To Listen With Your Body- research on knowing in theatre education
Author(s):
Pernilla Ahlstrand (presenting / submitting)
Conference:
ECER 2015
Network:
29. Research on Arts Education
Format:
Paper

Session Information

29 SES 10, The senses and the body

Paper Session

Time:
2015-09-10
15:30-17:00
Room:
557.Oktatóterem [C]
Chair:
Discussant:
Ana Reis

Contribution

Background

Knowledge in Theatre has traditionally been acquired within a master-apprentice tradition (Johansson 2012, Järleby 2003) where knowing was continually developed and transformed through practice (cf. community of practise, Lave & Wenger 1991). 

Theatre has been a school subject in the upper secondary school's national arts program in Sweden since 1992 and has its own syllabus and grading criteria. When theatre becomes a subject in upper secondary school it is transformed, through a didactic transposition (Chevallard 2005). In other words when the art form becomes a school subject the conditions of the art form change. Teaching now takes place in a classroom and not by participating in theatre activities. To meet the school's requirements for planning teaching activities with colleagues as well as assessing and giving feedback to students, theatre knowledge needs to be articulated.

The previous two curriculum reforms in Sweden have developed competency-based syllabuses. There is an emphasis on certain ways of knowing to be developed; teaching is described as something that aims to develop subject-specific capabilities. Stage performance[1] (acting) is a central part of the school syllabus for theatre and is supposed to lead to the development of performative capability, which is the focus of my dissertation.

Research questions

The purpose of this thesis is to analyse subject-specific capabilities in theatre education at upper secondary schools in Sweden. The research questions are formulated as follows:

How can we recognise knowledge within theatre education in upper secondary schools, specifically the meaning of knowing a performative capability, and how can this (partly tacit) knowledge be articulated and specified?

Tacit knowledge

In this dissertation I use three perspectives of tacit knowledge developed by Polanyi, Schön and Wittgenstein. Polanyi (2009) describes tacit knowledge or rather tacit knowing as the relationship and integration of two different forms of consciousness, the subsidiary and the focal, where the focal can be articulated and the subsidiary is tacit. In other words, when you learn something part of the knowledge making process is implicit (tacit).

Schön (1983) proceeds, just like Polanyi, from the perspective of skilled practitioners who often know much more than they are able to articulate about their profession. According to Schön, this knowledge is partially tacit. Schön means that reflection-in-action is about reflecting in the situation. The concepts of knowing-in-action and reflection-in-action offer us certain possibilities to apprehend and explore part of the ephemeral knowledge found in theatre by allowing the practitioner to verbalize and reflect in action upon the knowledge of the situation.

Wittgenstein (1974) stressed that assertions can only have meaning in relation to their own specific contexts, and that the significance of concepts depend on how you use them, as rules in a praxis. Language and concepts are, according to the late Wittgenstein, connected to our actions and practices. We participate in different language games depending on the activity or the situation. The practice forms the language and makes it comprehensible within its (own) context. The concept language game is therefore important in the understanding of how knowledge is tacitly transformed in the classroom.

[1] The main course in the school subject theatre is in Swedish called scenisk gestaltning, which is translated to stage performance by the National agency for education (Skolverket). (Retrieved 2014-06-13). Available from:

http://www.skolverket.se/laroplaner-amnen-och-kurser/gymnasieutbildning/gymnasieskola/oversattningar

 

