Integrating drama in the primary curriculum

Abstract

In recent years the value of drama in education has been emphasised, however there are still many controversies about this topic. Moreover, people still confuse drama and theatre and think that they are the same. Therefore the first section of this dissertation aims at highlighting the difference between these two concepts preceded by a brief description of the history of theatre and theatre in education. The second section will deal with the process of drama and how it can be used in education. This will provide an idea of how drama can give young people the power to voice their concerns. This section was enhanced with personal experiments done with a particular age group. These experiments showed how actually many-- drama can be integrated in the curriculum without being seen as an extra curricular subject, therefore not as a subject on its own but integrated within the other subjects. The third section shows the work of the Drama Unit, that is, what drama teachers are currently doing within different classroom levels, together with what is being done by the Faculty of Education as regards this topic. Thus, seeing whether their objectives are being reached and what could be suggested for the future in view of integrating drama within other subjects.