creating a meaningful learning experience through a

Jurnal Penyelidikan Kent Bil. 1/2016

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CREATING A MEANINGFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE THROUGH A PERFORMANCE BASED PEDAGOGY (PBL) IN THE LEARNING

(TEACHING) OF DRAMA THE CASE OF SHAKESPEARE’S KING LEAR (LI ER)

Shubashini Suppiah

Language Department IPGK Kent Tuaran

ABSTRACT

The teaching and learning of drama in the language classroom is ultimately indispensable because it offers a lens for learners to use their imagination. It draws upon learners‟ abilities to imitate and express themselves and, if well handled, it should arouse interest and foster personality development. Drama encourages adaptability, fluency and communicative competence. It puts language into context and gives learners the experience of success in real-life situations. (Davies 1990: p: 97). In response to this, my paper is an attempt to outline and relive the experience of adopting performance based pedagogy (PBL) in the teaching and learning of Shakespeare‟s King Lear. The participants of this experience are 20 pre service teacher trainees in their foundation year in a teacher training institution. The performance based pedagogy I utilized encompassed a drama workshop, close reading of the scenes, drama techniques like hot seating and voices along the corridor, auditions, rehearsals and full dress rehearsals which was then followed by a student-based theatrical production. What was perhaps the most significant aspect of this experience is the active involvement of the trainee teachers in the interpretation of characters, scenes, setting and action in this complex play. This paper will relive this unique learning (teaching) process through the stages in which it was carried out. The outcome of this learning (teaching) experience was very promising and encouraging in support of a performance based pedagogy .The trainee teachers‟ reflections which were gleaned from their learning journals indicated positive responses to the whole learning process. Perhaps an important implication from this whole experience is the interactive nature of this pedagogy which allows for real and authentic use of the language.

INTRODUCTION

The English Studies component in the pre service TESL (Teaching English as a Second language) foundation programme in teacher education courses in teacher training institutes in Malaysia aims to develop and enhance pre service teacher trainees‟ interest in literature in English. This course extends to 3 consecutive semesters in which each semester entails the study of three different literary genres which includes short stories and poetry, plays and novels.

In the second semester of the foundation programme, the trainee teachers were introduced to William Shakespeare‟s King Lear as the core text for this course. The learning outcomes for the course includes (1) analyzing


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plays in English with critical awareness (2) apply principles of stagecraft in the production of a play and (3) demonstrate managerial and creative skills in staging a play. Evaluation for this course was based entirely on coursework which included the adaptation and dramatization of the play and a critical reflection of the learning process through this experience.

This paper is an outline in the promising attempt of utilizing a performance based pedagogy in the learning (teaching) of drama in the literature classroom. The paper starts with a broad definition of drama and performance based pedagogy, followed by the stages in this learning experience. The implication and conclusion of the learning experience as gathered from the trainees‟ reflective journals will form the final section of the paper.

DRAMA/PLAYS IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM BOON AND BANE

The teaching and learning of drama in the language classroom is ultimately indispensable because it offers a lens for learners to use their imagination. It draws upon learners‟ abilities to imitate and express themselves and, if well handled, it should arouse interest and foster personality development. Drama encourages adaptability, fluency and communicative competence. It puts language into context and gives learners the experience of success in real-life situations. (Davies, 1999)

There appears to be numerous valid reasons in teaching drama in the classroom. In addition to fostering and sustaining learner motivation, it is also fun and entertaining as well as providing a rich language experience for the learners. Chauhan (2004), presents a convincing case in which he claims that drama based activities provides opportunities for authentic communication which build on learner‟s confidence to use English outside the classroom. He further adds that the nature of language itself which allows for emotional feelings, appropriateness of situation and adaptability can be fully utilized in doing drama/plays. Drama as a process is predictably learner centered as it can only operate with active cooperation. As a social activity it embodies Vygotsky‟s Social Interactionism as opposed to the individual features of learning. William and Burden (1997), stipulate that the very nature of its collaborative and participatory facets in learning (teaching) of drama significantly contributes to the development of learners‟ self esteem and self efficacy.

In putting forth all the possibilities of drama there are however realistic considerations and pedagogical challenges that must be addressed before utilizing the full potential of drama in the language classroom specifically in the second language classroom. Zafeiriadou (2009), argues that drama as a teaching technique may bring to light a number of deeper pedagogic challenges especially in an L2 classroom context. One such challenge is the idea of moving away from familiar, routine and safe structures into unchartered waters. The possibilities of drama as a creative tool in using the language are also inevitably


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limited by the fluency and language facility of the learners. Learner considerations like discipline, inhibition and embarrassment would also have to be addressed if drama in the language classroom were to inspire at all.

WHY A PERFORMANCE BASED LEARNING (TEACHING) PEDAGOGY?

