Stage directions: Evidence-based professional development in improvisational drama for foreign language teachers

Kristina Goodnight*, Catherine van Beuningen, Rick de Graaff

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

A significant body of research supports the affective benefits of drama activities in foreign language (FL) learning, yet little is known about how to train teachers to implement such activities. In this study, we tested a professional development program (PDP) aimed at galvanizing FL teachers to integrate improvisational drama techniques (IDTs) into their repertoire. IDTs are defined here as activities which place pupils in a fictional situation and stimulate spoken interaction. Nineteen Dutch secondary school FL teachers participated in the PDP. The goal of this research was to discover the extent to which (1) teachers implement IDTs according to the study’s definition, (2) the techniques become integrated into the teacher’s repertoire, and (3) teachers develop the self-efficacy to execute IDTs. All three areas were met with positive results as evidenced through questionnaires, logbooks, observations and interviews. Teachers demonstrated that they could inspire the fictional artistry of drama while simultaneously stimulating FL speaking. Frequency of implementation also increased after the training. Self-efficacy furthermore improved widely, both in implementing IDTs and speaking activities in general.

Original languageEnglish
JournalLanguage Teaching Research
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 16 Nov 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, The Netherlands. This grant was awarded in November 2018 (reference HRD-BB/kab/2018-439). The authors are not aware of any potential conflicts of interest.

FundersFunder number
HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, The Netherlands
Not addedHRD-BB/kab/2018-439

    Keywords

    • foreign language teaching
    • improvisational drama techniques
    • secondary school
    • speaking activities
    • teacher professional development
    • willingness to communicate

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