For the Love of Drama: A Literacy Coach’s Collaboration and Implementation of Drama-Based Pedagogies in the High School ELA Classroom

Abstract

Secondary ELA teachers use a variety of methods to engage, motivate, and teach their students literacy. Some methods include an emphasis on arts integration. One method of arts integration that has not been studied often in high school is the use of drama-based pedagogies (DBP). DBP are an innovative avenue to improving meaning-making and other literacy practices. Furthermore, research-based strategies are needed to support creative student learning in a time of standardized testing and required curriculum. This study examined how a literacy coach collaborated with a teacher to implement drama-based pedagogies in the ELA classroom with a focus on the teacher and student perspectives concerning how these strategies impact student meaning making and literacy learning. To explore these perspectives, one high school ELA teacher from Gilmore High School implemented DBP with the coach in two of her 11th grade ELA classes. The teacher and coach met weekly to plan lessons implementing DBP. Observations occurred once per week in each class when the teacher implemented the strategies alongside the coach. Interviews were conducted with both the teacher and 12 focal student participants. Data analysis incorporated Process and In Vivo coding in NVivo. Findings of this research suggest the collaboration of a coach and teacher was influential for implementing DBP and validated the teacher’s beliefs about student meaning making through drama. In addition, the research highlights students’ beliefs about DBP helping their understanding of literature and allowing them to experience and embody the text to make meaning of it. The implications of this research include a call for high school practitioners to explore and use DBP to support student meaning making and understanding of literature, as well as stresses the importance of a supportive collaboration between a teacher and coach in implementing DBP.