PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS’ OPINIONS ON THE USE OF CREATIVE DRAMA IN SOCIAL STUDIES COURSE

SOSYAL BİLGİLER DERSİNDE YARATICI DRAMA YÖNTEMİNİN KULLANILMASINA İLİŞKİN ÖĞRETMEN ADAYLARININ GÖRÜŞLERİ

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to identify prospective social sciences teachers’ views about the use of creative drama in social studies social lesson. The study group consists of 21 students from the fourth grade in Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Education Faculty Social Studies Education Department during the 2014-2015 academic year. For this purpose, an open-ended semi-structured interview form was developed by researchers in reference to the literature. The data obtained from interviews were analysed utilizing descriptive analysis techniques. According to the study results, prospective teachers think that creative drama education is effective. They also think the method will contribute to permanent learning as well as develop self-confidence, questioning skills, imagination development, edutaining, lasting learning, empathy, group responsibility, collaboration, socializing, development of social skills, psychomotor skills development, cognitive skills development, strengthening student-teacher relationship, drawing attention to the lesson, communication skills, speak effective speech, creativity, interaction, sharing, concept teaching, feeling discharged, and acquisition of self-expression skills. Also, participants’ views were noted relating to difficulties encountered in the use of creative drama method. In this context, the participants think that they may not cover the curriculum due to creative drama practices, it could only be considered as a game, the lesson duration is inadequate, it might not be applied effectively in large groups, class management could be difficult, and it may not be suitable for every subject. In addition, they stressed that creative drama classes should be included in the curriculum starting from the first semester instead of last semester for effective use Social studies is defined as an elementary course designed according to the public education approach (MEB, 2005) in order to help individuals perform their social existence, which reflects social fields such as history, geography, economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, philosophy, political science and law and civics; combining under one theme or unit of learning areas; and studies human interaction with the social and physical environment in the past, present and future. It is a curriculum which, in order to improve knowledge, skills, values and attitudes of elementary students in the changing and constantly evolving world order, borrows its content mainly from social sciences and humanities and refers to all kinds of disciplines and fields regarding human beings as necessary (Sever, 2015). Creative drama is one of the effective methods used in education, particularly in social studies education, which helps individuals communicate with others, learn with fun and notice and solve problems around them. Departing from the foregoing, present study was designed to identify opinions of prospective social sciences teachers on the use of creative drama in teaching of social sciences. The research was carried out as a case study. For data collection, a semi-structured interview form was developed by researchers. The form consists of open-ended questions for addressing to participant preservice teachers. The study was implemented at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University Education Faculty Social Studies Education Department. The sample group consisted of 21 students attending the fourth grade during the 2014-15 academic year. The participants were selected among those that had completed drama course during early years of undergraduate education. In the study findings, the participants’ opinions were grouped under five main themes: efficacy of the creative drama lesson taken, the use of the creative drama in social studies lesson, the potentials of creative drama lesson to be acquired by students, probable challenges to be encountered in using creative drama in the course, and effective use of creative drama method in social studies lesson. During preparation of the interview form, reference was made to the relevant literature by researchers as well. Then, the form was revised by two experts before pilot implementation. Collected data were analyzed with descriptive analysis technique. For data analysis, the interview responses were examined and coded separately by both researchers. In relation with teachers' views on the effectiveness of the creative drama courses studied during postgraduate education, it was found out that all participants find the creative drama education effective. They also stated that they could obtain many outcomes thanks to this method. Particularly, some participants stressed that creative drama should be included in the curriculum receiving more emphasis from the first year. In this context, the views of surveyed teachers showed that they think the creative drama classes are effective. Secondly, analysis of the prospective teachers' views on the use of creative drama in social studies lesson revealed that the participants have a positive opinion on this issue. Moreover, they stated that creative drama method contributed to permanent learning, fun learning, active participation, recognition of the self and the environment, learning by doing and experiencing, drawing attention to the course, participating eagerly in the lesson, developing communication skills, and acquisition of creativity skills. Also consensus was found among respondents that social studies course and creative drama have certain outcomes in common. Examination of the views on potential outcomes of creative drama lesson in social sciences course revealed that the participants think they could acquire certain skills through creative drama. These skills included self-confidence, questioning skills, imagination, fun learning, permanent learning, empathy, group responsibility, collaboration, socialization; improving social skills, psychomotor skills, and cognitive skills; strengthening the student-teacher relationsh

Özet

Bu araştırmanın temel amacı sosyal bilgiler öğretmen adaylarının yaratıcı drama yönteminin sosyal bilgiler derslerinde kullanılmasına ilişkin görüşlerinin belirlenmesidir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 2014-15 eğitim-öğretim yılında Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi İlköğretim Bölümü Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmenliği Ana Bilim Dalı dördüncü sınıfa devam eden 21 öğretmen adayı oluşturmaktadır. Bu amaçla araştırmacılar tarafından sosyal bilgiler öğretmen adaylarına uygulanmak üzere açık uçlu sorulardan oluşan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu, alan yazın doğrultusunda hazırlanmış ve görüşmeler sonucunda elde edilen veriler betimsel analiz tekniğinden yararlanılarak çözümlenmiştir. Bulgulara göre, öğretmen adayları yaratıcı drama eğitimini etkili bulduklarını ve yöntemin kalıcı öğrenmeye yapacağı katkının yanı sıra öğrencilerde özgüven, sorgulama becerisi, hayal gücü geliştirme, eğlenerek öğrenme, kalıcı öğrenme, empati becerisi, grup sorumluluğu, iş birliği yapma, sosyalleşme, sosyal becerileri geliştirme, psikomotor beceri geliştirme, bilişsel becerileri geliştirme, öğrenci-öğretmen ilişkisini güçlendirme, derse ilgi çekme, iletişim, etkili konuşabilme, yaratıcılık, etkileşim, paylaşım, kavram öğretimi, deşarj olma, kendini ifade edebilme gibi becerilerin kazanılmasına olumlu yönde katkı sağlayacağını belirtmektedirler. Ancak yaratıcı drama yönteminin kullanımında karşılaşılabilecek güçlüklere ilişkin görüşler de tespit edilmiştir. Bu görüşlerde ise, konuların yetişemeyebileceğini, yaratıcı dramanın yalnızca oyundan ibaret görülebileceğini, ders süresinin yetersiz oluşunu, kalabalık gruplarda etkili olarak uygulanamayabileceğini, ders hâkimiyetinin zor olabileceğini ve her konuya uygun olamayabileceğini belirtmişlerdir. Ayrıca, yaratıcı dramanın etkili kullanılabilmesi için dersin son dönem yerine ilk dönemden itibaren programda yer alması gerektiğini vurgulamışlardır