experience are the only foundations for interpreting knowledge. He goes on to say that only exposure to external forces may result in learning. Riley, Blazek, and Lucas (2005).

Jaime Vives

Juan was a firm believer in the exploration and firsthand observation of nature. He underlined the importance of the school’s location, the importance of the surrounding area, the importance of decent air quality, and the need of providing adequate food for both children and instructors. As a result, he proposed that practice is the key to education.

Theodore Herbart (1776-1841)

The founder of educational psychology, he thought that the teacher’s and the students’ interest in the content influenced learning and that instructors should revisit the lessons learned by the students for simple comprehension.

Conclusion

Drama in the classroom is very important for kids’ learning. It helps the children to learn certain crucial abilities including creativity, problem-solving, reading, and the element of social contact.

As a result, when the principles of education are implemented, students can successfully navigate their learning environment. As Juan Vives noted, the environment in which students learn is crucial because it influences their way of thinking; it should be eco-friendly and adaptable depending on the type of learning.