“Pedagogy in its contemporary usage is a perspective that envisions effective teaching as a process and not a technique” (Hamilton & McWilliam, 2001, pg 18). According to Daniels and Bizar (1998), effective teaching is often referred to as „best practices‟ and best practices in the classroom inherently give learners a real voice and meaningful choices in their learning community. Daniels and Bizar (1998) go on to say that these teaching and learning structures include integrative units, classroom workshops, authentic experiences and reflective assessment.

Reading a Shakespeare text is both daunting and challenging experience for the teacher and the learners. My biggest concern as a teacher would be the approach I use to make the experience authentic and meaningful to my trainee teachers. The conventional approach which encompasses reading the play act by act and scene by scene while discussing the flow of the play, the themes, characters and setting I felt would not make the most of this learning experience. They (the trainee teachers) must “do‟ in order to “learn” was my guiding principle in adopting performance based pedagogy in the learning (teaching) of Shakespeare‟s King Lear.

Performance based learning is an approach to teaching and learning that emphasizes on learners being able to do or perform specific skills as a result of its instruction. In this framework, learners demonstrate the ability to apply or use the knowledge rather than simply knowing the information. Performance based learning typically includes activities and tasks that are both meaningful and authentic to learners. Evaluation within the performance based learning shifts from evaluating what the learners know to a more learner centred focus of what the learners are able to do with the knowledge gained.

The learning (teaching) experience of studying Shakespeare‟s King Lear as outlined in this paper through its stages is based on the premise of meaningfulness and authenticity as propagated in the performance based learning structure.

A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY APPROACH The present study utilized a qualitative case based approach in the gathering of the data. Data was gathered through researcher-based observation notes and the reflective journals of the 20 pre service teacher trainees who were involved in this study. The main contention in using a case based approach was motivated by Creswell (2002) who posited that a case study “will reveal an in-depth understanding…which involves understanding an event, activity, process or one or more individuals” (p: 61). In the attempt of understanding the


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usefulness of the pedagogy based learning through the process in which the learning took place, the researcher based notes and the trainees‟ reflective journals were collected for the duration of 12 weeks.

As a research method, document analysis is particularly useful as they provide rich descriptions of a single phenomenon, event, and organization or programme (Yin, 2003). Merriam (1988) further adds that “documents of all types can help the researcher uncover meaning, develop understanding and discover insights relevant to the research problem”. (p: 118). The primary sources of data in this study were contributed by the observation notes and the reflective journals. The analysis of the documents involved thorough reading to coding and categorizing for the emerging themes.

STAGE 1

MAKING SENSE OF SHAKESPEARE AND KING LEAR

In considering the selection of authentic literature like Shakespeare in a Malaysian classroom context certain crucial points have to be highlighted. The biggest possible hindrance is the language of Shakespeare itself. Nurcahyo ( 2012 ), posits that the most demanding problem in the learning (teaching) of Shakespeare is the linguistic gap between the text and the daily English learners speak. He goes on further to suggest paraphrasing as a strategy to assist learners in comprehending the text.

The first stage in my teaching approach is making sense of the text and the flow of the play. At this point, I feel that it is imperative to mention that the text the trainee teachers used to study King Lear is the unabridged version with the Modern English version side by side. I felt that this certainly helped lessen the level of anxiety and enabled them to focus more on understanding King Lear. One of the strategies I utilized was the creation of visual maps of significant events in each Act. This strategy was extremely useful as it allowed my learners to express themselves visually of the significant events and its importance in the development of the plot in King Lear.

STAGE 2 TO ADAPT OR NOT TO ADAPT?

An important facet in a performance based learning approach is the need for learners to transform the knowledge gained into a meaningful learning experience. In addressing the cultural barrier of staging Shakespeare‟s King Lear, an important decision had to be made; to adapt the play or to stage it in its original version?

Nurchayo (2012) is of the opinion that rewriting scripts not only encourages learners to read thoroughly but to also take into consideration how the original script was constructed. Widdowson (1992) postulates that when learners work directly with Shakespeare‟s plays, it gives them the opportunity to


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claim something of Shakespeare as their own. In view of this, the decision to therefore adapt King Lear deemed to be a feasible option. The group of 20 pre service trainee teachers all of Chinese origin were of the opinion that the setting (place and time) and the language in the original script to be adapted into a familiar context- transforming King Lear into King Li Er.

Figure 1 : Adapted Script of Shakespeare‟s King Lear (King Li Er)

STAGE 3 A DRAMA WORKSHOP

In hoping to make this experience an authentic and purposeful for my trainee teachers, I enlisted the assistance of a non-governmental organization known as the Green Leaf Theatre Company to carry out a one day drama workshop.

