This is an action research that this researcher, who is the class teacher of Parang Class of Donghwa Kindergarten, conducted with the interest in the improvement in the juvenile drama activities taken in the class. This research purports to find out t...
This is an action research that this researcher, who is the class teacher of Parang Class of Donghwa Kindergarten, conducted with the interest in the improvement in the juvenile drama activities taken in the class. This research purports to find out the problems with the juvenile drama activities, to analyze any changes in the teacher's roles and the children that are found in the process of solving the problems, and then, to improve the teaching-learning method. Based on the research goals, the following research questions were asked:
1. What were the problems with the juvenile drama activities taken in Parang Class consisting of 5-year old children?
2. How did the teacher's roles change to improve the juvenile drama activities in Parang Class?
3. How did the children of Parang Class change in taking juvenile drama activities?
This research was conducted in Parang Class consisting of 5 year old children of Donghwa Kindergarten located at A-gu, Incheon. 30 children of Parang Class and the class teacher, this researcher, participated in the research. It was conducted from March 14, 2008 to July 15, 2008. In order to find out any problems, the children performed a juvenile drama once, and in order to solve the problems, it was performed 6 times.
For this action research, the action research model was referred, which is composed of: the step of finding problems and making aplan for changes; the step of practicing the plan and observing changes and results; the step of examining (reflecting on) the process and results; the step of practicing a corrected plan, observing, and reflecting on. Data were collected through participating observation, photographing and video filming, in-depth interview, and writing a journal. This research interpreted the collected data by type, categorized them, and then, analyzed.
The results of this research are as follows:
In the juvenile drama activities that this researcher led at ordinary times, a small number of children among many children were cast to several characters. In this process, the children who were not cast to the characters they wanted complained about it and conflicts were caused. The children had difficulty in entering the stage, leaving the stage, reading their lines, and acting. In order to solve those problems, this research assigned all the children to a role of a writer, staff, or actors/actresses. In addition, through the integrated activities regarding a drama, it planned for them to be familiar with the topic of a drama, its characters, and story, and then, practiced it.
In the improvement process for the juvenile drama which was performed 6 times, the teacher read the story and the role play and the integrated activities regarding the story were taken. When the children played the roles of a writer, staff, and actors/actresses, the teacher worked as a presenter, a demonstrator, a participator, or a supporter. As the drama was performed repetitively, the teacher reduced her involvement in the children's roles, and just worked as a passive supporter and permitter for the children's full roles.
Third, the children played the roles of a writer, staff, actors/actresses, audience, or evaluators. As the drama was performed repetitively, the children were changed into the writer who understood the story and expressed it from the writer who just presented some words only. The children playing the roles of staff could make creative items, instead of fixed items, and they cooperated with their colleagues. At first, the children playing the roles of actors/actresses didn't play their roles to the full in terms of reading the lines, acting, entering the stage, and leaving the stage, but as the drama was performed repetitively, they could express the characteristics of the characters and show creative ideas. The children, who were the audience, were changed into the participators who helped the actors/actresses' entering and leaving thestage, and reading the lines. Finally, the children simply evaluated the actors/actresses in the beginning, but as the drama was performed repetitively, they concretely evaluated the actors/actresses' acts and the interpreter's roles, and even they evaluated from the viewpoints of the audience who enjoyed the drama.