Building Classroom Community Through Drama Education

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: Arts Education in Higher Education

Abstract

This paper explores teaching and research in Curriculum and Instruction in Drama Education, a course for pre-service teachers at a Canadian University. Direct observations, field notes, student journals, interviews and in-depth analysis of one student group’s creation and performance led to the understanding of the significant role of drama education in fostering community amongst pre-service teachers. Informing the research findings is a conversation about the social postmodern notion of community that fosters a sense of belonging, trust and safety. The foundations of community within drama education specifically prompt deeper considerations for inclusion, collaboration, and empowerment in education allowing for the conception of “human subject in pursuit of themselves”.

Authors

• Hala Mreiwed, McGill University

• Mindy Roberta Carter, McGill University