Assessment in Elementary Drama Education

• In Event: Millennium Hotel Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Classroom Practice, Education Policy, and Creativity

Abstract

This study articulates elementary school drama teachers’ perceptions of assessment and documents assessment processes and procedures in drama classrooms. Through a series of qualitative interviews with a dozen participants from various geographical areas throughout the country, this study informs the drama/theatre education field about contemporary trends in assessment with students in grades K-5.
Our primary research question is: How do elementary-level drama/theatre/theatre educators in various settings conceptualize and enact assessment in their work with students? Related questions include:
-How do teachers define “assessment”?
-What specific skills, knowledge and understanding do teachers assess?
-What assessment tools and strategies do teachers employ?
-To whom and how is assessment data communicated?
-What types of resources and supports regarding assessment do teachers value?

Authors

• Matt Omasta, Utah State University

• Elizabeth Murray, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Mary McAvoy, Arizona State University - Tempe

• Drew Chappell, California State University - Fullerton