Exploring Forum Theatre as professional learning for high school teachers

Abstract

In the context of teacher professional development, policy trends in consistency and “quick fixes” have narrowed ongoing learning experiences in practice-based education. This thesis aims to contribute to the growing field of research that is exploring approaches to teacher professional development where interactivity, embodiment and critical reflection are the focuses of practice. Using Augusto Boal’s Forum Theatre as a professional development strategy, this research took a mixed method approach of Critical Participatory Action Research, and the reflective and analytical processes of ethnodrama, to explore the considerations facilitators and participants using Forum Theatre make in creating efficacious conditions for professional development. The transcripts of video recordings from the workshops were parsed using participant logs, researcher logs and ethnodramatic coding that incorporated the concept of practice architectures as a lens. The results -- a list of considerations in facilitating Forum Theatre – have been presented as a Research-based Theatre script, with in-character research annotations contributing analysis, so that these considerations can be instructive for others also wanting to explore Forum Theatre in practice-based education.