The drama workshop focused on various drama and staging techniques that would be useful when the trainee teachers start their auditions, rehearsals and the actual staging of the play. Some of the techniques that were covered in this one day workshop included voice projection, improvisations, getting into character, lights and staging, stage presence and effective script writing. Based on the trainee teachers‟ reflection of their learning process during the workshop, I can safely conclude that many felt that they had gained new insights into staging and stagecraft.


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Figure 2 : Getting into character

STAGE 4 ON STAGE PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

It is believed that plays and drama are able to foster and maintain learners‟ motivation by creating a fun filled and entertaining atmosphere. In providing that creative platform, learners are constantly engaged as well as providing that rich language experience. In line with this belief, the next stage of my performance based approach included various stage activities that encourages an open and exploratory style of learning where creativity and imagination are given the scope to develop (Maley, 2005). The stage performance activities I included in my approach function as per formative supplements for the final student based theatrical production of Shakespeare‟s King Lear. Having had no experience in staging or acting, these exercises would really help my trainee teachers in overcoming or perhaps lessening any inhibitions or anxiety they may have.

One of the activities I introduced was hot seating which is a rather popular drama strategy used to develop a role in a play. A character, usually an important character is put in the hot seat and is questioned by the rest of the group about his/her background, behavior and motivation. This activity helped the main characters to get in touch with their roles and to understand them better in the context of the play. The other strategy which I felt was really feasible especially in helping character development is „voices along the corridor‟ or „the conscience alley‟. This technique is used to explore the dilemma or issues faced by a character. I divided my class into two groups facing each other and the main character/protagonist would walk slowly between the line voicing out the dilemma and the „voices along the corridor‟ would speak out their advice or suggestions. When the protagonist reaches the end of the corridor a decision would have been reached. This allowed for a collaborative


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process in understanding the characters in the play which would in turn be of great help when my trainees start rehearsals for the theatrical production.

John Dougill (1987) defines mime as “a non-verbal representation of an idea or story through gesture, bodily movement and expression”. According to Savignon (1983), miming helps learners to become more comfortable with the idea of performing in front of their peers without the concern for language. In using this method as one of the stage activities I provided my trainees with a safe platform to develop their imagination and to enhance their non-verbal senses.

Figure 4 : “Voice Along The Corridor”

Figure 5 : Miming

STAGE 5


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AUDITIONS, CASTINGS AND REHEARSALS THE ROAD TO KING LEAR (LI ER)

Maley (2005) concedes that one of the main reasons supporting the use of drama in the classroom is the transfer of responsibility for learning from teacher to learners which he strongly claims is where it really belongs. In light of this, I stepped back when my trainees organized a week of auditions and casting for the roles in King Lear. My role in this entire process was merely as the advisor and facilitator. In empowering my trainees with the responsibility of making important casting decisions, I felt that I had provided them with a sense of ownership in the direction the play would be staged at the end. More importantly, the learning experience is beginning to take on a real shape.

Rehearsals and practice for the actual staging went on for 4 weeks, in which the trainee teachers practiced for four hours daily. In view of this, I began to see yet another reason for the effectiveness of using the performance approach which is the emergence of a positive group dynamics facilitating the formation of bonded group learning and experiencing together (Maley, 2005). The full dress rehearsal was held two days before the actual staging in which as the facilitator I provided some feedback as well as suggestions for improvement.

STAGE 6 LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!

KING LEAR (LI ER) IN ALL ITS GLORY The staging of King Lear (King Li Er) went on without any major glitches. The staging took place in the main hall of the campus with an audience of fifty. The comments that I extracted from their reflective journals displayed extreme nervousness as well as excitement in regards to this experience.

Figure 6 : A Scene in King Li Er


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VOICES FROM THE EXPERIENCE AN ANALYSIS OF THE REFLECTIVE (LEARNING) JOURNALS

Race (2002) defines reflection as the act which causes us to make sense of what we have learned, why we learned it and how did that particular learning take place. In the same vein, Biggs (1999) claims that reflection raises our awareness as learners to be able to direct and change our learning path. In the performance based learning (teaching) framework, reflections are a cornerstone component. In highlighting the importance of reflecting, it must be pointed out that reflection as a form of the thinking process is difficult to pin down. Reflective journals or learning journals therefore serve as evidence from which we can draw conclusions about the learners‟ thinking process. Luidens (1997) points out that writing is a manifestation of thinking and the written piece is an artefact that reveals thinking. This point is further expounded by Yinger and Clark (1981) who is of the view that writing transforms experience and meaning. The multitude of research on reflections and reflective writing therefore lends credence to the use reflective (learning) journals in any learning experiences.

