Drama Approach as an Educational Practice in Secondary Education: A Case Study in a Japanese Middle School

In this study, we aim to investigate the use of the drama approach and its effectiveness within a classroom setting. The drama approach is an educational practice that aims to develop communication, creativity, and critical thinking skills through group interaction and performance. This case study examines the implementation and effectiveness of using the drama approach in a secondary school in Japan. A total of 266 grade 7 students participated in the activities. To analyze the effectiveness, a post-class survey was provided. The student participants were given a survey containing 23 semantic differential questions and one free-response question. The homeroom teachers of the classes also answered five free-response questions. The student survey had a 99.6% survey recovery rate and a 93.6% effective response rate. The results of the survey were positive and demonstrated that the drama activities were able to facilitate communication between peers. Specifically, factor analysis of the semantic differential questions found that there were three significant factors: (1) anxiety and opinion on the activities, (2) communication and cooperation, and (3) personal feelings. Furthermore, the free-response questions to the students and homeroom teachers indicated that the activities were enjoyable, encouraged cooperation and discussion, and helped deepen relationships between students. Through this, we found that the drama approach-based activities were beneficial for the students and worth including in Japanese education.