Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Critical theory forms part of the foundation of the South African school curriculum.
The development of critical thinking is part of the general aims of the curriculum. This
study will investigate the possibility of developing critical thinking through the use of
drama as a teaching method in the subject Life Orientation in the further education
and training phase (FET) Grades 10-12. This problem statement will be researched
through a quantitative literature study.
The school curriculum underwent a transformation since 1994 from a content- and
teacher driven curriculum to an experience- and student centred approach to
teaching. New subjects were also included in the curriculum such as Life Orientation.
There are, however, various implementation problems with regards to Life
Orientation. These implementation problems can mainly be attributed to the
insufficient in- and pre service training that teachers receive and their inability to use
progressive teaching methods. The Life Orientation curriculum does, however,
provide opportunity for the development of critical thinking skills.
The concept of critical theory will be investigated as philosophical and theoretical
basis for this study. The influence of critical theory on the critical pedagogy of Freire
will be discussed to show the relationship between education and critical theory.
Furthermore, the influence of critical theory on the development of Brecht’s Epic
theatre will also be investigated. Finally, a definition for critical thinking will be put
forward, after which the question whether critical thinking is developed through the
school curriculum will be investigated. Different approaches to drama as a teaching method is briefly discussed. Dorothy
Heathcoat’s approach to drama in education is chosen as a focus for this study as
she uses drama as a teaching method to teach subject content and to develop
thinking skills through reflection. Heathcote uses Brecht’s Epic theatre techniques to
alienate the students in order for them to critically reflect on the content that is being
taught. Process drama is a more accessible approach to drama in education, but it
uses the same core elements namely improvisation, role-play and reflection. Process
drama consists of an improvised role-play where the class collectively takes part and
the teacher-in-role steers the educational experience through questions that leads to
reflection. It is during this reflection that critical thinking is developed.
Process drama can be used to teach the content of Life Orientation and develop
critical thinking. It, however, requires the teacher to be the director, actor, writer,
teacher and self-audience. During the planning of the process drama lesson the
teacher also has to follow a certain process where the theme, contexts, roles,
dramatic focus, tension elements and signs for the lesson is identified. To illustrate
how drama as a teaching method can be used in Life Orientation, three lesson plans
are provided. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kritiese teorie vorm deel van die grondbeginsels waarop die Suid-Afrikaanse
skoolkurrikulum gebou is. Kritiese denke en die ontwikkeling daarvan is ook deel van
die algemene doelstellings van die kurrikulum. Hierdie studie ondersoek die
moontlikheid of kritiese denke bevorder kan word deur drama as onderrigmetode te
gebruik binne die vak Lewensoriëntering in die verdere onderwys en opleidingsbaan
(VOO) Grade 10-12. Daar sal van ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering gebruik
gemaak word om die probleemstelling te ondersoek in die vorm van ’n
literatuurstudie.
Die skoolkurrikulum het sedert 1994 getransformeer vanaf ’n inhouds-,
onderwysergedrewe kurrikulum, na ’n ervaringsleer- en leerdergesentreerde
benadering tot onderwys. Daar is ook nuwe vakke toegevoeg tot die kurrikulum,
soos Lewensoriëntering. Daar is egter heelwat implementeringsprobleme met
Lewensoriëntering en dit kan grotendeels toegeskryf word aan die swak in- en prediensopleiding
wat onderwysers ontvang en hulle onvermoë om progressiewe
onderrigmetodes te gebruik. Die Lewensoriëntering kurrikulum leen hom egter
daartoe om kritiese denke te .
As filosofiese en teoretiese basis vir die ondersoek word kritiese teorie omskryf. Die
invloed van kritiese teorie op die kritiese pedagogie van Freire word bespreek om die
verband tussen onderwys en kritiese teorie aan te dui. Die invloed wat kritiese teorie
gehad het op die ontwikkeling van Brecht se Epiese teater word ondersoek. Daarna
word kritiese denke gedefinieer en word daar ondersoek ingestel of kritiese denke
deur die skoolkurrikulum ontwikkel word. Verskillende benaderings tot drama as ’n onderrigmetode word kortliks bespreek,
waarna Dorothy Heathcote se benadering tot drama-in-die-onderwys as fokus vir die
studie bepaal word, omdat sy drama as ’n onderrigmetode aanwend om vakinhoud
te onderrig en denkprosesse te ontwikkel deur refleksie. Heathcote gebruik Brecht
se Epiese teater-tegnieke om die leerders te vervreem en krities te laat reflekteer oor
die inhoud wat onderrig word. Prosesdrama is ’n toegankliker vorm van Heathcote
se benadering tot drama-in-die-onderwys, maar dit gebruik dieselfde kernelemente
soos improvisasie, rolspel en refleksie. Prosesdrama bestaan uit geïmproviseerde
rolspel waartydens die klas kollektief deelneem en die onderwyser-in-rol die
leerervaring stuur en vrae aan die leerders stel wat hulle lei in refleksie. Dis tydens
hierdie refleksie wat kritiese denke bevorder word.
Prosesdrama kan gebruik word om die inhoud van die vak Lewensoriëntering te
onderrig en kritiese denke te ontwikkel. Dit vereis wel dat die onderwyser die
regisseur, akteur, skrywer, onderwyser en selftoeskouer word. Tydens die
beplanning van ’n prosesdramales, moet die onderwyser ’n proses volg waar hy/sy
moet besluit wat die tema, konteks, rolle, dramatiese fokus, spanningselemente en
tekens gaan wees wat tydens die les gebruik gaan word. Om te illustreer hoe drama
as onderrigmetode aangewend kan word binne die vak Lewensoriëntering, word drie
lesplanne opgestel en bespreek.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/80384 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Stols, Amori |
| Contributors | Pretorius, Mareli Hattingh, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | vii, 133 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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