The Effects of Drama-Based Pedagogies on Literacy-Related K–16 Student Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis of the Research

• In Event: Advances in Drama-Based Research: Student and Teacher Experiences to a Meta-Analysis of Drama-Based Pedagogy

Abstract

A recent national report heartily supported arts integration as an effective and cost efficient way to address teachers’ and students’ needs, referring to arts integration as “the most significant innovation in the field over the last two decades…” (PCAH, p. 40, 2011); however, the report called for a better understanding of when, for whom, and what content areas are best served by arts integration methods. The effectiveness of drama-based pedagogy (DBP), a type of arts integration, was assessed in previous meta-analyses (Conrad, 1992; Kardash & Wright, 1986; Podlozny, 2000). Due to new research and conflicting prior findings, an updated meta-analysis is warranted. In the present report, we meta-analyze over twenty-five years of accumulated research.

Authors

• Bridget Lee, The Ohio State University

• Patricia E. Enciso, The Ohio State University

• Megan R Brown, The Ohio State University