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Dag/1W t/i/ t‘ ' November 12, 1980 Date 0-7639 4 2/“ _ __—.-—. ___..___ .— w: 25¢ per day per item RETURNING LIBRARY MATERIALS: “T Place in bookre tomove charge from circulation records THE EFFECT OF CREATIVE DRAMATICS ON THE ATTITUDES AND READING ABILITIES OF SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS By John Joseph Burke, Jr. A DISSERTATION Presented to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Theatre 1980 ABSTRACT THE EFFECT OF CREATIVE DRAMATICS ON THE ATTITUDES AND READING ABILITIES 0F SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS. BURKE, Jr., John Joseph, Ph.D. Michigan State University, l980 The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not creative dramatics could affect positive changes on the reading abilities and self—concepts of seventh graders. The method of the study included two testing groups. Group A was the creative dramatics group. Group 8 received reading instruction through the laboratory program. The researcher met with Group A for fifty minutes each Monday and Tuesday for one academic year. Their program was divided into four parts. The first lessons were develop- mental exercises consisting mainly of theatre games. This unit was designed to establish a rapport with the students, give them the per- sonal confidence, and the necessary skills for future creative dramatics development. Unit II was on Aesop's Fables, Unit III was on selected stories of Robin Hood, and Unit IV was on Beowulf. Many of the school system's published reading comprehension skill objectives were incor- porated into each lesson. The reading ability of each student was determined by the Reading Ability Scale of the Stanford Achievement Test. The attitudes of each student were measured by the nine sub-scales of the Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form). The pretest of each test was used to verify that Group A and B were not significantly JOHN JOSEPH BURKE, JR. different at the outset of the experiment. The post—tests were used to determine whether or not there was a significant difference between the reading ability and attitudes of the groups after the treatment period. The data were submitted to multivariate analyses of variance. The comparison of the creative dramatics treatment group with the Middle Cities Reading Inventory group on all measures did not yield scores with any statistically significant difference. Positive changes in the students' reading abilities and self-concepts did, however, take place and are documented by the observations of the researcher. Several detailed accounts of personal observations and interactions with the students by the researcher are included in the study. The Middle Cities Reading Inventory was a costly and elaborate approach to teaching reading. The creative dramatics approach cost only a few dollars and was designed so that any teacher in any class could have used the method. At the end of the study the tests showed that both groups had essentially achieved the same results. This is at least economically significant as the creative dramatics approach was so much less expensive. As a reSult of these economic factors and the observations of the researcher, further research in this area is warranted. Many suggestions for such research are given in the last chapter of this study. © Copyright 1980 by JOHN J. BURKE, JR. ‘ TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ........................... LIST OF APPENDICES ......................... CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; A. Statement of the Problem ............... B. Review of Literature ................. C. Objectives ...................... 1. General Hypothesis ................ 2. Specific Hypothesis ................ II. METHOD .......................... A. Description of the Sample ............... 1. Subject ...................... 2. Population Characteristics ............ 3. Method of Selecting the Sample .......... 4. Teacher Descriptions ............... 5. Definitions .................... B. Description of Measures Used to Collect Data ..... l. Stanford Achievement Tests ............ 2. Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) ....... C. Analysis Techniques .................. Phase I — Development of Research Design ....... Phase II - Testing .................. iv V 16 16 16 18 18 18 19 19 20 21 21 22 25 30 34 35 CHAPTER Phase III - Methods and Materials . . . ....... Unit I - Introduction ...... Unit II — Aesop's Fables ............. Unit III - Robin Hood ............... Unit IV - Beowulf ................. III. RESULTS ......................... A. Statistical Data ................... B. Observation ..................... Unit I - Introduction ............... Unit II - Aesop's Fables ............. Unit III - Robin Hood ............... Unit IV - Beowulf ................. IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................. A. Summary of Hypotheses, Methods, and Conclusions ..................... B. Discussion ...................... C. Suggestions for Further Research ........... BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................... APPENDIX . . ........................... 43 47 51 55 60 60 69 69 71 72 74 76 76 78 81 Table 2.1 LIST OF TABLES Page Reliability Coefficients and Standard Errors of Measurement for Intermediate II Reading Tests, Stanford Achievement Test, Intermediate Battery II . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Reliability Coefficients and Standard Errors of Measurement, Beginning of Grade 8, Stanford Achievement Test, Advanced Battery . . . ............ . . . ...... 25 Reliability for the Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) . . . 30 Hypothesis, Dependent Variables, and Instruments to Provide Data to Test Influence of Creative Dramatics on Selected Students at Otto Junior High School (September T974 to June l975) .................. 35 Mean Scores for Ten Dependent Variables, Used to Find the Influence of Creative Dramatics on Selected Students of Otto Junior High School (September T974 to June 1975). The Students Are Categorized According to High, Medium, and Low Learners . ..... . ..... . . . . 61 Mean Scores for Ten Dependent Variables, Used to Test the Influence of Creative Dramatics on Selected Students of Otto Junior High School (September 1974 to June l975). The Students Are Categorized According to Teachers . . . 63 The Number of Students Showing Either Improvements (+), No Change (0), or Regression (—) of Their Scores from the Pretest Compared to the Post—test for Hypotheses I through X. The Students Are Categorized According to Teachers . 65 The Number of Students Showing Either Improvement (+), No Change (0), or Regression (—) of Their Scores from the Pretest Compared to the Post— test for Hypotheses I through X. The Students Are Categorized According to High, Medium, and Low Learners . . . . 67 Table II. III A. III B. LIST OF APPENDICES Page The number of students receiving particular scores in the SAT pretest. The chart is SAT scores vs. teachers. The graph is the SAT scores vs. the frequency of scores . . 94 The number of students in the Treatment A and Treatment B that had complete data at the end of the school year . . 95 Students from the Treatment A who improved (+), showed no change (0), or who regressed (-) on each of the tests . 96 Students from the Treatment B who improved (+), showed no change (0), or who regressed (—) on each of the tests . 97 :1 .l.. . . . JIJIIN IWHMJWASITVn-Wh'lmid. . CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY A. Statement of the Problem A common element in the make-up of most children is their ability to play. Whether underprivileged or wealthy, introverted or extroverted, children play. They play cars; they play school; they play spacemen. There is hardly a thing, which at some time or other, they do not play. The intensity, spOntaneity, and originality with which they play only hints at the possibility of play as a tremendous resource for learning. John Holt says that l'Play . . . is children's work, and we cannot learn anything important from them or help them learn anything important unless we can play, and play with them.“1 This play then, if properly used, is an important educational tool. Perhaps it is one of the most important educational tools for play is common to all, and while being common to all, allows each person to retain a certain individuality. Here then, is the key to its usage within the educational structure. It has a popular appeal while it seizes upon the single most vital educational quality in all of us, namely, our individuality from whence comes our imagination. It is the combining of these two elements, the common desire to 'play and the individual imagination, that is the foundation of the creative dramatics approach to teaching. Creative dramatics is an 1John Holt, How Children Learn (New York: Pitman Publishing Corpora— tion, 1967). interaction between a teacher-guide and a student—creator—participator within the classroom. The teacher is a play instigator bringing the class as a whole toward given educational objectives. The student is an individual creator in that it is his imagination which defines the process whereby these objectives are achieved. He is a participator in that through the give—and-take of the classroom society he sees his ideas brought to life by his fellow students, while he in turn helps to give life to theirs. Creative dramatics then is a process which deals with both teacher objectives and student ideas--a real “learning to do by doing” situation. Brian Way is also of this mind when he writes that a drama might be simply "to practice living”.2 He also states that “drama is concerned with the individuality of individuals, with the uniqueness of each human essence".3 It is out of this combination that Nay sees creative drama developing the whole person. He sees creative drama developing people emotionally, intuitively, socially, and intellectually. Dan Cheifetz describes case by case the effect creative playing had upon his workshops at the Duane United Methodist Church in New York City. In one case he describes the importance of a particular student's choices in various pantomimes: “. . . Actually, I believe it was a sign of health in Stan to choose those roles to play for us, just because they were so 2Brian May, Development Through Drama, (New York: Humanities Press, (1967) p. 6. 3Ibid., p. 3. important to him. It was also a sign that Stan has much unex— plored creative capacity in himself. There was crude but true art in Stan's perky frog and poignant clown; his deeper feelings inspired and penetrated the images he showed us. The workshop not only gave him the opportunity to act out true images, but also showed him how he could harness his feelings for creative endeavor. Perhaps Xhe experience will serve him as a precedent for future growth." Indeed this and other actions, served as many precedents for all the children as Cheifetz explains how much they changed, each in very per- sonal ways, as the workshop progressed. John R. Sharpham of Illinois State University sees creatiVe drama as an educatiOnal tool to be used on all levels. "It is not for children alone though they should work with it a great deal. Children learn through playing in drama; they can try things out, explore new roles, imitate a variety of models, stretch and experiment with their growing vocabulary and learn to share with and relate to other people. Drama, a structuring of the play process, has widespread educational implications. It can provide a safe and legal environment in which life styles can be tried out and experimented with. The questions ‘Who am I?', 'Where am I?‘ are at leasg as important for the teenager as they are for the young child.” He goes on to say that from this type of educational experience comes a desire to share ideas and a true sensitivity to one's self and others. It is interesting to note that Sharpham suggests creative play should not stop with elementary school, but rather continue straight through to adulthood. Toying with ideas and the development of imagination, 4Dan Cheifetz, Theatre In My Head (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1971), pp. 37—33. 5John R. Sharpham, A Position Paper on Creative Drama (Normal, Illinois: Illinois State University, 1976), p. 3. are just as vital to the junior high and high school student and adult as they are to the elementary school child. All three of the writers mentioned; Way, Cheifetz, and Sharpham agree that a great deal of self realization can be gained through the use of creative dramatics in the classroom. With this in mind, one might ask, "What subject then would benefit most from this use?" One answer might be a subject area that is closely aligned with personal and social self realization. Olive S. Niles in an article for the National Council of Teachers of English suggests that this area is "reading". Niles speaks of the importance of a positive attitude in order for the student to be successful with reading. "Climate favorable to reading is always a matter of how people feel about reading . . . It results in emotional security and strong stimulation which make the student reach and stretch because he is eager to grow.” Reading ability then, in students who have had the opportunity to grow in self-realization and self respect, should improve. Since reading would seem to be the key to much other knowledge, Ruth Strang calls reading, ”the royal road to knowledge”.7 Then consequently, student competence in many other subject areas should also improve. No w0nder practitioners of creative dramatics imply that creative 6Kenneth S. Goodman and Olive S. Niles, Reading, Process and Program, (Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English, 1970), p. 45. 7Ruth Strang, Constance M. McCullough, Arthur E. Traxler, The Improve- ment of Reading, (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1967 , p. 296. dramatics is more than just a means of stimulating imagination and creativity; that they insist that creative dramatics is a teaching tool which can be used at all levels and with almost any subject matter; and that they believe creative dramatics will improve the classroom environment, resulting in a better learning atmosphere. Further, they state that creative dramatics develops the whole person, improves his opinion of himself, and it, combined with a better learning environment will result in academic improvement, especially with regard to reading ability. This study is an attempt to find out whether creative dramatics can affect positive changes on the child's reading ability and self- concept as the literature would seem to indicate. If creative drama can help students to feel better abOut themselves, their surroundings, and create a pleasant environment, then perhaps learning would come easier, and as Olive Niles suggests, their reading ability might im- prove. The researcher met with three seventh grade classes at the c.w. Otto Junior High in Lansing, Michigan for two periods each week for an entire academic year. These three classes were given a creative dramatics approach to the literature prescribed by their seventh grade syllabus. Two measures were used: one for reading, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich's Scholastic Aptitude Tests; and the other for self-concept, was taken from the Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey, Intermediate Form, Final Report: Evaluation of the 1972-1973 Elementary Schools' Individualized Learning Project: Detroit. Their regularly assigned teachers conducted classes for the remainder of each week and no specific reading or creative dramatics instruction was given during this time. The remaining seventh grades received the Middle Cities Reading Laboratory instruction from a specialized reading teacher. These stu— dents had their regular classroom teachers during the rest of the week. The Middle Cities Reading Laboratory group was similarly tested and no effort was made to incorporate creative dramatics into this approach (for greater detail, see Chapter II, MethodolOQY). While no statistically significant difference was measured between the creative dramatics participants and the Middle Cities Reading Laboratory participants, positive changes were noted so that the methodology and creative dramatics content of this study are important and sh0uld be considered. In addition, the fact that there was no sta- tistically significant difference between the programs suggests that both programs were equally important, and equally valid. B. Review of Literature A review of current literature was undertaken for the usual reasons, to ascertain what had already been accomplished in the field, and to avoid any duplication. Four criteria were established to determine which studies would be reviewed. While all studies considered dealt with creative dramatic's research, the first criterion was age differ— ence; second, the type of method and analyses used; third, the unique- ness of approach to thematic centent; and fourth, a close relationship to this study. Thirteen studies were chosen to be reviewed in detail. Some of them involved the lower elementary levels and, because of the age difference, were reviewed primarily for their methods and analyses. These were Blank, Laufe, Irwin, Karoith, Dippon, and Ziegler. Four studies were reviewed because their approaches to thematic content were unique. These were Chambers, Gilmore, Weis, and Zinsmaster. Three studies came closest to the intent of this researcher. Hogya's study used eighth graders and developed the Thurman Creative Dramatics Abili— ties Test. Ridel concentrated on ninth graders, and demonstrated the closeness between creative dramatics and originality in the Torrence Test. The only study that specifically used seventh graders was Prokes. Prokes' principal method of evaluation was by independent professional observers. While this method is gaining credibility in measuring the success of various teaching methods, this researcher used standard testing to evaluate the results. The studies of Chambers, Gilmore, Weis, and Zinsmaster were essen- tially based upon observation. Chambers8 used the creative dramatics workshop approach with seven to twelve-year—olds in three settings; a library, a children's hospital, and a Jewish Center. Chambers met with the staff of each setting and determined what the institutions' objectives would be for a creative dramatics program. He observed that these objectives were met as the study progressed. 