And, with, through, alongside… In scientific literature, all of these words are used to couple drama and learning science. Moreover, phrases such as “using drama in learning science” are equally represented. In this paper, we argue that the marriage between drama and science learning is most fruitful when both are considered equally important for the process of learning, and neither is utilized to enhance the other but the merging, or meeting point, is a qualitatively new ground. On this ground, we created a term "sciencetheater" (Serbian "naukoteatar") as a theater play/workshop integrating topics from science and art in an immersive space. This paper is therefore an evaluative study in which our main research question is how sciencetheater, as a form, contributes to learning engagement. The play we analyze is titled “Story about the Metamorphosis”¹ about the naturalist Maria Sibilla Merian, and it was performed 18 times with 450 children aged from 4-10 years.

From the content analysis of children's statements, interviews with teachers, and interviews with the authorial team, we draw lessons about the importance of embodied, immersive, and dramatic ways of learning science. 

Modes of learning science through drama can take different levels and forms of participation, with the most commonly mentioned being:

- Appreciating drama

- Performing drama

- Making drama (Baskerville et al., 2023).

Sciencetheater is closest to what is here called performing drama but can also be considered as process drama where the learning experience is in focus, and participating in the plot is more important than displaying it (O’Neill, 1995). In this way, children become "spect-actors," engaged creators of the performance that changes their experience and forms their learning and transformation (Boal, 1995). We map the theoretical background of this study in socio-constructivist theory, rooted in Piagetian and Vygotskian traditions. We aim to move towards ‘discourse communities’ that take space for negotiating and sharing meanings (Driver et al., 1994; Dorion, 2009) by being engaged in dialogues with each other, with actors, with space, and scenography.

Moreover ‘embodied cognition theory’ proposes that cognition is “grounded in the body through sensory-motor processes and interactions with the environment as well as the brain” (Stagg, 2020, p. 255). The immersive environment opens up the possibility for children to undertake responsible tasks and share them with experts, shown to increase their engagement and confidence (Bolton, 1995). 

The primary objective of the play/workshop was to raise awareness about the contributions of women to science and the challenges they faced throughout history. To make the scientists come alive, students personally “met them” through acting. It was important that the students were transported to the time the performance takes place in order to understand the difference between the scientific methods of then and now. Costumes, video projection, sound, and the rest of the set design aimed to help children immerse themselves in voyaging through the rainforest. The key scientific concept we focused on was the metamorphosis of the caterpillar and its stages. The last part of the performance, embodying Maria Sibylla Merian, aimed to challenge students’ scientific identity. Although some boys felt uncomfortable taking on the role of a woman, most of them surprisingly responded well to this task. With all this, we recognize that sciencetheater supports the dynamic developmental system of a child by nurturing collaborative learning, a sense of community and motivation and competence (Darling-Hammond et al., 2020).

¹The play was created and performed by Jelena Joksimović, Natalija Drakulović, Aleksandra Kojčinović, and Jana Samardžić, with art direction by Sanja Crnjanski, as part of the program at the Center for the Promotion of Science in Belgrade, Serbia.

