The Teaching Of Drama In Secondary Schools: How Cambridgeshire Teachers Feel The Subject Should Be Taught In Relationship To The National Curriculum

Abstract

This research aims to explore teachers' views and beliefs with regard to drama as they attempt to define their subject and discuss its content. It examines the debates of the major theoristsfor drama, including Heathcote and Hornbrook, and considers the views and beliefs of teachers in the field to see which models oflearning are reflected in their teaching. Teachers are required to teach drama to English National Curriculum objectives at Key Stage Three, where drama is not regarded us U discrete subject, but is subsumed under English Attainment Target One, 'Speaking and Listening'. At Key Stage Four, drama is regarded as a separate subject from English, where it is taught according to specific Drama GCSE syllabuses. The question is whether teachers ' beliefs about the content, learning and assessment of drama complement the National Curriculum objectives in Key Stages Three and Four. Consequently, further investigation is carried out with regard to which orientation to content, learning and assessment is reflected by the National Curriculum. Teachers ' beliefs concerning subject content, learning and assessment are considered generally us well as with explicit regard to drama teaching itself; to see whether there is a mismatch between the views embodied by the major theorists, teachers' beliefs and the National Curriculum