8Robert Chambers, ”Creative Dramatics, Learning or Play?“ (unpub- lished Master's thesis, Department of Speech, Ohio State University, 1956). Weis9 compared the creative dramatics approach to teaching twenty- seven second graders with the creative dramatics workshop approach at a community junior theatre. From Weis' observations, she determined that the classroom approach was more successful. The in-school program had better physical conditions, students with a similar level of maturity, more time available to develop it, and a disciplined democratic atmos- phere in which creativity could take place. Weis' results reaffirmed this researcher's approach, namely, using creative dramatics in a classroom rather than in another setting. A comprehensive creative dramatics program was developed by Gilmore10 that grew to include creative conversation, creative panto— mime, puppetry, creative writing, and play productions. Gilmore tried to develop social skills, standards, and relationships with forty—nine students of elementary school age. She did notice strengthened rela— tionships between the students as the study progressed. It was often observed in the present study that creative dramatics would provide opportunities to strengthen friendships among the students. For example, as the groups developed their ideas for the puppet presentations, one student would suddenly discover that a good friend could draw, or sing, or dance. This discovery of talent in their classmates often 9Lois D. Weis, “Creative Dramatics, A Comparative Study.“ (unpub— lished Master's thesis, Ohio State University, l966—67). 10Iris Pavey Gilmore, ”The Use of Informal Dramatic Projects in Devel- oping Social Adjustment on the Elementary Level." (unpublished Master's thesis, University of Denver, T944). strengthened old and developed new friendships. Zinsmaster11 used one third grade class for one academic year for her study. She developed a creative dramatics approach for teaching Social Studies. She observed that students developed the ability to share in the experiences of people in the particular events studied. It is this same empathy for specific events within a social studies context that the researcher tried to develop within a literary context. If students could relate to feelings that become real when removed from the printed page, then maybe reading would become a more valuable experience for them. Six more studies, Blank, Laufe, Irwin, Karoith, Dippon and Zeigler used fifth graders or lower for their research. Two studies, Blank12 and Dippon,13 showed significant improvement in vocabulary but not in reading ability. Blank used the creative dramatics method of teaching second graders as prescribed by Winifred Ward but seemed to emphasize the theatrical, presentational aspects rather than the workshop, par— ticipation aspects. This researcher emphasized the workshop and par— ticipation aspects of creative dramatics. Dippon dramatized one or 11Wanna Madyline Zinsmaster, ”Exploring the Contribution of Creative Dramatics in the Social Studies in the Third Grade.” (unpublished Master's thesis, Columbia University, 1962). 12Earl Blank, "The Effectiveness of Creative Dramatics in Developing Voice, Vocabulary and Personality in the Grades.“ (unpublished Doctor's dissertation, School of Drama, University of Denver, 1954). 13Helen E. Dippon, ”Creative Dramatization: Relationship with Read- ing Achievement." (unpublished Master's thesis, Illinois State University, 1966—67). 10 two stories contained in the daily reading lesson. She used the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and detected a significantly higher score in vo- cabulary for the creative dramatics group. Specific vocabulary testing was not done in this current study but vocabulary development was em— phasized in each lesson. Games were developed that would teach and re- inforce the vocabulary needed for the literature that was to be read. Irwin and Laufe both used third graders for their studies. Irwin14 taught 149 third graders and had a control group of 169 students. The program lasted for fifteen weeks. The California Test of Personality yielded differences in favor of the experimental group. Reading and Language Arts grades showed no significant changes. Laufe's15 program used sixty second and third graders selected by their school because of their learning disabilities. Three programs were used: a creative dramatics class, a story telling class, and a control group. The read— ing, positive social traits, and socialization scores showed no signif- icant results. In the area of social adjustment, however, significant scores were obtained between the creative dramatics class and the con- trol class. Laufe and Irwin's studies are very interesting, but difficult to compare to the present study due to the extreme difference 14Eleanor Chima Irwin, ”The Effect of a Program of Creative Dramatics Upon Personality as Measured by the California Test of Personality, Sociograms, Teacher Ratings, and Grades.“ (unpublished Master's thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 1963). 15Muriel R. Laufe, ”The Effect of a Program of Creative Dramatics on Young Children with Specific Learning Disabilities." (unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Fordham University, 1975). 11 in age and grade level of the participants. Karoith and Ziegler achieved some interesting results in testing for creativity. Karoith16 tested thirty-four fourth graders from the Summer Program for Urban Area Children in Minneapolis with the Torrence Test for Creative Thinking. He achieved a significant difference at the one percent level of confidence in favor of one or both experimen- tal groups in the fluency category of the Verbal Test, and fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration categories of the Figural Tests. Ziegler17 divided her students into three categories: creative dramatics, storytelling, and control. She used the Torrence Creativity Test both Figural and Verbal and achieved significant results, but only with the storytelling group. The significance of Karoith and Ziegler's results are again hard to compare to the present study due to the differences in age and grade level. If the present study is replicated, however, serious consideration should be given to the possible use of the Torrence Creativity Test as an additional measurement. Three studies, Hogya, Ridel, and Prokes, treated grade levels 16Emil Karoith, ”Creative Dramatics as an Aid to DevelOping Creative Thinking Abilities.“ (unpublished Doctor's dissertation, University of Minnesota, 1967). 17Elsie Mae Ziegler, “Study of the Effects of Creative Dramatics on the Progress in Use of the Library, Reading Interests, Reading Achieve- ment, Self-Concept, Creativity, and Empathy of Fourth and Fifth Grade Children.” (unpublished Master's thesis, Temple University, 1970). 12 more compatable with the present study. Hogya's18 study focused on the perfecting of the Thurman Creative Dramatics Ability Test. Random samples of eighth graders were used to develop the trial form of the test. The test was then administered to the remaining five year Thurman sample. The Creative Dramatics Abilities Test was assessed by using it as a dependent variable in a two step multiple regression analysis. The second step used teacher ratings as the dependent variable. According to Hogya, the statistical results showed that it is possible to identify achievement in creative dramatics and to predict that achievement over a five year period. While the use of the Creative Dramatics Abilities Test would not have had any bearing on the results of this study, it could be added to any further replications. A com— parison between creative dramatic skills and reading and self-concept would be interesting. Ridel's19 study was conducted by an experienced drama teacher during the course of the school year with a ninth grade class. Obser— vation and the Torrence Creativity Tests were the main methods of analysis. The creative drama group scored significantly better in the Originality section of the Torrence Tests. Questionnaires elicit- ing student attitudes showed enthusiasm for drama and no change toward 18Giles Wesley Hogya, ”Predicting Achievement in Creative Dramatics." (unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Northwestern University, 1974). 19Shelby Jean Ridel, ”An Investigation of the Effects of Creative Dramatics on Ninth-Grade Students.” (unpublished Doctor's disserta- tion, Florida State University, 1975). 13 English. The final writing samples that were scored by independent raters showed favorable improvement for the creative dramatics group. Ridel's study was useful, especially in demonstrating the closeness between creative dramatics and originality in the Torrence Tests. This originality obviously displayed itself in the writing samples of Ridel's students. Prokes,20 the last study reviewed, used forty-five gifted seventh graders selected from three participating schools. Creative dramatics classes were conducted twice a week for two semesters. The principle method of evaluation was observation by independent professional ob- servers scoring their impressions on a rating scale. In addition, the author kept a case-study on each participant. Prokes reports that the results were positive. Exercising the imagination contributed to the development of powers of communication, including understanding, sensi- tivity to others, stronger friendships and trust within the group, and improved self concept. Prokes' study certainly points the direction for the use of creative dramatics with the gifted student. None of the thirteen studies reviewed here develops anything conclusive about the improvement of reading through the use of cre— ative dramatics. Some do show improvement, however, in related areas such as vocabulary development. Blank and Dippon were able to show 20Dorothy Prokes, "Exploring the Relationship Between Participation in Creative Dramatics and Development of the Imaginative Capacities of Gifted Junior High School Students." (unpublished Doctor's dissertation, New York University, 1971). improvement in vocabulary but not in reading; however, this was no higher than the fifth grade level. Laufe and Irwin showed change in personality development and social adjustment on the second and third grade level, but no results in reading or language arts. Karoith and Ziegler were able to achieve significant results in creativity with the Torrence Tests, but again, this was with lower elementary grades. Ridel's work with a ninth grade class demonstrated some relation— ship between creative dramatics and originality as shown by the Torrence Creativity Test. Some further connection was shown in the improved writing samples of the creative dramatics group. Ridel's study seems to reinforce the work of Karoith and Ziegler who show improvement in creativity with the Torrence Tests on a much lower grade level. Prokes' study was evaluated by trained observers and showed the improved social, communication, and self-concept development of seventh graders. The study also reinforces the research of Irwin and Laufe, done on the second and third grade level, concerning the improvement of personality and social adjustment through the use of creative dramatics. The present study was an attempt to combine the best efforts of these studies, but with a definite scientific analysis of the results. Because vocabulary is a natural building block for reading and Blank and Dippon showed the possibility of creative dramatics improving vocabulary, this study added many creative dramatics games and projects designed to develop vocabulary. Because there might be a connection between the healthy, well—adjusted student and his ability to like school and eventually read better, as Irwin, Laufe, and Prokes seem to suggest, this study added group involvement that would emphasize social development, pride, and improved self-image. Because Ridel's development of creativity through creative dramatics eventually im— proved writing skills, specific projects concerning writing ability skills were added to the creative dramatics approach of this study. Zinsmaster reports that students were able to empathize with the participants of specific Social Studies events through the use of creative dramatics. This researcher tried to take a similar approach but with literature. It was hoped that students would be able to see inside characters and actions of a literary work, and after having a firm footing in creative dramatics methodology make those characters and actions come alive. The empathy for the characters and their life lessons would in turn result in lessons the participants could use in their own lives. It was also hoped that the reliability of the results would be increased over previous studies by conducting the study over an entire academic year, having a larger number of students involved, and using a specific scientific analysis of the test results. In short many of the studies reviewed were considerably dissimiliar to the present study especially with regards to intent and participant grade level. The researcher made every effort, however, to incorporate as many positive aspects of these studies as possible into the present study. 