Method

In this dissertation I am using learning study (Pang & Marton 2003; Marton & Pang 2006) as a research approach. In a learning study a group of teachers and a researcher collaborate and develop a research lesson in a cyclical process of planning. The research lesson is evaluated and revised up to 2-4 times. The teachers and researchers select together an object of learning, a defined area in the subject. A pre-test is designed in order to ascertain the level of knowledge of the students in this particular area. The findings from the pre-test are then used as a starting point to design the research lesson with the help of variation theory (Lo & Marton, 2012), the research lessons are then applied, tried out and revised. What is critical for learning (critical aspects) something specific is explored through a systematic teaching process (see e.g. Marton & Pang, 2006). The learning study has often been presented as a hybrid of the Japanese lesson study (Fernandez, Cannon & Chokshi, 2003; Lewis, 2000) and a design experiment (Brown 1992; Marton & Pang 2006). Once again, specific knowledge concerning teaching and learning is produced through a process of planning, evaluating and revising the lesson based around an object of learning; this also helps the students understanding of the object. The way in which I use the learning study here differs however somewhat from how it is more often used. My questions concern the meaning of knowing a performative capability. I do not focus so much on the results of the research lessons in terms of students learning or on the design of the lessons themselves, rather I use the data from the learning study as a way to describe and analyse the object of learning per se, and use the pre-test from the learning study cycle for phenomenographic analyses. The four different pre-tests were chosen and planned together with the teachers and the pre-tests were recorded on video.

Expected Outcomes

Results The results consist of four chosen objects of learning which help to examine the meaning of knowing: 1. The capability of expressing presence in a specific situation. 2. The capability to collaborate in a mutual performance (written text). 3. The capability for scenic interaction during a dialogue. 4. The capability to affirm each other in a mutual performance (improvisation). The results are described as categories (different ways of experiencing the object of learning) and as aspects. The aspects emerge as differences between the ways of experiencing (the object of learning) and through the process of the research lessons. As a result of the analyses a synthesis appears. What appears prevalent in the analysis is a physical dimension - a bodily knowledge that I call Bodybildung (cf. with the German word Bildung, formation). Using such a synthesis and the results generated in process of specifying the objects of learning could be useful for teachers in the process of planning lessons, giving feedback to students, for assessments and grades, for discussing the content of lessons with other teachers, to help explain the object of learning in the classroom and ultimately for us begin to recognize different levels of knowing. When dealing with objects of learning the complexity of an object is defined. Most teachers have preconceived notions of the object of learning based on past experience and know-how. Through working systematically with the object of learning in this way, we develop our understanding of an object and can thereby focus on the difficulties of a certain student or student group. Teachers and students can learn from this situation, develop their knowledge and deeper understanding of the object of learning whereby a mutual relationship between objects, teacher and student comes to light.

References

Brown, Ann L. (1992). Design experiments: Theoretical and methodological chal-lenges in creating complex interventions in classroom settings. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2(2), 141-178. Chevallard Yves (2005). Steps towards a new epistemology in mathematics education. Conférence plénière d’ouverture du 4e congrès de la European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME 4), Sant Feliu de Guíxols, 17-21 février 2005. Paru dans les Proceedings of the Fourth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelone, 2006-21-30. (2014-02-11) Availeble: http://www.mathematik.uni-dortmund.de/~erme/CERME4/CERME4_2_Plenaries.pdf - page=3 Fernandez, Clea, Cannon, Joanna, & Chokshi, Sonal (2003). A U.S.-Japan lesson study collaboration reveal critical lenses for examining practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 19, 171-185. Johansson, Maria (2012). Skådespelarens praktiska kunskap. Stockholm: Premiss. Järleby, Anders (2003). Från lärling till skådespelarstudent: skådespelarens grundutbildning. Stiftelsen för utgivning av teatervetenskapliga studier (utgivare). Skara: Pegasus förlag & teaterproduktion i samarbete med Theatron. Lave, Jean & Wenger, Etienne (1991). Situated learning: legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. Lo, Mun Ling & Marton, Ference (2012). Towards a science of the art of teaching: Using variation theory as a guiding principle of pedagogical design. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, Vol 1(1) pp. 7 – 22. Marton, Ference & Pang, Ming Fai (2006). On some necessary conditions of learning. The journal of the learning sciences. 15 (2), 193-220. Polanyi, Michael (1966/2009). The tacit dimension. University of Chicago Press ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Schön, Donald A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: how professionals think in action. Aldershot: Avebury. Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1974). Philosophical grammar. Oxford : Blackwell.

Author Information

Pernilla Ahlstrand (presenting / submitting)
Holavedsgymnasiet
Tranås

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