Mohamed, Noorlinah (2013) At the nexus between theatre and education : a study of theatre artists' teaching practices. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

In Singapore, there is an increasing presence of theatre artists as educators across
varied sectors of the educational institutions. However despite their active
engagement with education, research on what and how they do their teaching is
limited. This thesis sets out to investigate the theatre artists’ teaching practices in
education settings. The literature reviewed as part of this inquiry point to an
identifiable system of pedagogy in the theatre artists’ teaching practices. As such,
one of the key strands of this research is to identify and name what is distinctive
about theatre artists’ teaching practices. But more than just identifying
characteristics, I am interested in understanding if there is an overarching philosophy
that guides these practices. To that end, I conceptualised a framework, which
examines the theatre artists’ teaching practices as inhabiting a nested nexus of two
distinguishably separate fields: Theatre and Education. Each with its own variegated
influences and systems of knowledge and values that govern practices.
Working with an overarching Bourdieusean theoretical framework, in particular
habitus and field, as well as invoking Lyotard’s notion of differend, the study relies
on interdisciplinary theories to aid explication of key concepts related to the study.
The study also employs a melding of ethnographic case study and reflective
practitioner as its methodology. Additionally, it works with “critiquing across
difference” (Lather 2008) as a means to challenge and destabilise the reflective
practitioner lens. This is achieved by structuring the research into two phases. Phase
I involves researching in England. Working with four theatre artists, I examine how
each assumes their position as educators in various education settings both within
and beyond the school environment. The opportunity gained from this experience
informed Phase II research in Singapore, the main focus of this inquiry.
The findings suggest that to understand theatre artists’ teaching practices require an
examination of contexts influencing their teaching acts. This includes their layered
histories of both artistic and teaching experiences as well as the relationship they
have with the school culture and the objectives and needs of their teaching projects.
Additionally, in examining their teaching moments, the study discovers a pattern of
doing the same approaches or strategies, differently. Working from the data, an
overarching world view guiding the construction of their teaching practices is
eventually proposed.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Drama in education -- Singapore, Theater -- Study and teaching -- Singapore
Official Date:	January 2013
Dates:	Date Event January 2013 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Institute of Education
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Neelands, Jonothan
Extent:	viii, 252 leaves.
Language:	eng

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