16 C. Objectives The intent of this study was to test the following hypotheses: A. General Hypothesis: Students receiving the creative dramatics instructional approach will show significant improvements in reading ability, self-concept, and social growth and adjustment. B. Specific Hypotheses: Students participating in the creative dramatics treatment will: I. evidence higher reading scores than other students. (Stanford Achievement Test) 2. have a more positive definition of themselves with respect to their ability to achieve in academic tasks than other students. (Self-Concept of Academic Ability [SCAA] Scale) 3. have a more positive rating in their likes and dis— likes for their subjects, teachers and classmates than other students. (Satisfaction [SAT] Scale) 4. score less in their view concerning the degree to which their classmates "show disagreement”, tension, or "antagonism” in their interactions than other students. (Friction [FRIC] Scale) 5. have more positive views concerning whether they feel it reasonable to try to do good schoolwork than other students. (Competitiveness [COMP] Scale) 17 6. have a more positive attitude toward the relative difficulty of the level of their schoolwork than other students. (Difficulty [DIFF] Scale) 7. evidence more positive feelings of ”belongingness" in groups within the classroom than other students. (Cohesiveness [COH] Scale) 8. feel a greater sense of control over their environ- ment than other students. (Sense of Control [SOC] Scale) 9. perceive their parents as having higher expectations and evaluations of their school success than other students. (Perceived Parents' Expectations and Evaluations [PPEE] Scale) l0. perceive their friends as having higher expectations and evaluations of their school success than other students. (Perceived Friends' Expectations and Eval— uations [PFEE] Scale) CHAPTER II METHOD A. Description of the Sample 1. Subject. This study was conducted in the seventh grade at Otto Junior High School, Lansing, Michigan. The seventh grade consisted of eleven classes, averaging twenty-eight students each. The total seventh grade population was three hundred and eight students. Three of the four seventh grade teachers participated in the creative dramatics approach. Treatment Group A consisted of one class from each of the participating teachers. Group A was the creative dramatics approach and the subject of this study. Treatment Group B included all remaining seventh graders. Group B received the Middle Cities Reading Laboratory approach to teaching reading skills. This treatment was taught by a specialist employed full-time by the city school board and consisted of individualized lessons to develop isolated reading skills such as alphabetizing, using an index, etc. Each class visited the Skills Laboratory one class period per week. There the student picked up a folder with a pre—designed lesson to strengthen those reading deficiencies previously diagnosed through a city wide administered test. The les50n varied from games, to manipulative activities, film strips, tapes and work- sheets. The students worked in groups as well as individually. Mastery of the skills was determined by post test. 19 2. Population Characteristics. At the time of the study Otto Junior High School had approximately 1,350 students enrolled. Twenty-four percent of this total was identified as minority. Approximately sixty percent of that total were receiving funds from the Aid to Dependent Children Program. 3. Method of Selecting the Sample. The researcher met with the three teachers involved a few days prior to the opening of the school year. The purpose of this meeting was to acquaint the teachers with the study and lay the ground rules for the coming year. Each of the teachers' English classes was to meet once a day for fifty minutes. In each case approximately two periods per week were to be devoted to literature. Since the creative dramatics approach was going to concentrate on the seventh grade literature, it was decided that the creative dramatics instructor would teach these two literature periods each week. These lessons would be each Monday and Tuesday morning, one class from each teacher. There was no prior knowledge by the creative dramatics instructor of the upcoming enrollment, however, the school administration heterogeneously grouped the incoming students. It was thought that this grouping would result in an even cross—section of students. Treatment Group A consisted of three classes: Teacher A with 30 students, Teacher 8 with 29 students, and Teacher C with 23 students, for a total of 82 students. Families moving, program changes, etc. caused a slight attrition during the year of approximately 12 students. 20 Treatment Group B was all of the other students enrolled with these three teachers. This group totalled 176 students. (The remain— ing 50 students were with a fourth teacher that did not participate for the full period of time.) 4. Teacher Descriptions. A description of each teacher is provided below. The personalities of each teacher became more relevant to the study than the researcher had at first anticipated. Teacher A. Teacher A was a man in his early twenties. He was an eager and energetic teacher, willing to try creative and innovative approaches to reach his students. He was very aware of the seventh grader's physiological and psychological problems. He had a very solid rapport with the students which created a relaxed but attentive atmosphere in his classroom. Teacher B. Teacher B was a woman in her late twenties. Her approach to teaching was very formal. Everything in her classroom was organ- ized exactly, assignments were meticulously planned and carried out, and discipline in the classroom was precise. Teacher C. Teacher C was also a woman in her late twenties. She was very much like Teacher A in her willingness to try new and different ways to accomplish goals in the classroom. She was also an amature actress and this permeated her approach to classroom teaching. She had a flair for the theatrical and was able to transmit this energy and excitement to her students. Her students approached new projects with intensity and diligence and as a result, were equally proud of their accomplishments. 21 5. Definitions. In order not to cause confusion later, some brief definitions are in order. This study will refer from time to time to the teacher, the creative dramatics instructor, the researcher, and the creative dramatics teacher. The teacher is the regular classroom teacher of the participants as described above. The creative dramatics instructor is the author of this study when in the classroom conducting a lesson. The researcher is the author of this study as far as other areas of this study are concerned. The creative dramatics teacher is any teacher, anywhere that uses creative dramatics as a teaching method. B. Description of Measures Used to Collect Data Hypothesis I states that the “Creative dramatics treatment will evidence higher reading scores than the other students”. Hypothesis I was measured by using the Stanford Achievement Tests administered and scored by the school system. The Intermediate II Battery21 (copyright 1964) was used as the pretest, and the Advanced Battery22 (copyright 1973) was used as the post-test. Hypotheses II through X were measured by the Student Perception, 21Truman L. Kelley, Richard Madden, Eric F. Gardner, Herbert C. Pudman, Stanford Achievement Test, Intermediate Battery 11 (New York: Harc0urt, Brace & WoFTd, Inc., 1964). 22Richard Madden, Eric F. Gardner, Herbert C. Pudman, Bjorn Karlsey, Jack C. Merwin, Stanford Achievement Test, Advanced Battery (New York: Harcourt Brace JovanovTCh, Inc., 1973). 22 Expectation and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form).23 A pretest=and a post-test was administered by the students' English teachers. The pretest was administered within the first two weeks of school, and the post-test was administered within the last month of the school year. This was done by the regular English teacher on a day not associated with the creative dramatics lessons. 1. Stanford Achievement Tests. The Stanford Achievement Tests were administered and computer scored by the Lansing School System through the Michigan State Univer— sity Computer Center. This was done by each English teacher at the end of the school year in complete accordance with the test instructions. During the academic year, the Lansing School System changed the Stanford Tests from the 1964 copyright to the 1973 copyright editions. It was not known until after the post-test was administered that the publisher, Harcourt Brace & Jovanovich, was not going to compute a comparison formula. As a result, the pretest was used to test for any significant difference among the students as a starting point. The post-test was used to determine any significant difference between Treatment A and Treatment B. A. Pretest: Intermediate II Battery. The Intermediate II Battery reading scores were used as a pretest. 23Lee S. Shulman, Laurence W. Lezotte, Final Report: Evaluation of the 1972-1973 Elementary Schools' Individualized Learning Project (Detroit: City of Detroit Model Neighborhood Agency, In Cooperation With the Detroit Public School, 1973), p 44 23 Reading ability in Intermediate II Battery is measured by the subtests: Word Meaning and Paragraph Meaning. The Word Meaning Test consists of 48 multiple choice 1tems. IIn addition to items measuring knowledge of synonyms, simple definitions, and of ready association, there are included items designed to measure higher- level comprehension of the concepts represented by words, and fullness of understanding of terms. The Paragra h Meaning Test consists of a series of para- graphs, graduated 1n d1ff1culty. One or more words have been omitted from each paragraph. The pupil's task is to demonstrate his comprehension of the paragraph by se- lecting from four choices that are afforded him the prop- er word for each omission. The test also includes com- plete paragraphs about which questions are asked, to be answered by selecting one of four possible choices. Thus, the test provides a functional measure of the pu- pil's ability to comprehend connected discourse involv- ing levels of comprehension varying from extremely simple recognition to the making of inference from what is stated in several sentences. At the time of the national standardization of Stanford Achievement Test (Grades 1-9), norms were developed for each of the subtests listed above; in addition, norms for combined reading scores based on Word Meaning and Paragraph Meaning were developed. . Although the separate subtests are sufficiently reliable, the combined score makes for an additional degree of reliability that is desirable in special situations.24 Validity andFReliability. The validity and reliability of the Intermediate II Battery administered at the end of the Sixth Grade is as follows: (table begins on next page) 24Truman L. Kelley, Richard Madden, Eric F. Gardner, Herbert C. Rudman, Stanford Achievement Test, Report of the Interpretation and Use of Total Reading Scores, Interme 1ate attery ew or : Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1966) p.I. 24 Table 2.1 Reliability Coefficients and Standard Errors of Measurement for Intermediate II Reading Tests, Stanford Achievement Test, Intermediate Battery II. Grade 6 Test r11 rkR20 Std. Error Measurement Word Meaning .90 .90 4.5 Para. Meaning .93 .92 5.0 Total Reading .95 .95 3.0 B. Post-Test: Advanced Battery. The scores pertaining to Total Reading Ability from the Advanced Battery were used as the post—test. Total Reading Ability is measured by the sub-tests: Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension. (table begins on next page) 25Kelley, Madden, Gardner, Rudman, op. cit., p.2. 25 Table 2.2 Reliability Coefficients and Standard Errors of Measurement, Beginning of Grade 8, Stanford Achievement Test, Advanced Battery.26 Grade 7 Test r r Std. Error 11 KRZO Measurement Vocabulary .89 .89 3.1 Reading Comp. .95 .94 3.8 2. Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermedi- ate Form). The Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Inter- mediate Form) was taken for use from the Final Report: Evaluation of the 1972-1973 Elementary Schools' Individualized Learning Project, prepared by Lee S. Shulman and Lawrence M. Lezotte.27 The test was administered by the students' English teachers on a day not associated with the creative dramatics project. No mention was made of that association. The test is administered in a printed nine page booklet. The booklet contained three parts: Part I is a "Circle Your Answer - Yes or No” test consisting of fifty—two questions; Part II is a three 26Madden, Gardner, Pudman, Karlsen, Merwin, op. cit., p. 13. 275hu1man, Lezotte, op. cit., p. 44. 26 part multiple choice test consisting of twenty-two questions; and Part III is a nine question fill-in—the-blank. Only Parts I and II were used and each answer sheet was scored by computer. The Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Inter— mediate Form) contains nine sub-scales of non-cognitive measures. A brief description of each of the sub-scales and an interpretation of the scores follows: 1. Self—Concept of Academic Ability (SCAA): The self-concept of Academic Ability scale is an eight-term scale designed to elicit from students the definition they hold for themselves with respect to their ability to achieve in academic tasks. High scores on the SCAA scale are interpreted to mean that a student has a high concept of his aca- demic ability. 2. Satisfaction (SAT): The Satisfaction scale is a nine-item scale designed to elicit from students their like or dislike for the subjects, the teacher, or their classmates. High scores on this scale are interpreted to mean that students within a given classroom are gen- erally satisfied with school. 3. Friction (FRIC): The Friction scale is a ten-item scale de- signed to elicit from the students their view concerning the degree to which their classmates “show disagreement", ”tension“, or ”antagonism" in their interactions. High scores on the Friction scale are inter- preted to mean perceived friction in the classroom. 4. Competitiveness (COMP): The Competitiveness scale is an 27 eight—item scale designed to elicit from students their view concerning whether they feel it reasonable to try to do school work or do the students perceive that teachers consistently reward only a few selected students most of the time. High scores on the Competitiveness scale are interpreted to mean greater perceived competitiveness in the class- room. 5. Difficulty (DIFF): The Difficulty scale is a nine-item scale designed to elicit from students their view of the relative difficulty level of the school work. High scores on the Difficulty scale are interpreted to mean a greater degree of perceived difficulty in the school subjects. 6. Cohesiveness (COH): The Cohesiveness scale is a nine-item scale designed to elicit from the students their feelings of ”belong- ingness” in groups within. the classroom. High scores on the Cohesive— ness scale are interpreted to mean a greater degree of perceived cohesiveness among the class members. 7. Sense of Control (SOC): The Sense of Control scale is a seven-item scale designed to elicit from students the extent to which they feel a sense of control over their environment. High scores are interpreted to mean a greater degree of perceived sense of control. 81 Perceived Parents' Expectations and Evaluations (PPEE): The Perceived Parents' Expectations and Evaluations scale is a seven— item scale designed to elicit the students perception of the expecta- tions and evaluations that their parent(s) hold for them so far as 28 academic tasks are concerned. High scores on the Perceived Parents' Expectations and Evaluations scale are interpreted to mean that students perceive their parents as having higher expectations and evaluations of their school success. 9. Perceived Friends‘l Expectations and Evaluations28 (PFEE): The Perceived Friends' Expectation and Evaluations scale is a seven— item scale designed to elicit from students their perceptions of their friends expectations and evaluations so far as school tasks are con— cerned. High scores on the PFEE scale are interpreted to mean that students perceive their friends expectations and evaluations of the students' school success to be high. The nine scales used in this test were adapted from two sources. Scale 1, Self-Concept of Academic Ability; scale 7, Sense of Control; scale 8, Perceived Parents' Expectations and Evaluations were taken from Elementary School Climate and School Achievement: A Brief Report by Bookover, Schweitzer, Beady, Flood, Wisenbaker.29 Scale 2, Satis- faction; scale 3, Friction; scale 4, Competitiveness; scale 5, Diffi- culty; and scale 6, Cohesiveness were adapted from the “My Class Inven- tory” by Walberg and Anderson.30 28Shulman, Lezotte, op. cit., p. 44. 29Wilbur Bookover, John Schweitzer, Charles Beady, Patricia Flood, Joseph Wisenbaker, Elementary School Climate and School Achievement: A Brief Report (East Lansing: College of Urban Development, Michigan State Univer51ty, 1976). 30Herbert J. Walberg and Gary J. Anderson, “The Assessment of Learn- ing Environment” (Chicago: University of Illinois Office of EVET- uation Research, 1978). 