The contribution of drama pedagogy in developing adolescents’ self-confidence: a case study

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the contribution of drama pedagogy to the enhancement of adolescents’ self-confidence. It presents the results of a research conducted to a sample of 42, 11^th grade senior high-school students of the Music School of Piraeus, Greece. Specifically, the research program consisted of 16 weekly workshop sessions attended by the students of the experimental group. The aim was the enhancement of the general self-confidence and of seven domains of the students’ special self-confidence via drama pedagogy techniques. The data were collected via a mixed method approach combining quantitative data resulted from questionnaires and qualitative data extracted from observation diaries and semi-structured interviews. The results confirmed the working research hypothesis and the relevant bibliography, since all students of the experimental group improved their general self-confidence and also six out of seven domains of their special self-confidence.

KEYWORDS:

• Self-confidence
• drama pedagogy
• self-esteem
• mixed method
• Music School of Piraeus

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Aikaterini Asimidou

Aikaterini Asimidou has been a High School teacher of music since 1996. In 2008, she became a member of the teaching personnel of the Music School of Piraeus. In 2020, she received her MA in Drama and Performing Arts in Education and Lifelong Learning from the School of Fine Arts of the Department of Theatrical studies of the University of the Peloponnese. Her research interests concern the implementation of Drama Pedagogy techniques in helping the students develop their self-confidence, and developing drama techniques in teaching music.

Antonis Lenakakis

Antonis Lenakakis is Associate Professor of drama/theatre pedagogy at the Department of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Education of the Aristotle Univesity of Thessaloniki, Greece. He has taught drama/theatre pedagogy on a graduate and post graduate level at the University of Fine Arts of Berlin and at the Universities of Vienna and Cyprus, as well as at several Greek Universities. His research interests include drama/theatre pedagogy theory and practice in formal, non formal and informal education and in teachers’ training, and his writings are included in Greek and international journals, conference proceedings and collective volumes.

Asterios Tsiaras

Asterios Tsiaras is Professor in the Department of Theatrical Studies at the University of the Peloponnese. He has written articles and papers on many different aspects of Drama Education and Dramatic Play. His current research interests are focusing on the teaching of poetry through drama and the contribution of drama in increasing the emotional intelligence of young people.