Doukmak, Reem (2019) Understanding the Syrian refugee educational experience : engaging with a drama intervention by Syrian refugees in Turkey. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

The refugee crisis is making headlines around the world as one of the worst humanitarian crises in recent times. Millions of people, including myself, have been forced away from Syria. In this thesis, I address the refugee crisis through a small-scale action approach where I introduce drama as an innovative method to the English language classrooms of Syrian refugees in camp and urban schools. The thesis draws on two main research field trips to the Turkish-Syrian borders in 2014 and 2015. The overarching research question driving this thesis investigates the educational situation of these schools and how collaboratively engaging refugee teachers in educational interventions is desirable and possible. This stands in contrast to most of the interventions whereby the focus is on refugees rather than with them.

According to participants’ educational experiences, refugees live in a liminal space where they are caught in between different physical and virtual spaces. Their in-between position renders them uncertain and in search for change to improve their livelihoods. The Turkish unpredictable integration policy has added up to their uncertainty and has contributed to many teachers and students dropping out of school. While volunteer teachers were seeking job opportunities with NGOs, students were looking for cheap labour opportunities to support their families. Lack of resources and space to play, untrained teachers, and using traditional teaching methods were reported among the main obstacles for teachers. Being aware they needed change and being willing to collaborate to bring about change to their classes, teachers reported how drama created ‘a revolution’ and how students responded positively to the intervention.

Taking into account the fluid nature of the refugee context, it was appropriate to adapt a case study design to capture the reflexive relationship between the nature of the changing context and the process and outcomes of the research itself. I used methods such as ethnography and participant observation at the initial stage of the research to gain a good understanding of the nature of the context. My participatory action research project was developed with refugee teachers. Formal and informal interviews, workshops and classroom observation all contributed to gathering participant views and perspectives on the innovation. Their collaboration in terms of access negotiation and drama implementation shaped how the current intervention took place. The thesis also provides a commentary on the role of the researcher, her background, stance and position. Overall, the research process enabled some of the teachers to embrace aspects of drama in their classrooms (even when I was not present). Most importantly, it succeeded in creating a positive atmosphere in a very challenging and bleak situation.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare L Education > LC Special aspects of education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Drama in education -- Turkey, Refugee children -- Turkey -- Education, Refugee camps -- Turkey, Syria -- History -- Civil War, 2011- -- Refugees
Official Date:	October 2019
Dates:	Date Event October 2019 UNSPECIFIED
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Centre for Applied Linguistics
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Mann, Steve, 1960- ; Richards, Keith, 1952-
Sponsors:	Council for At-Risk Academics ; University of Warwick
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	(313 leaves in various pagings : illustrations (chiefly colour)
Language:	eng

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