Using drama in teaching writing at grade 11 in a private school English course : an action research project

Abstract

This action research has four major purposes. The first purpose is to investigate how drama activities can be used in teaching process writing. The second purpose is to examine the way drama methodology affects the students attitudes towards writing. The third purpose is to find out if drama helps the students in the writing process. The fourth purpose is to discover whether the students respond positively towards the use of drama. An action research was conducted in order to give answers to the four purposes. To collect data, an exploratory qualitative methodology with five different sources of information was used: observation reports, classroom teachers interview, focus group interview, researchers diary and critical incident reports. The results of the classrooms observations showed that the students are taught in a traditional way. The results of the classrooms teacher interview revealed that the students were facing some academic problems in writing. The results of the focus group interview showed that the students were motivated towards the use of drama in teaching writing; the same results showed that drama helped the students in the writing process. Diary analysis demonstrated the students positive attitudes towards the use of drama and the way drama helped in the writing process. Finally the critical incident reports showed a progress in the students attitudes towards the use of drama in teaching writing.