Theatrical Role-Play: A Study on its Impact on Life Skills of Secondary Education Students

Performing arts curricula, specifically theatrical role-play, have aided in enhancing life skills of secondary education students throughout the past. This continues to be the case in the present education climate. However, the performing arts are still not viewed by some education policymakers at a level that helps those programs flourish and thereby be accessible to students. Despite the empirical evidence of life skill enhancement, both academically and socially, that can be applied in an interdisciplinary manner and to life outside of the school setting, the arts are often not considered as important as core content areas. These programs are subject to elimination to a greater extent compared to other education programs. This action research study sought to examine the ways in which high school theatre programs impact life skills, defined in this study by both academic and social contexts, learned by secondary education students. The innovation intervention consisted of theatrical role-play applied in an interdisciplinary manner. The innovation occurred over the course of two weeks in a senior English class at a southwest public high school. The likelihood of the English teacher using theatrical role-play in future lesson plans was also studied. The action research utilized a mixed-methods approach with a theoretical framework consisting of Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) and Academic Risk-Taking (ART). Results indicated assertions related to the enhancement of the social skills of empathy and public speaking in student participants, as well as the English teacher planning on utilizing the innovation in future lesson planning. The academic skill of text analysis was possibly affected, however results were inconclusive.