General description

There is a lack of a professional language to express the content of aesthetic subjects. Two studies in Sweden (Rönn 2009 and Zandén 2010) have explored the problems that theatre and music education teachers have when communicating with students or commenting/giving feedback on students work. Zandén (2010) shows that teachers in aesthetic subjects instead of talking about subject-specific abilities often end up assessing and talking about general qualities such as personality, responsibility and commitment. However there is a lack of studies that investigate subject-specific skills and knowledge in theatre studies and in that way explores a subject-specific content that is necessary for developing a professional language.

The purpose of this research is to contribute to the development of a specific professional language by trying to verbalize the knowing in the classroom situation. If we are able to describe and talk about what is happening in this interaction we might reach a better understanding of what it is that we want the students to learn and thus what it is we assess.

Knowing is not restricted to cognitive understanding. It includes skills as well as performing capabilities (Carlgren 2007). To increase the understanding of the aesthetic knowing Wittgenstein´s concept forms of life (1953/2001), which take into account both linguistic and non-linguistic behaviour is useful, thinking of the theatre classroom as a local, contextual practice. Additionally Wittgenstein´s concept language game, which consists of both language and the actions into which language is woven. Since part of the knowing is tacit we have to pay attention to also non-linguistic behaviour and actions where the performing capabilities become visible.

Knowledge concerning the meaning of knowing is generated in so called learning studies (Marton & Pang, 2006; Marton, Lo & Ling, 2011; Pang & Ling 2011; Carlgren, 2012). The object of learning in a learning study is what is expected to be known by the students.

The learning object of this study is the theatrical notion of presence, which acts as an example of a subject-specific capability. Presence was found suitable, as it was something that the teachers have experienced difficulties teaching and instructing in this area. Presence is a core quality in acting and it is one of the criteria teachers agree on being of great importance when assessing a student. But how does one teach presence?

One aspect of presence that this study investigates is the concept of experiencing as a way of becoming a credible actor. Giving an example, Frost & Yarrow (1990/2007) highlights this by pointing out the difference between showing and telling. They use the example of passing through a door. You can tell this by grabbing the handle and clearly doing the movements of passing through the door. The audience will understand what you are doing but they will not believe it as convincing. To be convincing it is also required that you as an actor experience the situation yourself to be able to be credible. The study shows what became critical for the students while experiencing the difference between the two; showing and telling.

References: Carlgren, I. (2007) The content of schooling – from knowledge and subject matter to knowledge formation and subject specific ways of knowing. In Forsberg, Eva (Ed.), (2007): Curriculum Theory Revisited. Studies in Educational Policy and Educational Philosophy: Research Reports 2007:10. Uppsala University. Carlgren, I. (2012) The Learning Study as an approach for ‘clinical’ subject matter didactic research. International Journal of Lesson and Learning Study, Forthcoming Issue 2, May 2012. 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 (1981). Phenomenography - describing conceptions of the world around us. Instructional Science, 177-200. Booth, Shirley & Marton, Ference (1997). Learning and awareness. Mahwah: NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Frost, Anthony & Yarrow, Ralph (1990/2007). Improvisation in drama. New York: Palgrave MacMillan. Marton, Ference & Tsui, Amy B. M. (2004). Classroom discourse and the space of learning. Mahwah: NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Marton, Ference & Pang, Ming Fai (2006). On some necessary conditions of learning. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 15(2), 193-220. Marton, Ference (2005). Om praxisnära forskning. I: Vetenskapsrådet. Forskning av denna världen II – om teorins roll i praxisnära forskning. Vetenskapsrådets rapportserie, 4:2005. Stockholm: Vetenskapsrådet. Marton, Ference (2009). Lärarkompetensens osynliga grund. Forskning om undervisning och lärande 2. Den forskande läraren – med ansvar för yrkets kunskapsbildning. SAF och Lärarförbundet. Pang, Ming Fai (2006). The use of learning study to enhance teacher professional learning in Hong Kong. Teaching Education, 17(1), s. 27-42. Rönn, Milda (2009). ”Det är inte förrän man gör det som man förstår" : om kommunikativa hinder vid en teaterhögskola. Stockholms universitet. Institutionen för nordiska språk (utgivare). Stockholm : Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis Zandén, Olle (2010a). Samtal om samspel. Kvalitetsuppfattningar i musiklärares dialoger om ensemblespel på gymnasiet. Göteborg : Högskolan för scen och musik, Konstnärliga fakulteten, Göteborgs universitet. Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1953/2001). Philosophical Investigations. Blackwell Publishing.