Our main research method is content analysis, based on a sample of: - 98 statements made by children during the performances, - 2 interviews with teachers, - 3 interviews with authors. Key thematic categories include science learning, embodiment, immersiveness, engagement, and gender. The Context The context for the sciencetheater play/workshops was the International Day of Women in Science, celebrated on the 11th of February. Learning about metamorphosis is an unavoidable part of the curriculum in Serbia, but the significant contribution of Maria Sibylla Merian to this discovery is never mentioned. The Plot Act One: Students are invited to board a ship by the captain. They sit on the floor facing a canvas with a video projection of the ocean. Large nylon on the floor emits blue light, simulating waves. The sounds of the waves and seagulls fill the space. The captain invites Maria and her daughters Dorothea and Johanna to board the ship for Suriname. The voyage begins as the daughters take the nylon and wave. During the journey, Maria shares her work, interest in science, and the challenges she faces as a woman. She displays her paintings of butterflies and caterpillars, but in their excitement, the daughters accidentally drop them into the water. Everyone helps retrieve the drawings. Act Two: The scene shifts to the Surinamese rainforest. Everyone searches the jungle for a caterpillar to explore metamorphosis and restore the damaged illustrations. When an image appears in scenography (a complex illustration recreated from Maria's original works), students begin helping repair the damage by drawing the missing parts they find in nature. The scene ends with the onset of a storm where actual water drops fall from the sky, causing panic and everyone to board. Act Three: Present day. Museum. An exhibition about Maria is being opened. The guest, her descendant, a fictional character inserted to discuss the significance of women in science throughout history, gives a speech at the opening and then guides the students through the exhibition. Actresses then bring out a cardboard cutout in the shape of Maria Sibila Merian's body with an empty space instead of her face. Each student has the opportunity to embody Maria by positioning their head through a hole in the cutout and convey a message to the world inspired by the journey they've participated in.

Our findings suggest that sciencetheater: - Comprises the potential for holistic development, as reported by teachers. Teacher A stated, “I remember the reaction of two girls who were interested in science and nature. Both girls are also involved in painting, so the combination of science and art of Maria S. was a real revelation to them.” - Strongly engages children in embodied learning, as reported by teachers and the authorial team. Teacher A mentioned, “The children were very attentive because the performance was interactive. They were active participants, and there were various activities, so they were attentive and motivated.” Author N added, “The set design, sound effects, and the rain spraying significantly helped to experience this performance with all senses and therefore remember the whole story better. Although they knew it wasn't real, they allowed themselves to be carried away by the atmosphere.” Child: “This is like a 7D cinema!” - Engages children in responsible tasks that support their confidence, as reported by teachers and children themselves. One child (8 years old) said, “I suggest everyone carry a diary with themselves and write about everything they see in nature.” Many children emphasized how a person can be both an artist and a scientist simultaneously, that everyone has equal rights to education regardless of gender, and that Maria should be included in biology textbooks. Author N noted, “Provoking interaction and engagement is in every part of the process. For example Johana and Dorotea (daughters of the scientist) couldn't pronounce the word 'metamorphosis' correctly, and they tried many times inspiring children to help them pronounce but in fact engaging them to learn it.” - Provokes deep interconnections between science and art and deconstructs disciplinary identities of educators (Sochacka et al., 2016), as reported by the authorial team.

Baskerville, D., McGregor, D., Bonsall, A. (2023). Re-thinking Theorising About the Use of Drama, Theatre and Performance in Learning Science. In: McGregor, D., Anderson, D. (eds) Learning Science Through Drama. Contributions from Science Education Research, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17350-9_2 Boal, A. (1995). The rainbow of desire. The Boal method of theatre and therapy. (A. Jackson, Trans.). Routledge. Darling-Hammond L, Flook L, Cook-Harvey C, Barron B, Osher D. (2020) Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science. 24: 97–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791 Dorion, K. (2009). Science through drama: A multicase exploration of the characteristics of drama activities used in secondary science classrooms. International Journal of Science Education, 31(16), 2247–2270. Driver, R., Asoko, H., Leach, J., Mortimer, E., & Scott, P. (1994). Constructing scientific knowledge in the classroom. Educational Researcher, 23(7), 5–12. Sochacka, N., Guyotte, K., & Walther, J. (2016). Learning together: A collaborative auto- ethnographic exploration of STEAM (STEM + the arts) education. Journal of Engineering Education, 105(1), 15–42. Stagg, B. C. (2020). Meeting Linnaeus: improving comprehension of biological classifcation and attitudes to plants using drama in primary science education. Research in Science & Technological Education, 38(3), 253–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/02635143.2019.1605347 O’Neill, C. (1995). Drama worlds: A framework for process drama. Heinemann.