In an attempt to encourage my trainee teachers to document their thinking process, they were all required to keep a reflective journal. The reflective journals provided me (the trainer) with insights into this unique learning experience. There are four important themes that have emerged from their reflections. Firstly, the reflective journals captured an increasing awareness of the trainees own independent learning as evident in the ways they managed their learning .The second theme that seemed to be quite prevalent in their journals is the articulation of experiential learning as opposed to a more conventional method of learning. In the journals there was also a mention of language being used in a familiar and non-threatening context. Finally it was rather interesting to note that many of their written reflections also focused on the social dimension of learning, specifically the need for collaboration and cooperation of every single person on the team to successfully stage a play.

The reflection journal allowed the trainees a vehicle to demonstrate a better understanding of their own learning. It demonstrates how they tried to rationalize their problems and to look for strategies to cope with the problems. This is critical for learning as the ability to identify gaps in one‟s own learning is a beginning of taking the steps to remedy it. This leads to the learners making an attempt to examine their strategies to better themselves.

“I had struggled in my attempt to deliver an accurate portrayal of this character. I have researched on different styles of performances on the internet. Besides, I also video-taped myself using the webcam and

replayed my recordings to improve my gestures and expressions.”(RJ K)

„If I pronounce the particular word wrongly it may lead to confusion. Sometimes I did pronounce the words in my lines incorrectly.

My friends would correct me immediately” (RJ I)


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An important theory underpinning the performance based approach in learning (teaching) are learners being able to do or perform specific skills. The articulation of the value of hands-on tasks and activities were highlighted in most of the trainees‟ journals.

“It is a different experience when we get involved in theatre or plays because we cannot learn from common lectures which we have daily.” (RJ

S) “The knowledge of how to stage, act and adapt a play is meaningful to me

because one day I can direct and help my students to put up a play” (RJ Y)

“The dramatization was a fresh and new experience for me as I never touched drama throughout my life. I learned, developed and enjoyed it.”

(RJ T)

As stated by Peregoy and Boyle (2008), “drama activities provide learners with a variety of contextualized and scaffold activities that involve more participation and more oral proficiency.” In support of this opinion, it was heartening to note that the trainees‟ reflective journals highlighted the use of the language in a familiar context specifically in the adaptation stage of the performance based learning experience and how it made the whole experience more meaningful and enjoyable.

“We decided to use Chinese setting since we are all Chinese. We also decided to use modern language so that we can understand and speak

our lines better.” (RJ L) “When I was first exposed to the play, I thought the play was awesome but

it seemed difficult for me to engage myself as the language and culture was so different. When we adapted the play to a familiar setting and

modern language, I found myself enjoying it more.” (RJ P) “We paraphrased the lines in the play especially the soliloquies for the

purpose of better understanding.” (RJ I)

Lastly, it was interesting to notice that there is an awareness among the students that collaborative action is critical in their learning. It demonstrates their understanding that the experience was a whole unit effort and each person plays a pivotal role at every stage of this experience.

“The Tragedy of King Lear is totally not an easy project because it puts many different types of people to work together as a team. I grew up and

developed as a better person after undergoing this learning process.” (RJ Sample 1)

“I learnt to cooperate with all my course mates for this King Lear staging. Without the collaboration from all, we will not be able to stage King Lear

successfully” (RJ Sample 2)

“ It helped me to learn to trust people and respect their hard work.” (RJ Sample 4)


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IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION

The adoption of a performance oriented learning (teaching) framework in the teaching of drama in the language classroom has indeed proven to be successful in its implementation in this context. The positive testament as established in the reflective journals of the trainee teachers have paved the way for the use of this approach to provide an authentic and meaningful experience in and through drama in respect to the social, affective and linguistic dimensions of learning. The implication that a dramatic and interactive engagement with language and communicative situations can evoke learners‟ imagination to an extent where they may step out and move beyond the confined walls of the classroom is highlighted in this unique learning (teaching) paradigm.

What I have outlined in this paper is an experience in utilizing a performance based approach in the learning (teaching) of drama in the language classroom. While the positive impact of this approach in terms of fostering language use and the opportunity for a meaningful learning experience is clearly demonstrated, nevertheless issues like the overall management of the project, teaching and learning resources and the different student learning styles and instruction must also be taken into account. This study is a small contribution towards the role of a performance based learning (teaching) pedagogy in the teaching of drama in a language classroom. Further pedagogical and scholarly attention is needed to develop a deeper understanding on ways a performance based learning (teaching) concept can contribute and enhance authentic, intercultural and language/literacy learning.

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Creswell, J. (2002). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches. London : Sage

Davies, A (1999) An Introduction to Applied Linguistics: From Practice to Theory. Edinburgh University Press Ltd

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Harvey, D & Bizar, M.(1998). Methods that Matter: Six Structures for Best Practice Classrooms. Stenhouse Publishers.

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