29 Validity and Reliability. The validity and reliability of scales 1, 7, 8, and 9 were calculated for a project done by Ronald Henderson. "Reliability estimates of the test variables were composed of two independent trials. Each trial was a judgement sample of four hundred students (200 black and 200 white) . . ."31 The validity and relia- bility of scales 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were taken from ”The Assessment of Learning Environments” by Anderson.32 (table begins on next page) 31Ronal Henderson, ”A Comprehensive Analysis of Social Psychological School Climate Variables in White and Black Elementary Schools with Socio-Economic Status and Achievement Controlled“ (unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Michigan State University, 1972), p. 70. 32Gary J. Anderson, The Assessment of LearningiEnvironments: A Man- ual for the Learning Environment Inventory & The My Class Inventory (Halifax: Atlantic Institute of Education, 1973), pp. 10, 14. . I": L 'V ‘ll'I . JV. . . ~.,- .11. 1.. - --; '1 *' "' .- .:.1,j‘t¥i._q 1‘5... Afiilflu .‘ J ,C is 39 l I Oct '. Q" 30 Table 2.3 Reliability for the Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) Test r 1. SCAA .7641 .7563 2. SAT .77 3. FRIC .70 4. COMP .56 5. DIFF .56 6. COH .54 7. SOC .6476 .6495 8. PPEE .7361 .7173 9. PFEE .6703 .7224 C. Analysis Techniques All dependent measures were scored and tallied by computer at the Michigan State University Computer Center. Raw scores were utilized in all statistical analyses with the exception of the SAT reading test. For the reading test raw scores were converted to grade equivalent scores based upon national SAT population means. Grade Equivalent scores were considered to be more interpretable for both the researcher and the reader. 31 An interesting aspect of the pretest scores appeared when the pre SAT scores were plotted against the frequency of the scores. Three peaks developed that enabled the researcher to divide the students into High, Medium, and Low Levels. This added another dimension to the analysis of the data, namely that the ability of creative dramatics to help the low, medium, or high learner could be examined. The graph determining these three peaks is in the Appendix, Table I. The data for all subjects were then submitted to the following statistical analyses: 1) Univariate Analysis of Variance...3 x 2 design Student Levels High Medium Low Treatment A 13 14 15 Treatment B 13 14 15 Dependent Measure: SAT-NGE scores for each subject. 2) Univariate Analysis of Variance. .3 x 2 design Teachers A B C Treatment A 16 16 10 Treatment B 16 16 10 Dependent Measure: SAT-NGE scores for each subject. NOTE: Tables consist of the number of students in the High, Medium, and Low Levels, or the classes of Teachers A, B, or C as established by Table 1, Appendix. I . mug-u wail-I " 3".“ .‘7 ; . [1634.1973‘79" MIN“ 32 3) Multivariate Analysis of Variance...3 x 2 design Student Levels High Medium Low Treatment A 13 14 15 Treatment 8 13 14 15 Dependent Measure: Raw Scores for each subject on the Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form): Subscales: 1. Self-Concept of Academic Ability 2. Satisfaction 3. Friction 4. Competitiveness 5. Difficulty 6. Cohesiveness 7. Sense of Control 8. Perceived Parents' Expectations and Evaluations 9. Perceived Friends' Expectations and Evaluations NOTE: Table consists of the number of students in the High, Medium, and Low Levels as established by Table I, Appendix. 33 4) Multivariate Analysis of Variance...3 x 2 design Teachers A B C Treatment A 16 16 10 Treatment B 16 16 10 Dependent Measure: Raw scores for each subject on the Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form): Subscales: 1. SelffConcept of Academic Ability 2. Satisfaction 3. Friction 4. Competitiveness 5. Difficulty 6. Cohesiveness 7. Sense of Control 8. Perceived Parents' Expectations and Evaluations 9. Perceived Friends' Expectations and Evaluations NOTE: Table consists of the number of students in the classes of Teachers A, B, or C as established by Table 1, Appendix. All statistical analyses were performed utilizing Jeremy D. Finn's program package -— Multivariance: Univariate and Multivariate Analysis 33 of Variance, Covariance, and RegressiOn. 33Jeremy D. Finn,'Multivariance: Univariate and Multivariate Analy- sis of Variance,’CovarT§hce and Regress1on. User's Guide (Chicago: National EducationaT Resources, Inc., 1972). 34 Phase I - Development of Research Design. Although many facts listed below have been stated previously, they will be repeated briefly here to emphasize the logical sequence in the development of the research design. The purpose of this study was to find out whether creative dramatics could affect positive changes on a child's reading ability and self concept. A group of three classes were picked in a large metropolitan junior high school with no prior screening of teachers or participants. At the same time the school system was initiating a new reading approach on the seventh grade level entitled the Middle Cities Reading Inventory. It was determined by the school administra— tion that every student would have one approach or the other, and as a result, no control group could be developed. Three classes were randomly picked, one from each teacher. Teacher A had thirty students. Teacher 8 had twenty-nine students, and Teacher C had twenty—three students. This group made up Treatment Group A. Each teacher had at least two other seventh grade classes and these would serve as the Treatment Group 8. (table begins on next page) 35 Phase II — Testing. The variables involved in each hypothesis were tested by the instrument listed below. Table 2.4 Hypothesis, Dependent Variables, and Instruments to Provide Data to Test Influence of Creative Dramatics on Selected Students at Otto Junior High School (September 1974 to June 1975) Hypothesis Dependent Variable ' Instrument to Provide Data Hypothesis I ~ Reading Ability Stanford Achievement Test (1964 Edition Pretest and 1973 Post-test) Hypothesis II Self-Concept of Student Perception, Academic Ability Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) Hypothesis III Satisfaction Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) Hypothesis IV Friction Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) Hypothesis V Competitiveness Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) Hypothesis VI Difficulty Student Perception Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) 36 Hypothesis VII Cohesiveness Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) Hypothesis VIII Sense of Control Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) Hypothesis IX Perceived Parents' Student Perception Expectations & Expectation, and Evaluations Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) Hypothesis X Perceived Friends Student Perception, Expectations & Expectation, and Evaluations Evaluation Survey (Intermediate Form) Hypothesis I was measured by the Reading Ability Scale of the Stanford Achievement Test. The pretest was the 1964 Edition and was administered at the end of the students' sixth grade. The post-test was the 1973 Edition and was administered at the end of the students' seventh grade. Hypothesis 11 through X were measured by the nine sub—scales of the Student Perception, Expectation, and Evaluation Survey (Intermedi— ate Form) using the same form for the pre and post-tests. The regular teacher for each class administered all tests in order to remove the testing from the creative dramatics program. The pretests were used only to verify that the treatment groups A and B were not significantly different at the outset of the experiment. The post-tests were used to determine whether or not there was a 37 significant difference between the reading ability and attitudes of the treatment groups A and B after the treatment period. Due to cir- cumstances beyond the researcher's control a more complete statistical analysis of the pre and post-test data could not be made (see Chapter 4). Phase III - Methods and Materials. No specific deadlines were placed on any lesson unit due to the possibility of interruptions in the school schedule. Some of the more common interruptions were school assemblies, movies, testing programs, and an inordinate amount of Monday holidays. (This was the first year Monday holidays were celebrated nationally.) In order to retain the needed flexibility the program was divided into four parts, and if more time remained at the end of the school year, an additional unit could have been added. The first part of the program was to introduce the students to the creative dramatics instuctor, to each other, to creative dramatics, and to their own creative abilities. It was designed to take nearly as long as the other three sections put together. Many techniques and experiences were developed which provided the necessary foundation for the latter three units. In an effort to use creative dramatics as it might be used in a conventional classroom setting, the remaining three units centered around literature prescribed by the school system's syllabus. Unit II was on Aesop's Fables, Unit III was on the stories of Robin Hood, and Unit IV was on Beowulf. The Lansing school system's reading compre- hension skill objectives were incorporated into each lesson. 38 Because the lesson plans that follow are several procedural plans combined, some comment must be made first about the function and atti— tude of a creative dramatics teacher in the classroom. The creative dramatics teacher is a guide to the activity during the lesson. The child is the focal point of every lesson. The creative dramatics teacher provides the stimulus necessary to keep the lesson moving and on track. In order to accomplish this a teacher using creative dramatics must constantly examine all the possible alternatives as the lesson progresses. This teacher then becomes a mini-computer, analyzing such questions as: Are these warm-ups relevant and effective? What other warm-ups would accomplish the same effect? Which students are not concentrating? What is the focus of the lesson? Are the majority of students on track with that focus? What exercises could bring those that are not on track closer? What students are successfully ”trying on" the characterizations? How should we cast the characters of the story involved? Are the students showing increased participation as the lesson progresses? Increased concentration? Is the class demon- strating the focus of the lesson in their playing out of the scenes? A teacher wanting to use creative dramatics must be able to answer these questions and then act appropriately. A repertoire of three or four selections for each phase of the activity must be prepared. If the first does not work, the second or third alternative can be tried. A teacher must in short, be able to arrive at the desired end for each 39 lesson, sometimes taking several detours to restructure, reinforce, and reevaluate what is happening on each step of the way. A look at Dr. John Sharpham's objectives for creative dramatics can suggest the perspective each teacher must have while using creative dramatics in the classroom. For the student's intra-personal development, the use of drama will help to: 1. encourage, stimulate, and guide the imaginative potential of each student. 2. aid in the full development of personality by stressing origi- nality and the use of intuition. 3. help toward some fulfillment of personal aspiration by provid- ing for self-expression in a safe, controlled envirOnment. 4. provide for the perSOnal exploratiOn, release and master of the positive inner resources of the child. 5. develop control of the body as an instrument of expression and to become self-confident in expressing imaginary ideas through physical actions. 6. give students confidence in their own ability to express ideas in an imaginary way. 7. provide environment in which students can experience joy and a sense of accomplishment in working with their unique creative potential. 8. develop a confident speech flow in which words express imagi- nary ideas. For the student's inter—personal development, the use of drama will help to: 1. develop an understanding of how to share space and respect other people's work in their space. 4O 2. develop language arts skills in a shared situation such as listening, concentration, verbal communication, understanding of symbolic, abstract concepts. 3. exercise in-depth sharing of ideas in action so that students will learn to give up some of their own uniqueness to work with others in creating. 4. develop an attitude of self awareness and the acceptance of others in mutual respect. 5. have the opportunity to explore different patterns of human behavior by creating roles/characters who will act and react with other roles/characters in human situations. This will enable students to better understand themselves and the world in which they live. 6. develop skills as a group member and develop respect for other members. 7. develop understanding of human behaviors by doing and discus— sion. 8. increase competence and confidence in group work and problem solving. 9. develop ability to accept limitations of other people and build on their strengths. 10. aid in the development 84 improving concept formation in cross—disciplinary studies. The scope of these objectives suggests the flexibility and perception demanded of a creative dramatics teacher. If in the middle of one lesson a teacher realizes that the reason why things are not working is because some skill or attitude has not been developed, this teacher should be able to stop, insert a specific skill lesson reinforcing the situation, and then proceed with the lesson at hand. The creativity of a teacher is frequently demonstrated by his or her ability to keep 34Sharpham, op. cit., p. 42. 41 the lesson coherent and_attractive for the students. A creative dramatics teacher must_consistently create the proper attitudes and environment in the classroom. If the students are eager and committed to their work, and if their environment is safe and guided by a skill- ful teacher, all of Sharpham's objectives can be achieved. The lesson plans that follow are procedural plans and in turn consist of more specific plans for each class period. The singular lesson plans are much more specific and, for example, might deal with developing concentration. Several exercises would develop the ability to concentrate in a group. The creative dramatics instructor might begin the first lesson with sensory exercises such as listening to your environment. This is done individually with the student con- centrating by themselves. Over the course of the next two lessons, he might introduce mirror exercises, first in pairs and then in groups, an imaginary tug-of-war, and others. This sequence of exercises ex- pands the individual's concentration and develops the individual's ability to concentrate within a group on a specific objective. As the concept of story line develops, the exercises could get more and more complex. The focus and concentratiOn of the group in a tug-of- war sequence is not only on the physical presentation of the action, but also on the story line —— somebody wins. Later on, the creative dramatics instuctor might in the middle of a lesson on Robin Hood realize that the class has lost its con- centration due to a vacation or assembly program. A brief warm-up 42 period at the beginning of the lesson could then be used to refocus and gather concentration for the day's lesson. The success of this brief reinforcement is dependent upon how well the foundations were laid in the previous lessons. These procedures were methods used by the researcher in the following lesson plans. The overall objective was consistently adhered to with possible side stepping to recall and reinforce a skill. 43 Unit I - Introduction Topic: Building Skills for Creative Dramatics Development Through Drama, Brian Way35 Improvisation for the Theatre, Viola Spolin36 Purpose: The purpose of Unit I was to introduce creative dramatics to the students, to encourage and develop their own creativity, and develop the skills necessary for future lessons. Units of time were not as- signed to specific lessons. Instead, the researcher used his exper- tise to judge the students' competency before progressing. A day—to— day type lesson plan was developed that reflected the objectives of this overall plan. Competency and movement toward overall goals was assessed weekly. As a point of reference, Unit I lasted for approx— imately twenty class periods. Procedure: A. Creating the environment: Each lesson began with warm—up exercises. These diverted the students from their daily routine and directed their attention to what followed. Warm-ups are more physical than mental, and include a wide variety of theatre games. Specific audio visual suggestions such as photographs, music, graphics, etc, were geared toward the focus of the lesson and 35Brian Way, Development Through Drama (New York: Humanities Press, 1967). 