Chapter 3: The Impact of Drama Pedagogy on English Student Achievement, Attitude, and Empathy

This action research study evaluated a problem of practice which emerged from the apathy and passive responses of students to reading complex literary texts in the high school English classroom. Generally, teachers instructed and explained texts while students received information with little investment and commitment to the literature. The purpose of this study was to determine teaching methods to help students read complex texts closely and develop a deeper comprehension of literature while tapping into the affective domain. Through a convergent mixed methods action research design, the study addressed three research questions that explored how drama pedagogy affected student comprehension, their attitudes toward reading classic literature, and their perceptions of their empathy toward others. Qualitative and quantitative data collection instruments of pretest and posttest assessments, Likert scales, and reflective journals were used. The study revealed that drama pedagogy strategies did increase comprehension and improved students’ attitudes about studying Shakespeare’s work Othello. The study also revealed that the use of drama pedagogy was the impetus for open classroom discussions about social issues, particularly, race and gender. The findings and supporting themes suggest implications for professional development at the school, district, and state level that helps teachers develop and practice drama pedagogy strategies to implement in the classroom. Future research will determine if the drama pedagogy approach to teach literature is effective on other genres of literature such as prose and poetry and with all levels of students.