Cai, Jie (2018) How can drama benefit children’s language learning and moral thinking in a Chinese early years educational context? PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

In my doctoral research, I set out to explore, as a drama practitioner, how drama can benefit children’s language learning and moral thinking in a Chinese early years educational setting. Since the 1990s, when drama education began to be introduced into mainland China, very little academic research has been carried out to examine its development and the ways it has been introduced into specific educational contexts. This research is intended to help Chinese drama practitioners and researchers by presenting an in-depth study of my own attempts to apply a particular approach to drama education in a specific educational setting. This setting - that of a kindergarten - is one of the key areas in which drama education has begun to be practised. I begin the dissertation by reflecting upon current developments in the field in mainland China and problems that persist, particularly in what I see as some confusions between theoretical justifications and the actual practice of drama in Chinese early years education, with particular reference to the influential writings of two leading professors in the field. In the process, I explain the theories that have shaped my own approach. These are very influenced by the practices of drama in education as developed in the UK and, in particular, those I learned and practised myself during the MA in Drama and Theatre Education that I took at Warwick University. For the research in this study, I have applied reflexive-reflective case study as my methodology, and used a personal journal, video recordings, interviews, children’s drawings and recordings of their storytelling, observations, and the critical comments of a member of staff as co-researcher as my research methods. All my teaching was carried out in a local public kindergarten for 5-6 year-old children near the city of Cheng-du, where I currently live and work. My reflections examine the successes and shortcomings of my planning and my teaching; problems related to deeply held educational beliefs and practices that contradicted or undermined drama practice whilst, on the surface, offering it support; strengths and weaknesses of the research itself; and reflections on the key fields of how drama can relate to both language learning and moral education in the early years classroom, as informed by this study. My aim is to offer a thoroughly researched, first-hand experience to inform current and future Chinese drama practitioners of the problematics and possibilities of introducing drama education into Chinese educational settings.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education L Education > LG Individual institutions (Asia. Africa) P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General)
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Early childhood education -- China, Drama in education -- China, Children -- Language -- Study and teaching
Official Date:	December 2018
Dates:	Date Event December 2018 UNSPECIFIED
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Centre for Education Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Winston, Joe, 1953-
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	240 leaves : illustrations
Language:	eng

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