Literature review
“When theatre comes to class, the kids show up” (Eyring, 2014, p. 8). There are sound reasons found in the literature for incorporating arts education into schools, the classroom, and content specific curriculum. Literature on arts education within the school environment points to a wide array of benefits particularly in student learning and engagement. However, two areas of concern with existing literature quickly emerge. It is prudent to preface a review of literature on arts education by pointing out these areas of concern.
One concern is the limited amount of research that has been conducted at the high school level about arts education integration. Existing research primarily involves elementary students (i.e. readers theatre), along with a few studies at the middle school level (i.e. role-play scenarios). Therefore, it is difficult to note specific strategies for a high school classroom when so few evidence-based practices are available as resources. Studies at the high school level have mainly targeted arts based courses, after school programs, and language arts classrooms (Rabkin & Redmond, 2006; Adomat, 2009; Perry, Wessels, & Wager, 2013).
The other major area of concern is the way in which the term arts education is broken down by researchers interested in the impact of the arts on learning. The nomenclature of arts education is seldom used because researchers single out specific forms of art education: visual art, performing arts, music, drama, theatre, or role-play. To add further complication, there are varying ways of referring to each of the arts categories, depending on the researcher and the data collected. Lee, Patall, Cawthon, and Steingut (2015) examine existing literature regarding arts education integration—in response to a report released by The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities—and point to another all-encompassing term in the arts education field: drama-based pedagogy (DBP). DBP being “a collection of drama-based teaching and learning strategies to engage students in learning…[such as] drawing from a broad range of applied theatre strategies” (p. 4). Although the contributing authors are from well-respected institutions spearheading several of the advancements in arts education, they acknowledge within their own literature that the DBP nomenclature still excludes certain types of arts-based teaching strategies. Therefore, when the term arts education is used, it is an inclusive descriptor of each of the arts areas. Gullatt (2008) outlines two interpretations of how to use the arts in education:
. . .learning through the arts would involve activities such as the dramatization of stories or historical events and the use of paintings to investigate different aspects of time periods. In contrast, learning in the arts would include specific skills acquired through arts classes, such as music, visual arts, or drama. (p. 16)
Ultimately, the term arts education has been chosen for the purpose of this research. Playwriting as a teaching strategy within arts education encompasses “learning through the arts.” While a bulk of methodology, data collection, and findings will be centered around playwriting specifically, literature will be reviewed against the backdrop of its potential to shed light on incorporating arts education with social studies content. Through this review, four main areas will be highlighted: the need for arts education within the classroom, the making of meaningful connections to larger concepts, promotion of engagement, and cognition and critical thinking.
One concern is the limited amount of research that has been conducted at the high school level about arts education integration. Existing research primarily involves elementary students (i.e. readers theatre), along with a few studies at the middle school level (i.e. role-play scenarios). Therefore, it is difficult to note specific strategies for a high school classroom when so few evidence-based practices are available as resources. Studies at the high school level have mainly targeted arts based courses, after school programs, and language arts classrooms (Rabkin & Redmond, 2006; Adomat, 2009; Perry, Wessels, & Wager, 2013).
The other major area of concern is the way in which the term arts education is broken down by researchers interested in the impact of the arts on learning. The nomenclature of arts education is seldom used because researchers single out specific forms of art education: visual art, performing arts, music, drama, theatre, or role-play. To add further complication, there are varying ways of referring to each of the arts categories, depending on the researcher and the data collected. Lee, Patall, Cawthon, and Steingut (2015) examine existing literature regarding arts education integration—in response to a report released by The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities—and point to another all-encompassing term in the arts education field: drama-based pedagogy (DBP). DBP being “a collection of drama-based teaching and learning strategies to engage students in learning…[such as] drawing from a broad range of applied theatre strategies” (p. 4). Although the contributing authors are from well-respected institutions spearheading several of the advancements in arts education, they acknowledge within their own literature that the DBP nomenclature still excludes certain types of arts-based teaching strategies. Therefore, when the term arts education is used, it is an inclusive descriptor of each of the arts areas. Gullatt (2008) outlines two interpretations of how to use the arts in education:
. . .learning through the arts would involve activities such as the dramatization of stories or historical events and the use of paintings to investigate different aspects of time periods. In contrast, learning in the arts would include specific skills acquired through arts classes, such as music, visual arts, or drama. (p. 16)
Ultimately, the term arts education has been chosen for the purpose of this research. Playwriting as a teaching strategy within arts education encompasses “learning through the arts.” While a bulk of methodology, data collection, and findings will be centered around playwriting specifically, literature will be reviewed against the backdrop of its potential to shed light on incorporating arts education with social studies content. Through this review, four main areas will be highlighted: the need for arts education within the classroom, the making of meaningful connections to larger concepts, promotion of engagement, and cognition and critical thinking.