35Vioia Spolin, Improvisation for the Theatre (Illinois: North- western University Press, I963 . 44 selected carefully for that purpose. B. Shaping the Action of the Drama: At this point the creative dramatics instructor gave specific directions defining the theme for today's lesson. If concentration was the objective, for example, then the idea of an imaginary lost article might have been used for this part of the lesson. Questions asked of the class were: "Focus on your lost article. How large is it? What color is it? etc.” C. Aptjpp; A sequence of events was used to develop the theme of the lost article; and to develop concentration from an individual basis to a group basis. The search for an individual's imaginary lost article began in shaping the action of the drama, was carried through to completion in this section of the lesson. Then alternative suggestions were developed. Students were paired and had to assist each other to find a lost object. Larger groups were formed and group purposes were suggested. Finding the key to a room or the way out of a cave are good examples of larger group activities that were used. These pantomimes demanded concentration and sharing on each student's part toward a group objective. D. Discussion and Follow—Up: The effects of story line on the events of the previous lesson were constantly reinforced in dis- cussions afterward. The benefits of having a tug-of—war, for example, in which neither side wins were compared to the benefits of a tug—of—war that has a story to it. First one side appears 45 strongest and begins to move, then some teammates falter, and suddenly the other side pulls to victory. The dramatic appeal of such a story line was always the obvious favorite and the students were encouraged to suggest ways of adding to the event for the next day. In this section of the overall plan, the theme of the warm—ups was the focus of the lesson the day before. This gave a continuity to the many diverse exercises of Unit 1. Example Lesson Topics: Most of the ideas for the lessons in Unit I came from Brian Way's Development Through Drama and Viola Spolin's Improvisation for the Theatre. The Orientation and Introductory exercises of Spolin's are particularly valuable in the beginning of the unit. Brian Way's suggestions for improvisation and story development enable the students to become increasingly more adept at using the creative dramatic process for a variety of topics. Some examples of the exercises used were: Seeing a sport: the imaginary viewing of a sport individually and then collectively. Listening to the Environment: students use their listening powers to hear sounds farthest away, deepest inside them, or in the other room. Feeling Self with Self: students concentrate on various parts of their body to try and distinguish the feel of their clothes from the inside of their bodies. There are a great many variations on this. ‘ . I '*e_4'u:.:'4.-g ~13}. r." A? ‘ -- ' “ 7:;‘3-31 ' ‘ --.- .v . .2. v H1 .1?! \Y' m'd [Tn-vi s z in; anti-see "up . ‘ . .- iiAhXJ'L ;. A 1:1; _.*_1 _ 46 Mirror Exercise: students pair off and appoint a leader. The leader instigates a movement, the partner follows. The closest replication of movement by the partner demonstrates the level of concentration and motor coordination the student is using. Varia- tions on mirrors eventually can include five or six students. Tug-of—War: students take sides and begin an imaginary tug-of— war without rope. Drama takes place when someone wins. The emphasis of drama is useful in pointing out that there can be as much drama in losing as in winning. Where-Games: Imaginary environments are created and the students pantomime the actions appropriate for that place. Gibberish: Conversations are had using gibberish that try to relate some purpose or content by the use of physical expressions or intonations. Conflict: Situations are created that need some resolution. Get- ting out of a stuck elevator is an example. It takes cooperation and concentration of the entire group caught in the elevator. An Episode at an Airport: Various students are assigned specific jobs at an airport. Suggestions of sequence for some very elem— entary action begins the story. The group must then evolve the story line spontaneously remaining faithful to the environment established. 47 Unit II - Aesop's Fables Topic: Aesop's Fables: Fables Selected: "The Wind and the Rain" ”Androcles" I'The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse" ”The Wolf and the Lamb" "Belling the tat"37 Purpose: This lesson introduced students to the concept of story line. The students worked in teams to organize a short presentation of a fable. The technical emphasis was on the concept of a plot outline and then using that outline to write a script. The creative emphasis was on how to tell the story through the use of shadow puppets. Unit II took approximately fourteen class periods. Procedure: A. Creating the Environment: Warm-up activities for each lesson were geared toward a transition from the content of the last les— son to that of the present lesson. Some examples were to ask students to gather pictures of the animals involved in the fables. Discussion of how to develop a two—dimensional cartoon from a realistic picture helped in the construction of the shadow puppets. 37Elizabeth C. O'Daly, Egbert W. Nieman, Thomas M. Folds (eds.), Adventures for Readers, Book One (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World Inc., 1968), pp. 582—585} 48 After the first few lessons the students "tried on" some of these same animals during warm-ups. B. Shpping_the Action of the Drama: In the early lessons, the fables were read. This involved the students in a variable and animated reading style using as many students as possible. Some work was done in this section on recognizing the main idea of a paragraph and/or the main idea of a short story. This began with the students pantomiming proverbs. Gradually the skill at interpreting as well as guessing the pantomimes was included. These proverbs were gradually expanded into paragraphs. The creative dramatics instructor asked questions like, "What does that mean?" The transition was made from the point‘of a paragraph to the main idea in outline form. Auxilliary ideas were added and organized into an outline. The concept of identifying the main theme or idea carried over into working with each fable. The students were able to interpret the fable and then to translate their itemized list of events into an outline for use in drama- tizing that fable. Discussion followed of how different approaches to a fable could effect the interpretation. C. Aptipp; Here the students tried out their ideas. First they actually constructed the shadow puppets. Then they rehearsed the plot outlines with the puppets. They did this in pairs or small groups as they needed help in working the puppets and in other technical operations. Each group in turn presented their shadow 49 puppet version of the fables. D. Discussion and Follow-Up: Comments and comparisons were made by the teacher and class about the presentations. Which ones portrayed the fables accurately? Which were funny? Serious? Why? Could some be done without narration and still be true to the story line of the fable? How could we improve them? What did we learn for our own use in our daily lives? Of what use is an outline? Lansing School System's objectives used for this unit were: Given a reading selection, the learner will determine the main idea of the selection. Given a reading selection, the learner will arrange a series of randomly placed details in chronological order. Given a reading selection, the learner will list characters in- cluded in the selection. Given a printed short story, the learner will identify the setting. Given a reading selection, the learner will skim the selection to locate specific information. The creative dramatics objectives established by the researcher for this unit were: The children will learn how to cooperate with each other, set- tling their own differences, and making decisions to advance their group project. Each student will be able to display various strong points in their talents and personalities to the rest of the class. As a result, they will feel their contribution to the project valuable. Each student will have the ability to extract from reading impor- tant and/or sequential ideas and arrange them in a proper outline form. Each student will see the connection between an abstract of events and a plot outline, and then its use as a script their presentations. 51 Unit III - Robin Hood Topic: Tales of Robin Hood: Tales selected: "Little John Goes to the Fair at Nottingham"38 ”Little John and the Tanner of Blyth"39 ”Robin Hood Compasseth the Marriage of Two True Lovers"40 Purpose: Unit III built on all previous lessons. Group participation and the use of an outline were emphasized. The Robin Hood stories offered much more story line substance with which to work than previous lessons. Technically, the lessons emphasized the further development of an out— line. Creatively, the lessons emphasized characterization and its portrayal. The transformation from textual evidence and dialogue, to the characters as developed by the students themselves, was an in- creasingly greater challenge for the students. Procedure: A. Creating the Environment: Several activities in the Robin prd_stories lent themselves to pantomime warm-ups before each lesson. Standing guard at a campsite, hunting, walking through the woods, and dueling were just a few. An interesting point developed in these pantomimes was the attitudes, demeanor, and 38Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (Santa Rosa: Classic Press, Inc., 1968), pp. 53—59. 391bid., pp. 72-80. 401bid., pp. 128-138. ‘ n J I ' ,— Wsfifimfim m slim If; on gum ILL: ' V 52 lifestyle of each group in the story, namely, those of Robin Hood and his band vs. those of the Sheriff of Nottingham and the towns- people. The development of the contrasting lifestyles of these two groups lent itself very well to the warm-up type exercises. B. Shpping the Action of the Drama: Some emphasis was developed in this lesson to enable the student to read a certain portion of each story. At the end of each period of silent reading, indi- vidual students pantomimed what they had read. The portions to be read were gradually increased as the class progressed from one story to the next. The last story was read while using a work- book questionnaire that the creative dramatics instructor developed. The students answered the questions as they read. Questions at the end of the workbook dealt with theme, characterizations, and story line. The silent reading was an attempt at combining a skill the students needed to develop with the new experience of creative dramatics. No matter how the students liked to work with the stories in an active creative dramatics fashion, development of silent reading skills was necessary. As with every other aspect of creative dramatics, the creative dramatics instructor was equipped to try several other approaches. Silent reading was suggested, not forced upon the students. C. 593193; After all the stories were read, the students were grouped according to what tale they liked the best. Each group assigned script-writers, puppeteers, workers to make the puppets 53 and scenery, and Stagehands. The puppets for these stories were more advanced than the shadow puppets, and were made as sock pup- pets, stick puppets, or whatever else the students would like to try. The script—writers and puppeteers consulted during each les- son with the instructor to work out the weaknesses in their scripts. To reinforce what was taught previously, each group developed an outline that was the basis for “acting out“ each event in the plot. The plot outline was developed into a script and that in turn was rehearsed for presentation. Each group was "try- ing on" the characterizations themselves while they waited for the puppets to be built. An important point in the presentations was the addition of dialogue. These puppet presentations had characters talking to each other, not just following action prescribed by a narrator. Creative dramatics played an important part in the development of this dialogue. The students tried on the characters and saw what dialogue worked in each tale. Finally, each group presented their tales to the rest of the class. D. Discussion and Follow-Up: The instructor led the students in evaluating the presentation. Were the dramatizations accurate representations of the tale as read? Was the dialogue realistic? Did the plot outlines help? Could the presentations be funnier? 54 More serious? How accurate were the costumes? The setting? The teacher commended in the evaluative process the students who had given genuine but perhaps unrecognized efforts. It might have been the student who was a slow reader, for example, who built the puppet stage or scenery. These contributions were en- couraged. Perhaps this was the first time such a student saw the benefit of reading! Lansing School System's objectives used for this unit were: Given the title of a possible story and a series of possible de- tails, the learner selects the details which would be appropriate for the title. Given a written selection, the student will compose a title suit- able to the material. Given a reading selection, the learner will list characters in- cluded in the selection. Given a reading selection, the learner will identify aspects of literature by classifying the selection as humorous or not, with happy or sad endings. Given a paragraph, the learner will locate the topic sentence. Given a reading selection, the learner will identify key words, phrases or passages important to the meaning of the selection. Given a paragraph to read, the learner will be able to identify traits of character found in the paragraph. The creative dramatics objectives established by the researcher for this unit were: The dynamics of these more complicated stories will build upon and further creative dramatics skills of the previous lessons. Each student will be able to take an impersonal character in a reading selection and make him/her personal by adding such partic- ulars as specific speech, costumes, and motivations. 55 Unit IV - Beowulf Topic: Beowulf41 Purpose: Unit IV was the culmination of the creative dramatics skills de- veloped in the previous three lessons. The students were the actors in this story and not the puppets. They were able to ”try on" the charac- ters for themselves through improvisations. They noticed the difference between giving life to the character themselves and being able to hide behind a puppet. A gradual building of skills developed into a video tape presentation involving every member of the class. A. Creating the Environment: By now, the class was fairly expert in the use of warm—up exercises. Warm-ups were done before each class in order to reinforce the transitions from the last lesson and build upon the new for this lesson. Particularly important for Beowulf was the introduction of the vocabulary necessary to read the story. Many vocabulary games were adapted for use here. The instructor ended each warm-up ”trying on” characters in the story. B. Shaping the Action of the Drama: The tale of Beowulf was read aloud in a dynamic, interesting fashion, involving as many of the students as possible. The instructor then developed collectively with the whole class a general outline to be used 41Anne Terry White, The Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends (New York: Golden Press, 1959), pp. 68181. 