Psychodrama as an Interactive Method to Improve Teacher Candidates’ Problem-Solving Skill

Proceedings of ‏The 3rd International Conference on Advanced Research in Education, Teaching and Learning

Year: 2020

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/3rd.aretl.2020.12.122

[Fulltext PDF]

Psychodrama as an Interactive Method to Improve Teacher Candidates’ Problem-Solving Skill

Gohar Seyedi

 

ABSTRACT: 

The study aims to apply Psychodrama techniques to teacher candidates to improve their problem solving skills in teaching and classroom management in the first years of their profession and prepare them for future pedagogical challenges. For this purpose, an eight-week on-service teacher training workshop was designed to promote teacher candidates’ cognition and creativity in decision making in problematic classroom situations through role playing, role reversal, doubling and mirroring. The impact of these psychodramatic techniques on problem-solving skills was then evaluated through interview and reflection. The subjects were the recently hired graduate English teachers at Icon Academy in Ankara, Turkey. The results proved that psychodrama had a marked positive impact on the problem-solving skills of participant teachers and their critical thinking as well as self-management that allows for resolution through action. Novice teachers must necessarily undergo workshops on psychodrama in order to bring about positive and impactful results in their professional development, which would go a long way in effective and productive teaching. Psychodrama with proper training to improve the candidates’ aforementioned skill by analyzing and understanding pedagogical situations and holding discussion panels with experienced teachers can have a positive effect in various teaching situations and would help the learners to become motivated accordingly.

Keywords: Psychodrama, Teacher Training, Problem Solving Skill, Role Reversal, Doubling, Mirroring.