Winston, Joe (1996) An inquiry into the relationship between drama, traditional stories and the moral education of children in primary schools. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis is an inquiry into the relationship between drama and traditional
stories and their potential contributions, when used together, to the moral
education of young children. The stimulus for this inquiry has stemmed from my
own academic interests and professional practice as a teacher educator for the
primary age range. It is underpinned by a belief that this is an area which has been
both under-researched and under-theorised but that it is nonetheless of interest and
importance for drama teachers, primary teachers and others who share an interest
in the moral development of young children. The research has proceeded with
two parallel but closely related forms of inquiry. The one has been an academic
investigation into those theoretical issues which underpin the project and the other
has consisted of fieldwork within primary classrooms, centred upon my own
teaching. In its final form, the thesis is presented in two parts of roughly equal
length, the one concentrating on theoretical concerns, the other consisting of a
critical analysis of my own classroom practice, where issues of theory are
investigated as they directly impinge upon it. However, it has been a key aim
throughout this project to relate theory closely to practice, so that the one might
continually inform the other as the research progressed. In the introduction, I give
an account of the genesis of the inquiry, provide an argument for its significance to
the contemporary educational debate and give a clear exposition of its parameters.
In Part I, I begin with a discussion of current developments in moral educational
theory and make the case for the importance of narrative and narrative literature in
the development of moral understanding. In applying these theories to literary
versions of traditional tales, however, it becomes quickly clear that the area is
problematic and informed by contradictory theories and profound disagreement. I
propose that the narrative form of these tales is inappropriate to didactic moral
teaching and argue that a perspective which is informed by their mythic and oral
origins is best placed to help our understanding of how they can be harnessed for
the purposes of moral learning. I argue that there are historical and artistic
reasons for seeing an important role for drama. in this process and examine how
moral processes are engaged and informed by the dramatic event. In Part IT, I
introduce the fieldwork with a critical look at how the practices of drama in
education can be used to engage children in ethical exploration as defined within
the parameters of this inquiry. I provide a detailed account of the research
methodology followed by three case studies, each of which recounts and analyses a
series of lessons with three separate classes of children, centred around three
distinct traditional tales. These case studies are discursive in nature, each focusing
upon issues and questions generated by the particular stories and lessons. They
are informed by the theoretical exposition in Part I but generate their own
theoretical perspectives and hypotheses which I propose to have implications for
general classroom practice within this area. In the concluding chapter, I propose
that the theoretical thrust and practical findings of the project signal an important
role for drama in a school's moral education policy and suggest particular areas of
inquiry which would further inform this argument.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Education, Primary -- Great Britain, Education, Primary -- Activity programs , Drama -- Stories, plots, etc., Drama -- Study and teaching -- Great Britain, Moral education (Elementary) -- Great Britain
Official Date:	September 1996
Dates:	Date Event September 1996 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Institute of Education
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Extent:	319 leaves
Language:	eng

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