56 as a guide. Improvisations of each section of the plot outline began to refine and sharpen the students' opinions as to what was important and should be included. A short lesson was incor— porated on the use of video equipment. Some discussion followed on the creative aspects of video equipment. For example, What does it do to one's presentation? What is meant by framing a scene? What are the staging limitations of video equipment? Improvisations used previously to develop the plot outline were now combined with the use of the video equipment. The use of video equipment seemed to improve the improvisational abilities of the students. C. Aptigp; The instructor then began to break the class up into areas of responsiblity for the final presentation. Video crews, scriptwriters, actors, set builders, and costumers were picked. As before, while the crews were building the necessary props, sets, and costumes, the instructor worked with the actors, director, and video crew developing their improvisations of the plot out- line. A final presentation was made of the finished video tapes. Each class chose a different approach to telling the story of Beowulf. Two classes worked more towards a traditional presen— tation, while the third chose a more novel approach. They presented the story of Beowulf as a present-day T.V. newscast. While their presentation of characters was accurate according to the legend, they cleverly interspersed interviews, flash bulletins, 57 and news analyses throughout the plot. This contemporary twist made their interpretation the best. It should be noted that the nature of video tape equipment tends to fix the product each class is working towards. The creative dramatics instructor carefully avoided placing too much emphasis on the finished product. Doing so would defeat many of the creative dramatics objectives that have been carefully devel- oped so far. D. Discussion and Follow—Up: The last lesson of the unit con- sisted of viewing the final tape of Beowulf. Most of the dis- cussion afterwards was dictated by the tape itself. What worked? What didn't? Were things different on tape? Did they know the story of Beowulf now? How could they improve the taping next time? Since this was the last unit, some discussion took place about what the students had learned for the entire year. The possibilities here are endless. The discussion pointed to the highlights of the year and gave encouragement to each student to continue using his/her imagination, develop reading abilities, and never be afraid to be a creative person. Lansing School System's objectives used for this unit were: Given a short story, the learner will state the main idea. Given a reading selection, the learner will demonstrate ability to read with understanding by answering questions about details. 58 Given a reading selection, the learner will demonstrate ability to read with understanding by answering questions about the sequence of events. Given a short story to read, the learner will demonstrate ability to read with understanding by answering questions about main ideas. Given a reading selection, the learner will skim the selection to locate specific information. Given a paragraph describing a character in a particular situation, the learner will identify emotions he imagines were experienced by that character, consequent to the situation described. Given a paragraph to read, the learner will identify the author's purpose in writing a selection (e.g , entertainment, instruction, or persuasion). The creative dramatics objectives established by the researcher for this unit were: All of the skills being taught in previous lessons will be re- emphasized in this lesson. The students will see the need for starting with something simpler and working up to the complexity of the project. They can take confidence in their past successes and realize that creativity, organization, and cooperation will get them through. The students will become familiar with and eventually operate video playback equipment. This information should go beyond just the manual operation of the equipment and also deal with the artistic concepts of operation. These would include framing, emphasis, characterization, mood, tone, etc. The students will have a product to View when completed. It must be stressed that this product does not violate the most important rule of creative dramatics and become a ”performance”. The stu- dents are doing it for their own rewards inherent in the comple— tion of the project and the creative dramatics process. The final presentation must not become a life or death situation or an overpowering end in itself. The video equipment does have a certain creative reward and magic that should be enjoyed by the class as a whole after the project is completed. Emphasis should be placed on the more complex aspects of character development. Discussions will arise from the improvisations con- cerning motivation, truth, justice, moral, etc. These should be nurtured through analysis of character development. It is 1.11 tant here again to have a method of discussion that will in‘: 1' all students in the process, even those who have chosen to build scenery, costumes, etc. _ Chapter III Results The data were submitted to multivariate analyses of variance as described in Chapter II. The comparison of the creative dramatics treatment group with the Middle Cities Reading Inventory group on all measures did not yield scores with any statistically significant difference. Positive changes however, in the students' reading abilities and self-concepts did take place in that both groups tested equally better than had those in previous years. The results will be presented in two segments. First, a presen- tation of the statistical data. Second will be an examination of some personal observations made by the creative dramatics instructor. A. STATISTICAL DATA: (table begins on next page) 60 61 Table 3.l Mean Scores for Ten Dependent Variables, Used to Find the Influence of Creative Dramatics on Selected Students of Otto Junior High School (September 1974 to June 1975). The Students are Categor— ized According to High, Medium, and Low Learners. (see p. 31) TREATMENT A TREATMENT B DEPENDENT LEARNER LEARNER VARIABLE HIGH MEDIUM LOW HIGH MEDIUM LOW 1. SAT—READING 18.5* 12.8 11.3* 17.7 13.5 9.3 2. SPEES-SCAA 12.6* 10.6 9.9* 11.9 10.7 8.7 3. SPEES-SAT 5.4 7.0 8.7* 7.8 7.6 7.7 4. SPEES—FRIC 13.9 12.1 12.5 12.8 12.0 12.5 5. SPEES-COMP 10.8 10.5 10.0 11.2 10.7 10.5 6. SPEES—DIFF 7.3 7.4 6.4* 7.1 6.0 7.5 7. SPEES—COH 6.4 8.9* 9.3* 8.9 7.0 8.3 8. SPEES—SOC 34.3 31.1 30.4* 35.3 32.9 28.8 9. SPEES-PPEE 38.3 33.1 33.4* 38.5 36.9 32.5 10. SPEES-PFEE 34.5 29.5 29.2 34.5 31.2 29.7 *indicates scores proceeding in the predicted direction. 62 Discussion of Table 3.1. While the scores indicated on the table do not yield any statistically significant differences they do indicate some interesting trends. The strongest of these trends is that seven tests yielded scores proceeding in the predicted direction for the low learners of the creative dramatics treatment group A. One of the strongest observations by the creative dramatics instructor during the study was that the involvement and hands-on approach necessary to creative dramatics was very useful in engaging the slow learners into the mainstream of activity. If properly handled the creative dramatics lesson has a way for everyone to par- ticipate. Observing the classes during the year showed increased participation by the slow learners and perhaps this fact is being supported by seven out of ten scores for low learners proceeding in the predicted direction. 63 Table 3.2 Mean Scores for Ten Dependent Variables, Used to Test the Influence of Creative Dramatics on Selected Students of Otto Junior High School (September 1974 to June 1975). The Students are Categor— ized According to Teachers. TREATMENT A TREATMENT B DEPENDENT TEACHER TEACHER VARIABLE A B C A B C 1. SAT-READING 14.0* 14.0 14.2* 12.4 14.2 13.3 2. SPEES-SCAA 11.4* 10.2 11.5* 10.0 11.6 9.0 3. SPEES-SAT 7.0 6.2 8.7* 7.4 7.5 8.4 4. SPEES-FRIC 12.9* 13.2 12.0* 13.7 11.4 12.1 5. SPEES—COMP 11.1 10.1 9.7 11.9 10.5 9.5 6. SPEES—DIFF 7.0 7.5 6.9* 6.1 7.1 7.1 7. SPEES—COH 8.9* 7.6 8.4 7.9 7.9 8.4 8. SPEES—SOC 32.4* 32.0 31.8* 31.8 34.1 29.8 9. SPEES-PPEE 34.8 35.9 33.1 35.0 37.1 35.2 10. SPEES-PFEE 30.8 31.1 30.9* 32.4 32.8 28.8 * indicates scores proceeding in the predicted direction. 64 Discussion of Table 3.2. The scores indicated on the table do not yield any statistically significant difference. They do demonstrate however, some interesting comparisons of the teachers involved. Teacher A was a young man who had a good rapport with his students and was anxious to find new and better ways of reaching them. Teacher B was the most traditional teacher, and of the three involved with the study, gave the least support and credence to its possi- bilities. Teacher C was an aspiring actress when not teaching and had the ability to transmit the excitement of a performance to her classroom approach. Of these three teachers, she was the most tolerant of their differences, got more personally involved with their personal and academic problems, and gave the greatest support to the creative dramatics program. The trend that the data seems to suggest would coincide with the personalities and teaching approaches of these three teachers. Teacher C had eight out of ten scores tending in the predicted direc— tion. Teacher A split his scores with five proceeding in the right direction. Teacher 8, however, had no scores at all tending in the right direction. 65 Table 3.3 The Number of Students Showing Either Improvements (+), No Change (0), or Regression (-) of Their Scores from the Pretest Compared to the Post-test for Hypotheses I through X. The Students Are Categorized According to Teacher. _E TREATMENT A TREATMENT B 0 Test 8 + o — + o — F— Reading A 12 4 13 3 B 11 5 14 2 C 9 1 7 1 2 TOTAL 32 10 34 1 7 SCAA A 4 5 7 2 3 11 B 3 6 7 4 6 6 C l 7 2 5 3 2 TOTAL 8 18 16 11 12 19 SAT A 2 14 5 2 9 B 6 3 7 9 3 4 C 3 1 6 4 3 3 TOTAL 11 4 27 18 8 16 FRIC A 6 3 7 8 2 6 B 3 4 9 5 3 8 C 4 2 4 6 1 3 TOTAL 13 9 20 19 6 17 COMP A 8 l 7 5 2 9 B 5 5 6 2 6 8 C 3 l 6 3 7 TOTAL 16 7 19 10 8 24 DIFF A 8 3 5 5 2 9 B 4 4 8 4 5 7 C 3 2 5 3 2 5 TOTAL 15 9 18 12 9 21 6736 8 54 7423 1 2 1 44210.. 11 1629 6556 8547 8660 1 2 8334 8749 7625 1 1 1 2428 1315 2327 6950 7659 7760 IL ABCL ABCL TOTA TOTA TOTA 67 Table 3.4 The Number of Students Showing Either Improvement (+), No Change (0), or Regression (-) of Their Scores from the Pretest Compared to the Post-test for Hypotheses I through X. The Students Are Categorized According to High, Medium, and Low Learners. TREATMENT A TREATMENT B Test + o - + o — Reading H 12 1 11 1 1 M 9 5 12 2 L 11 4 11 4 TOTAL 32 10 34 1 7 SCAA H 9 4 3 5 5 M 4 4 6 3 5 6 L 4 5 6 5 2 8 TOTAL 8 18 16 11 12 19 SAT H 6 1 6 7 2 4 M 2 1 11 7 1 6 L 3 2 10 4 5 6 TOTAL 11 4 27 18 8 16 FRIC H 2 3 8 7 1 5 M 5 4 5 5 3 6 L 6 2 7 7 2 6 TOTAL 13 9 20 19 6 17 COMP H 2 2 9 4 2 7 M 6 3 5 3 3 8 L 8 2 5 3 3 9 TOTAL 16 7 19 10 8 24 DIFF H 1 4 8 4 4 5 M 7 1 6 4 2 8 L 7 4 4 4 3 8 TOTAL 15 9 18 12 9 21 1483 1 5130.. 7940 2 69 Discussion of Tables 3.3 and 3.4. Tables 3.3 and 3.4 were included to give some visualization to the tendencies spoken of in Tables 3.1 and 3.2. Note that Teacher A, for example, registered 14 regressive scores and only two improved scores in the Satisfaction Category of the Attitude Inventory. This dramatic difference points to the gen- eral criticism often registered against attitude tests, namely, that they can fluctuate greatly from day to day. If this study were replicated some consideration should be given to a series of attitude tests that would eliminate this possibility of error. B. OBSERVATION When teaching a class using creative dramatics, one can see many things happening that are extremely difficult to test, categorize, or measure. Perhaps the alienated, slow student finally finds a way in which he or she can contribute. Maybe the smart, quick student begins to see that others in the class can have creative ideas that are just as valid as his or her own. Or maybe the student who has been strug- gling along, doing what he or she had to do, but never really under- standing the value of reading, suddenly comes to realize the need for such a skill. Many of these things happened during the course of this study. The following are some of the more important examples that occured in connection with the four principle lessons covered. 1. Unit I — Introduction. Purpose: The purpose of Unit I was to introduce creative dramatics to 70 the students to encourage and develop their own creativity, and develop the skills necessary for future lessons. Personal Observations: Unit I was very difficult to teach because it was made up of smaller lessons, many of which seemed disconnected and unrelated. The purpose of the unit was to develop creative dramatics techniques such as concentration, story line, and group improvisations. Each lesson beginning with warm-ups and ending with discussions had to reinforce and explain the overall purpose and direction. The theatre games had to be arranged and presented in such a manner as to build on what went before, and prepare for what would come tommorrow. A con- sistant effort had to be made to reinforce the continuing theme and purpose of the overall unit. To further complicate matters, the seventh grade is an extremely emotional and capricious time for young people. Underlying even the well—adjusted student is an early adolescent ego full of change and confusion. The researcher witnessed the September arrival of innocent and wide—eyed young people, and the June departure of more experienced, more worldly, more sexually-oriented young adults. These changes were best exemplified in attitudes toward the opposite sex. During the first month it was virtually impossible to get the boys to work with the girls in any group project. When the class broke up into groups it was always two groups of boys and two of girls. When we formed a circle to play word games, the circle was always made up of half boys and half girls. The creative dramatics 71 instructor stood between one half of the circle and held hands, but on the other side, where boys met girls, the only way they would join the circle was by holding a ruler or pencil so their hands would not touch. Of course, this attitude changed quickly and by the middle of the school year the problem became separating certain couples, rather than encouraging them to work together. This was a very delicate problem and its solution took precious time from the two lessons per week. For a full—time teacher the problem would have been easier to handle due to the constancy of dealing with the students every day. 2. Unit II - Aespp's Fables. Purpose: This lesson introduced students to the concept of story line. A plot outline was developed which in turn became a script. This was then used to portray shadow puppet renditions of Aesop's Fables. Personal Observations: Aesop's Fables was the first actual hands-on lesson of the year. The students read a fable, decided what it meant and what its story line should be, and proceeded with a specific method of dramatization, namely shadow puppets. They all took this transi- tion well. They were anxious to demonstrate their interpretations of the fables and they went about their tasks eagerly. By this time of the year many seemingly insignificant, but none- the—less important, examples of the small successes of creative dramatics started cropping up. Bob was a black student whose handsome appearance, physical stature, and tremendous sense of humor made him a natural leader in the classroom. His group picked ”Androcles and the Lion” to 72 dramatize. It was his job to cut out the shadow puppet of Androcles, and then to play the character. He very bashfully came to ask if it would be okay if Androcles had an Afro haircut. When he was told that it would be fine, he lapsed into enumerating all the reasons why he shouldn't have this type of haircut. When it was explained that it would be perfectly permissible because it was going to be his inter- pretation of the fable as well as a portrayal of the story line, he returned to his work with an energy never before displayed. His puppet, which turned out to be two thirds hair, ended up being one of the best. His portrayal was spiced with contemporary attitudes and demeanor, but true to the story line and theme of the fable. 