The current education climate has brought the development of classroom drama as an art form to a standstill. Practitioners need to make a qualitative leap forward in both theory and practice in order to respond to the cultural demands of the times. By linking the best of the ground-breaking work of Dorothy Heathcote and Gavin Bolton with the…

Drawn from the authors' larger study of teaching artists in dance and theatre arts (Anderson and Risner, Hybrid Lives), this analysis investigated participants' (n = 172) attitudes and beliefs about the need and relevance of a teaching artist credential or certificate. Data were obtained through an in-depth, online survey, electronic…

These two pieces represent a new approach to the presentation of ABER [arts-based educational research] inquiry projects. They are part ABER writing and presentation mixed with more conventionally scholarly voiced writing. "Trois Chaises" is all at once a theoretical examination of ABER practice, a presentation of one ABER practitioner's…

In spite of the influx of articles on practitioner experience teaching in carceral settings, little has been written around the methodologies that best level the inherent inequity between practitioner and ensemble. This article seeks to respond to some of the questions and concerns around the balancing of power structures by describing the…

Seventy-five percent of third grade students who are at-risk will continue to struggle with reading through the years into adulthood, never to recover their potential reading development. Once less-skilled third grade readers reach ninth grade, one in six students are four times more likely to leave high school before receiving a diploma than…

College instructors are content experts but ineffective at creating engaging and productive learning environments. This mixed methods study explored how improvisational theatre techniques affect college instructors' ability to increase student engagement and learning. Theoretical foundations included engagement, active learning, collaboration and…

Community-based interventions have long been seen as mechanisms via which to target marginalised youth in relation to personal development. Research surrounding such interventions has often highlighted the promotion of a range of pro-social behaviours and attributes which, in turn, facilitate an increased sense of social inclusion. This paper…

This article highlights the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts in Richmond, California, which is one successful model of a community-based arts education organization whose central mission is to provide these deep art-rich experiences for students from low socio-economic status (SES) communities, who in this instance are predominately African…

This dissertation discusses how engaging in arts-based identity exploration activities can help traditional-age undergraduates (ages 18-24) develop increased self-awareness and cultural sensitivity. The dissertation first explores the participatory inquiry paradigm and the roles of artistic/creative expression in holistic knowledge creation and…

This mixed-methods study investigated elementary teachers' perceptions of curriculum-based readers theatre (CBRT) as a relevant approach for teaching English language learners (ELLs). I collected quantitative survey data from teachers who worked at the school with the largest population of ELLs in a large Florida school district. The survey…

With this issue, "Research in Drama Education" (RiDE) continues its occasional series of short informational pieces on archives in the field of drama and theatre education and applied theatre and performance. Each instalment includes summaries of one or more collections of significant material in the field. Over time, this will build in…

In "Arts Nation" 2015, the Australia Council documented the current landscape of artistic endeavour in Australia, acknowledging that there are still gaps that need to be filled to build a greater public understanding of the arts in Australia. The contribution of Australian universities to the arts is one such lacuna. This paper seeks to…

This paper analyzes the processes and outcomes involved with mentoring junior faculty in the reappointment, promotion, and tenure (RPT) process at a comprehensive state university and creating a culture supportive of engaged research. Although the university in this case study is governed by a collective bargaining agreement that prohibits the…

Teaching physical theatre successfully relies on a reverence for the human soul in order to cultivate risk-forward embodiment while demanding technical precision. In an effort to illuminate such praxis, this article documents and analyzes the experiences of novice physical theatre performers guided by master teaching artist and performer, Dr.…

Arts-based teaching techniques using physicality help English Language Learners to develop self-awareness. A strong familial and social identity empowers self-expression.