3. Unit III — Robin Hood. Purpose: Building on previous lessons, this unit continued use of the outline and the development of plot and characterization. Since the Robin Hood stories were more complex, they offered greater possibilities for character development and portrayal. A puppet stage was built and sock puppets were used for the presentations. Personal Observations: Unit III was directed toward another type of hands-on creative dramatic activity. The dramatizations of the Rppip prd_stories were with hand puppets in a portable puppet stage. Since the creative dramatics lessons were only two per week the additional work of constructing puppets helped maintain continuity. Many of the students searched for materials during the week and often put the finishing touches on the puppets at home. 73 Tom was another success story of the program. He had not been promoted twice while in grammar school and as a result was more mature, taller, stronger, and generally much more worldly wise than his fellow seventh graders. These traits had become embarrassing to Tom and he was introverted and recluse while in school. His failures kept com— pounding themselves; he was embarrassed to read aloud so he didn't; he was embarrassed to participate with people who were so much smaller than he, so he didn't One of the first lessons in Unit III was the contruction of the puppet theatre. Tom's class decided to get a used refrigerator carton and cut out what was needed for a staging area. The next morning the class had measured out the areas to be cut on the carton and the creative dramatics instructor had brought a razor knife to do the cutting. The creative dramatics instructor noticed Tom off in the corner looking on with new interest. He asked Tom if he might be able to handle the cutting of the carton. He said that he would like to try. After some very careful instructions on the safe use of the knife, Tom began to cut out what was needed under the watchful eye of the instructor. The instructor had intended to do the cutting himself and the fact that he was now sharing the task with Tom developed a trust that finally enabled Tom to participate on a level never before considered. The puppet stage became a goal for Tom. He supervised the complete construction. Any decorations, painting, signs, etc., had to be approved by him. 74 This wasn't much, but it was a beginning. From this point on Tom always found a way to participate. He began to see some of the advantages of his age and size, and not just all the disadvantages. The rest of the class also began to trust Tom. Soon he was able to take small parts in the actual dramatization. By the end of the year he was even taking his turn reading and interpreting the text. 4. Unit IV — Beowulf. Purpose: Unit IV was a culmination of all the previous lessons. The students "tried-on" each of the characterizations through improvisations and eventually played the characters themselves. A video-tape pre- sentation was developed for the final lesson. Personal Observations: One of the main objectives of this unit was to acquaint the students with the use of video-tape equipment. After they became familiar with its artistic limitations as well as its technical operations, the question was posed as to how this was going to be incorporated into the dramatization of the Beowulf legend. The first class chose a straight dramatic approach. About halfway through the taping they realized the enormity of their task. Even with re— strictions the creative dramatics instructor imposed that were designed to keep the scope of the project more manageable, the task simply could not be accomplished in the time available. The second class chose the same realistic approach, but only did a selected few scenes. This was much more manageable and the results were satisfactory. The third class came up with a very unique approach. They decided to use a "a. _w 75 contemporary newscast to tell the story of Beowulf's battle with the monster. They cast newspeople and story characters and then proceeded to write a script combining the two elements. They immediately iden— tified with the contemporary newscast approach and this helped their interest throughout the project. The combining of the contemporary with the dated story line proved to be a most interesting mixture. As with other projects, they had to retain the validity and basic truths of the story. They found that the interview format was most useful. The newscast then became the core of their script, interspersed with interviews of principal characters in the Beowulf story. These interviews were done chronologically coin— ciding with the original story line. The interviews, in fact, even- tually told the story when transposed to video tape. This was a very clever way of relating the events of the plot in that it combined the best elements of contemporary technology and the essential elements of the story. Settings were chosen because of their relevance to the interview, not because of their realism. As a result, they avoided the problems the other classes had with the realistic approach. The most important result of this approach was that they all learned the story. The students had to outline the events of the original text, decide what was relevant to the newscasts, select interviews, write scripts for the interviews, and eventually write a script for the newscast. Inadvertently, they mastered outlining, plot continuity, and the story itself. In short, here were twenty- three kids who would never forget the story and characters of Beowulf. CHAPTER IV SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS A. Summary of Hypotheses, Methods, and Conclusions This study was an attempt to find out whether creative dramatics could produce positive change on a child's reading ability and self- concept as the literature of the field would seem to indicate. The researcher taught three seventh grade classes for two class periods each week for an academic year. These classes were given a creative dramatics approach to the literature of their seventh grade syllabus, and became Treatment Group A. At the same time the Middle Cities Reading Laboratory was intro- duced as the reading curriculum for the seventh grade. Since this program had just been approved, the administration requested that all students be in either the creative dramatics or the Middle Cities classes. As a result, the Middle Cities students became Treatment Group B, and no control group was established. The researcher met with Treatment Group A for fifty minutes each Monday and Tuesday. It was decided that the program would be divided into four parts, and if more time remained at the end of the school year an additional unit could be added. The first part of the program consisted of developmental exercises and theatre games. This beginning section introduced the students to the instructor, to each other, and to their own creative abilities. This unit was designed to establish a rapport with the students, give them the personal confidence to 76 77 continue, and the necessary building blocks for future creative dramatics development. In an effort to use creative dramatics for conventional subject matter, the remaining three units were based upon literature prescribed by the school system's syllabus. Unit II was on Aesop's Fables, Unit III was on the stories of Robin Hood, and Unit IV was on Beowulf. The school system's reading comprehension skill objectives were in— corporated into the lessons wherever possible. It was the general hypothesis for this study that students re- ceiving the creative dramatics instructional approach will show signif— icant improvements in reading ability, self—concept, and social growth and adjustment. This hypothesis was tested by a pre and post-testing of the Stanford Achievement Tests and the Student Perception Expec— tation and Evaluations Survey (Intermediate Form). The testing program had to be adjusted because of several problems which arose during the year. (These problems are reviewed in Analysis Techniques, Chapter Two and Discussion, Chapter Four.) All testing was done by the regular classroom teacher in accord— ance with test instructions and on a day not associated with the creative dramatics program. All dependent measures were scored and tallied by computer at the Michigan State University Computer Center. Raw scores were utilized in all statistical analyses with the excep— tion of the SAT reading test. For the reading test, raw scores were converted to grade equivalent scores based upon national SAT popula- tion means. Grade equivalent scores were considered to be more 78 interpretable for both the researcher and the reader. Univariate and Multivariate analysis of variance was used as prescribed by Jeremy D. Finn's program package. In each of the ten specific Hypotheses no statistically signifi- cant difference was found between the creative dramatics Treatment A and the Middle Cities Reading Laboratory, Treatment 8. B. Discussion Given that both groups gained more than in previous years, the com- parison of the creative dramatics treatment group with the Middle Cities Reading Inventory group did not yield statistically significant differ- ences. The data did, however, yield some interesting trends. More scores proceeded in the predicted direction for the low learners in the creative dramatics treatment than any other learner category. This tendency was confirmed by the creative dramatics instructor's observa- tions during the year. Perhaps the most outstanding example was that of Tom in the Unit III on Robin Hood. He only became active in the lesson because he finally saw something valuable he could contribute. While what he initially contributed was not academic, but rather involved the physical construction of the set, it was this initial input that gave him a stake in the project. From that point on he took a personal interest in supervising the construction of props and scenery for the rest of the stories. Before he realized it, he was reading the stories. Of course it took him a little longer and reading still wasn‘t one of his favorite pastimes, but he did see the value of it and was observed 79 reading more by the end of the year. The data comparing the teachers suggests another interesting pattern. The teacher with the most scores proceeding in the predicted direction is Teacher C. This teacher gave the study the strongest support and was probably most capable of using creative dramatics on her own. Teacher A was next with half of his scores proceeding in the predicted direction. He was also cooperative and supportive of the program, but seemed somewhat apprehensive about his own participation. Teacher B showed no scores proceeding in the predicted direction, and this was no surprise to the creative dramatics instructor. This teacher was the most dogmatic, the most structured, the most inflexible, and gave little or no support to the creative dramatics study. It seems that her attitudes might have been conveyed to the students. While the tendencies and trends of the data were not able to be confirmed in statistically significant differences, they did follow the intuitive feelings and personal observations of the creative dramatics instructor. Creative dramatics, did actively engage the slow learner time after time in the lesson. One could not help but feel that students began to see the value of reading through the magic of dramatizing the stories. Student involvement happened at one time or another on all levels throughout the year. Many students, for example, saw no point in learning how to outline a story. They objected to the technique of outlining when it was taught alone, but were able to use an outline as a tool in the dramatization of a story, or the development 80 of a script with no trouble at all. As a result of using an outline, they were capable of discovering main ideas or themes in the stories. Often they argued about the sequence of events in a particular drama— tization, the value of changing the sequence, and how it in turn in— fluenced the presentation of the story. These were ideas that many teachers struggle to teach. The creative dramatics instructor had little difficulty with these very same concepts once the first presen- tation was done using the outline as a plot development technique. Many personal stories such as those in Chapter III, happened during the year. While only a few can be related in the text of this study it was the overwhelming opinion of the creative dramatics in— structor that positive developments were occurring in the classroom. While the scientific aspects of this study did not yield statistical significance, the observational aspects, coupled with the fact that the trends of the data almost exactly paralleled what was observed in the classroom, strongly suggest that further research is warranted. Treatment B was taught by a Lansing School System Reading Special- ist. She had at least one teacher aide full time, and developed a number of materials for use in the Middle Cities Reading Laboratory. A special room was devoted to a reading laboratory and a great many programmed learning units were developed for use by students working on remedial problems. In short, this program cost the Lansing School System th0usands of dollars. Treatment A, the creative dramatics approach, cost a few dollars 81 for odds and ends of scotch tape, glue, and scissors. All work was done in the classroom and using mostly found materials for each lesson. The puppets were made of whatever the students gathered from home or scraps from various print shops or the like. The only expensive item involved was the video tape equipment and the school system already had that. The researcher borrowed the video tape used. As a result, the creative dramatics treatment would have cost the School System approximately fifty dollars. When this is compared to the cost of Treatment 8 the result is economically significant. C. Spggpptjons for Further Research The results of this study indicated that further research is warranted. Another study, improving on the methods and procedures used herein, could possibly achieve statistically significant results. Any further research must first design an improved testing program. A pre and post—test format is probably the strongest design, and extreme care should also be taken to avoid testing problems such as those in- curred with the SAT scores in this study. Perhaps additional reading tests should be used that would analyze more aspects of reading problems. Attitudinal tests with greater reliability should be sought and probably should be administered more frequently. This would help to eliminate one of the main criticisms of attitude tests which is that students will answer the questions according to how they feel on a particular day. An approach using creative dramatics every day of the week would 82 be more valuable than one or two classes per week. Once students can use creative dramatics as a learning method, teachers can use the techniques to teach many subjects. Of course this approach would demand a teacher familiar with creative dramatics and able to use it regularly. Furthermore, three or four teachers should participate in the testing program in order to eliminate any bias on a single creative dramatics instructor's part. These teachers should have some formal training in creative dramatics and biweekly or monthly seminars should be held to develop lesson plans, procedures, and evaluations. This would result in teachers that are supportive both of creative dramatics and the intentions of such a study. Through attrition, incomplete data and absences, the present study's sample size became too small, which in turn critically weak- ened the power to test. Along with the additional teachers, future researchers should consider at least tripling the number of students involved. Then, after the problems of attrition, etc. the sample size would still be large enough to establish the power to test. This study also suggests many other areas in creative dramatics that are in need of advanced research. Perhaps the most important of these is the notion that creative dramatics is a method that can be used at any level. Solid research is needed on all levels, kinder— garten through high school, and perhaps even beyond to test the validity of this thought. Teacher education in creative dramatics is also an area on which more information is needed. What makes a good creative BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY A. Published Work Allstrom, Elizabeth. Let's Play a Story. New York: Friendship Press, 1957. Anderson, Gary J. The Assessment of Learning Environments: the My Class Inventory. Halifax: Atlantic Institute of Education, 1973. Andres, Gladys. Creative Rhythmic Movement for Children. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1954. Axline, Virginia M. Play Therapy. Cambridge, Mass.: Noughton Mifflin Company, . Batchelder, Marjorie, and Virginia Lee Comer. Puppets and Plays: A Creative Approach. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1956. Brown, Corinne. Creative Drama in the Lower School. New York: D. Appleton 66mpany, 1929. Brown, Corinne. Creative Dramatics. New York: D. Appleton Company, 1940. Burger, Isabel. Creative Play Acting. New York: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1940. Burger, Isabel. Creative Play Acting: Learning Through Drama. Second Edition. New York} RonaTd Press Co., 1965. Chall, Jeanne S. Learning To Read the Great Debate. New York: McGraw-Hill Book’Cbmpany,Tl967I Cheifetz, Dan. Theatre In My Head. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1971. Childs, Jessica. Building Character Through Dramatization. Evanston: Row Peterson and Company, 1934. Chomsky, Noam. Langua e and Mind. New York: Harcourt Brace Janovich, 1972 Cohen, A. Alan. Teach Them All to Read. New York: Random House, 1969. 85 Cole, Natalie. The Arts in the Classroom. New York: John Day Company, 1940. Crow, Charles 3. Creative Education. New York: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1937. Dawson, Mildred A. Teaching Language in the Grades. Yonkers, New York: World Boo Company, 5 . Dixon, C. Madeleine. High, Wide and Deep. New York: The John Day Company, Inc., 1938. Durland, Frances C. Creative Dramatics for Children. Yellow Springs, Ohio: The Antioch Press, 1952. Ensign, Ruth 3. Make That Story Live. Richmond: John Knox Press, 1965. Finn, Jeremy D. Multivariance: Univariate and Multivariate Analysis of Variance, CovarTEhce, and Regression. A User's GuTHe. ChTEEgo: NatTEhél Education Resources, Inc., 1972. Finn, Jeremy D. A General Model for Multivariate Analysis. New York: Holt, RTnehart and’Winston, Inc., 1974. Fisher, Caroline E., and Hazel Glaister Robertson. Children and the Theatre. California: Stanford University Press, 1962. Fitzgerald, Burdette S. World Tales for Creative Dramatics and Storytelling. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice—HaTTj’l962. Fliegler, Louis. Curriculum Planning for the Gifted. Englewood Cliffs: PrentTEeiHéll, 1961. Frye, Northrup. The Educated Imagination. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, I9 . Getzels, Jacob W., and Phillip W. Jackson. Creativity and Intelli- gence. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1962. Goodman, Kenneth S. and Olive S. Niles. Reading, Process, and Program. Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English, 1970. Haaga, Agnes, and Patricia Randales. Supplementary Materials for Use in Creative Dramatics with Younger Children. University 0T7 Wash1ngton Press, 1952. Haggerty, Joan. Please Can I Play God? Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1967. 86 Hartley, Ruth E., Lawrence K. Frank, and Robert M. Goldenson. Understanding Children's Play. New York: Columbia University Press, 1952. Hartman, Gertrude and Ann Shumaker. Creative Expression. New York: The John Day Company, 1932. Hatchett, Ethel L. and Donald H. Hughes. Teaching Language Arts in the Elementary School. New York: The Ronald Press Company, n.d. Hoetker, James. Dramatics and the Teaching of Literature. Champaign, Illinois: National Counc1l of leachers of Engl1sh, 1969. Holt, John. How Children Learn. New York: Pitman Publishing Corporat1on, Huck, Charlotte 8., and Doris A. Young. Children's Literature in the Elementary School. New York: Holt, Rinéhart and Winston, 1961. Kelley, Truman L., Richard Madden, Eric F. Gardner, Herbert C. Rudman. Stanford Achievement Test, Intermediate Battery II. New York: Harcourt, Brace and—World} Inc., 19646 Kelley, Truman L., Richard Madden, Eric F. Gardner, Herbert C. Rudman. Stanford Achievement Test, Report of the Interpretation and Use 6T_Totdl Reading Scores, Intermediate Battery II. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and woria; Inc., 19661 Kerman, Gertrude. Plays and Creative Ways With Children. New York: Harvey House, 1 1. Kraus, Richard. Play Activities for Boys and Girls. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1957. Lease, Ruth, and Geraldine Brain Siks. Creative Dramatics in Home, School, and Community. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1952. Lincoln School Staff. Curriculum Making in an Elementary School. New York: Ginn and Company, 1927 Liska, Rudolph. Unity with Creative Living Dramatics. Liska Publishing Company, 19581 Lowenfeld, Viktor. Creative and Mental Growth. New York: MacMillan Company, 1956. 87 MacGinitie, Walter. Assessment Problems in Reading. Delaware: International Reading Association, 1973. Madden, Richard, Eric F. Gardner, Herbert C. Rudman, Bjorn Karlsen, Jack C. Merwin, Stanford Achievement Test, Advanced Battery. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Inc., 1973: McCullough, Constance M,, Ruth M. Strang, Arthur E. Traxler, Problems in the Improvement of Reading. New York: McCraw-Hill Book Company, 1946. Mearns, Hughes. The Creative Adult. New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc., 9 O Mearns, Hughes. Creative Power. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1958. Mearns, Hughes. Creative Youth. New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc., . Merrill, John, and Martha Fleming. Playmaking and Plays. New York: MacMillan Company, 1930. Moffett, James. Drama: What is Happening. Champaign, 111.. National Council of Teachers of English, 1967. Moffett, James. A Student-Centered Language Arts Curriculum, Grades K-l3: A Handbook for Teachers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1968} Moffett, James. Teaching the Universe of Discourse. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, I968. Moreno, J.L. Psychodrama. New York: Beacon House, 1945. Murray, Ruth L. Dance in Elementary Education. New York: Harper and Brothers, 19531 O'Daly, Elizabeth C., Egbert W. Nieman, Thomas M. Folds. Adventures for Readers, Book One. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Woer, Inc., 1968. Ogilvie, Mardel. Speech in the Elementary School. New York: McGraw- Hill Book Company, Inc., 1954 Osborn, Alex F. Applied Imagination. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1953. 88 Otto, Henry J. Social Education in the Elementary Schools. New York: RThehart and Company, Inc., 957. Pyle, Howard. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Santa Rosa: ClaSSlC Press, nc., 968. Randles, Patricia S. Supplementary Material for the Use of Creative Dramatics with Younger Chderen. Seattle: Universtiy 0f WEShington Press, 1952. Rasmussen, Margaret. Creative Dramatics. Washington: Association for Childhood Educat1on, International, 1961. Rasmussen, Carrie. Speech Methods in the Elementary School. New York: The Ronald’PPess Company, 1949. Sawyer, Ruth. The Way of the Storyteller. New York: Viking Press, 1945. Sears, Pauline S. and Vivian Shennan. In Pursuit of Self-Esteem. Belmont, California: Wadsworth PuBlishing Company, 1965. Shedlock, Marie. The Art of the Storyteller. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1951. Shulman, Lee 5., Lawrence W. Lezotte. Evaluation of the 1972-1973 Elementary Schools' Individual Learning Project. Detroit: City of Detroit Public Schools, 1973. Siks, Geraldine Brain. Creative Dramatics: An Art for Children. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1958. Siks, Geraldine Brain, and Hazel B. Dunnington. Children's Theatre and Creative Dramatics. Seattle: University of Washington ress, 6 . Slade, Peter. Child Drama. London: The Cambridge Press, 1954. Slade, Peter. An Introduction to Child Drama. London: University of London Press, Etdfj’1958. Spolin, Viola. Improvisation for the Theater. Illinois: North— western UniversTty Press, 1963. Strang, Ruth, Constance M. McCullough, Arthur E. Traxler. [pg Improvement of Reading. New York: McGraw—Hill Book Company, Ihc., 19671 89 Strickland, Ruth. Language Arts in the Elementary School. Boston: D.C. Heath and Company, I951. Taylor, Loren E. Informal Dramatics for Young Children. (11.) Minneapolis: TBUrgess Press, I965. Taylor, Loren E. Introduction to Dramatics for Children. Minneapolis: urgess ress, 1 5. Taylor, Loren E. Storytelling and Dramatization. Minneapolis: Burgess Press, 1965. Tooze, Ruth. Storytelling. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1959. Torrance, E. Paul. Guiding Creative Teaching. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, nc., I9 2 Viola, W.N. Creative Dramatics: For Secondary Education. Boston: The Expression Company, 1932. Walker, Pamela. Seven Steps to Creative Dramatics. New York: Hill and Wang, 19571 Ward, Winifred. Creative Dramatics. New York: D. Appleton- Century Company, 9 0 Ward, Winifred. Playmaking With Children. New York: D. Appleton— Century Company, I947. Ward, Winifred. Playmaking With Children. Second Edition. Appleton— Century Crofts, Inc. , 1 5 Ward, Winifred. Stories to Dramatize. Anchorage, Kentucky: Children's Theatre Press, 1952. Wargo, Dan and Dorothy. Dramatics in the Christian School. St. Louis: Concordia Press, 1966. Way, Brian. Development Through Drama. New York: Humanities Press, 1967 Weiss, M. Jerry. Guidance Through Drama. Clifton: Whiteside, Inc., 1954. White, Anne Terry. The Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends. New York: Golden P6655, 1959. 9O Wilt, Miriam E. Creativity in the Elementary School. New York: Appleton-Century rofts, nc., 959. B. Periodicals Blank, William E. “The Effectiveness of Creative Dramatics in Developing Voice, Vocabulary, and Personality," Speech Monographs, 11:190, 1954. Busbee, Vivian. "Dramatic Interpretation in the Elementary School,” Elementary English, 34:394-396, 1957. Irwin, Ruth B. "Language of Culturally Deprived Children,” Acta Symbolica, 3:129-132, 1972. Lovaas, O. Ivar. "Cue Properties of Words: The Control of Operant Responding by Rate and Content of Verbal Operants,“ Child Development, 35:245-256, 1964. Millicant, Sister M. "Creative Dramatics in the Classroom," Elementary English, 40:382—385, 1963. Niedermeyer, Fred C. and Linda Oliver. “The Development of Young Children's Dramatic and Public Speaking Skills," Elementary School Journal, 73:95-100, 1972. Perks, Wendy. ”Children's Drama 1976: A Review of University Programs in the United States,” Children's Theatre Review, 25:6—12, November, 1976. Williams, Elizabeth. “Helping Children Feel Like Someone Else -- and Talk Like Someone Else,” Elementary English, 44:57-58, 1967. C. Unpublished Research Blank, Earl. "The Effectiveness of Creative Dramatics in Developing Voice, Vocabulary and Personality in the Grades.” Unpublished Doctor's dissertation, School of Drama, University of Denver, 1954. Chambers, Robert. ”Creative Dramatics, Learning or Play?” Unpub- lished Master's thesis, Department of Speech, Ohio State University, 1956. 91 Dippon, Helen E. ”Creative Dramatization: Relationship with Reading Achievement.” Unpublished Master's thesis, Illinois State Universtiy, 1966-67. Gilbert, Edna E. “Materials Suitable for Dramatization in the Intermediate Grades.” Unpublished Master's thesis, School of Speeach, Northwestern University, 1930. Gilmore, Iris Pavey. ”The Use of Informal Dramatic Projects in Developing Social Adjustment on the Elementary Level.“ Un— published Master's thesis, University of Denver, 1944. Henderson, Ronal. ”A Comprehensive Analysis of Social Psychological School Climate Variables in White and Black Elementary Schools with Socio-Economic Status and Achievement Controlled.” Un- published Doctor's dissertation, Michigan State University, 1922. Hogya, Giles Wesley. ”Predicting Achievement in Creative Dramatics." Unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Northwestern University, 1974. Irwin, Eleanor Chima. ”The Effect of a Program of Creative Dramatics Upon Personality as Measured by the California Test of Personality, Sociograms, Teacher Ratings, and Grades.“ Unpublished Master's thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 1963. Karioth, Emil. ”Creative Dramatics as an Aid to Developing Creative Thinking Abilities." Unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Universtiy of Minnesota, 1967. Kruse, Mary K. ”Terminology and Definitions of Terms Dealing with Dramatics in the Elementary and Secondary Schools.” Unpublished Master's thesis, Queens College, New York, 1954. Laufe, Muriel R. ”The Effect of a Program of Creative Dramatics on Young Children with Specific Learning Disabilities." Unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Fordham University, 1975. Popovich, James E. "A Study of Significant Contributions to the Development of Creative Dramatics in American Education.“ Unpublished Doctor's dissertation, School of Speech, North- western University, 1955. Prokes, Dorothy. "Exploring the Relationship Between Participation in Creative Dramatics and Development of the Imaginative Capacities of Gifted Junior High School Students." Unpublished Doctor's dissertation, New York University, 1971. 92 Ridel, Shelby Jean. "An Ivestigation of the Effects of Creative Dramatics on Ninth-Grade Students." Unpublished Doctor's dissertation, Florida State University, 1975. Weis, Lois D. "Creative Dramatics, A Comparitive Study.” Unpublished Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 1966-67. Ziegler , Elsie Mae. "Study of the Effects of Creative Dramatics on the Progress in Use of the Library, Reading Interests, Reading Achievement, Self—Concept, Creativity, and Empathy of Fourth and Fifth Grade Children." Unpublished Master's thesis, Temple University, 1970. Zinsmaster, Wanna Madyline. ”Exploring the Contribution of Creative Dramatics in the Social Studies in the Third Grade.” Unpublished Master's thesis, Columbia University, 1962. D. Other Materials . Creative Dramatics (11.) Darien Teacher's PuBlTEthg Company, 1962. Adelphi College Children's Centre for Creative Arts. Children's Theatre to Children's Center. Garden City, New York, n.d. Anderson, Gary J., and Herbert J. Walberg. The Assessment of Learning Environments. Unpublished report. Chicago: University of Ill1nois Office of Evaluation Research, 1978. Brookover, Wilbur, John Schweitzer, Charles Beady, Patricia Flood, Joseph Wisenbaker. Elementary School Climate and School Achievement, A Brief Report. East Lansing: College of Urban Development, Mich1gan State University, 1976. Newmark, Leonard. ”How Not to Interfere with Language Learning." In Mark Lester (ed.) Readings in Applied Transformational Grammar. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970. Newmark, Leonard, and David A. Reibel. ”Necessity and Sufficiency in Language Learning.“ In Mark Lester (ed.) Readings in Applied Transformational Grammar. New York: Holt, Rinehart an inston, 1 Orange County Board of Public Instruction. Development of Self- Concept of Public School Children. Orlando, Florida: Orange County Board 0 Public Instruction, 1966. V APPENDIX 94 Table I The number of students receiving particular scores in the SAT pre- test. The chart is SAT scores vs. teachers. The graph is the SAT scores vs. the frequency of the scores. SAT 560 0-10 11-20 21-30 31—40 41-50 51-60 61-70 71—80 81-90 91-100 10 FREQUENCY 01 RE TEACHER A TEACHER B TEACHER C TOTAL 0 O O 0 O 1 O I 2 2 O 4 15 - Low 4 l 3 8 2 O O 2 3 3 3 9 2 3 O 5 14 - Medium 2 1 3 6 O 4 O 4 13 - High 1 1 3 16 16 10 42 10 20 3O 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 101 SCORE 95 Table II The number of students in the Treatment A and Treatment B that had complete data at the end of the school year. Matching students were randomly picked from the Treatment B group. Cell Size High Medium Low Totals Treatment A Teacher A 3 5 8 16 Teacher B 6 6 4 16 Teacher C 4 3 3 10 13 14 15 42 Treatment B Teacher A 15 7 11 33 Teacher B 17 18 28 63 Teacher C 6 11 16 33 38 36 55 129 96 A Table III. Students from the Treatment A who improved (+), showed no change (0), or who regressed (-) on each of the tests. Treatment A 0 student READ SCAA SAT FRIC COMP DIFF COH SOC PPEE PFEE + 5638375183214337515793422627234230337761133 020010020336323023121423304144111421113500 527263572453354336410345544243576556221477 ++__+__ _ . 1T _ 0 _ IT _ _ + + + _ + + _ _ _ + + _ + + o _ 0 + + _ + + _ _++_ 0 0 + O 0 + + +0. + + + + _ + _ + 0 + + + _ 0 + __1T_+ + 0 + + + + + + + + _ 0 _ ++____ 0++___ + + + _ _ _ O___+O 1T__+__ + + + + _ + 0 + + 0 + + O + + + + + 97 B Table III. Students from the Treatment B who improved (+), showed no change (0), or who regressed (—) on each of the tests. Treatment B 0 Student Read SCAA SAT FRIC COMP DIFF COH SOC PPEE PFEE + 455355427651575326422292342363582115426455 110223020023010220434311313333401421210124 545532663436525564254507455414127574474531 +_+++_++_._+__+O++OOOO_+++O_0+_.+++O++_+_O ++++__++___+__+_+____+__+__+_+_.+_+_++_0__ O+++0_++__0__0+_++_00+__+_+0_0__++++OO_+__ _._O+0+++++O++_++_O++_0+OO___+O_OO+_+++._O +._+___0+_0+___+__0+00_+_+0+_O__.0++___+_0 _++._+_O_._0+._+O_O._._0_++000__++______+. +___00+_++++__++0__+++_+__0+__0_+++__+++O_ .0..+__+_+.0+._+_+++++_+0++_O_O+++0__++.OO _..0_0.____++__0+00000_+0_+0_+0_+00+0+_.++ “"ll'lllllllllii11111111111111“ 293 030