Popular theatre and nonformal education in the Third World: Five strands of experience

Popular theatre is gaining increasing attention in the Third World as a tool for popular education and community organizing. It finds expression in a number of forms including drama, music dance, puppetry and poetry and is performed for — and often by — ordinary peasants and workers. Popular theatre is used as a means of bringing people together, building confidence and solidarity, stimulating discussion, exploring alternative options for action, and building a collective commitment to change: starting with people's urgent concerns and issues, it encourages reflection on these issues and possible strategies for change.Popular theatre, however, is not a unified discipline. It is used by different groups for different interests, ranging from a technocratic, message-oriented domestication theatre at one end of the spectrum to a process of consciousness-raising, organization-building and struggle at the other end. Five main strands of popular theatre can be distinguished: (a) the struggle for national liberation; (b) mass education and rural extension; (c) community or participatory development; (d) conscientization or popular education; and (e) popular education and organizing.At its best, popular theatre is not an isolated performance or a cathartic experience, but part of an ongoing process of education and organizing, aimed at overcoming oppression and dependence, and at securing basic rights.

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Zusammenfassung Als ein Instrument der Volksbildung und der Gemeinwesenarbeit gewinnt das Volkstheater in der Dritten Welt ständig an Aufmerksamkeit. Es findet Ausdruck in einer Vielzahl von Formen wie Drama, Musik, Tanz, Puppentheater und Poesie. Es wird aufgeführt für — und häufig von — einfachen Bauern und Arbeitern. Volkstheater wird eingesetzt, um Menschen zusammenzuführen, Vertrauen und Solidarität aufzubauen, eine Diskussion anzuregen, alternative Möglichkeiten für Aktionen zu erforschen und um, ausgehend von dringenden Belangen und Fragen, gemeinschaftliche Verpflichtung zur Veränderung der Verhältnisse aufzubauen. Überdies ermutigt es zu Reflektionen zu solchen Fragen und möglichen Strategien für Veränderung.Volkstheater ist jedoch keine einheitliche Disziplin. Es wird von unterschiedlichen Gruppen für verschiedenartige Interessen verwendet. Diese reichen vom technokratischen, Nachrichtenorientierten Domestizierungstheater an einem Ende des Spektrums zu einem Prozeß der Bewußtseinserweiterung, des Organisationsaufbauens und des Kampfes am anderen Ende. Es können fünf Hauptrichtungen des Volkstheaters unterschieden werden: (a) der Kampf um nationale Befreiung; (b) die Massenschulung und Ausweitung in ländlichen Gebieten; (c) die Gemeinwesen-oder partizipatorische Entwicklung; (d) die Bewußtmachung oder Volksbildung; und (e) Volksbildung und -organisierung.In seiner höchsten Form ist Volkstheater weder eine isolierte Veranstaltung noch ein kathartisches Erlebnis, sondern Teil eines weiterführenden Prozesses der Erziehung und des Organisierens mit dem Ziel, Unterdrückung und Abhängigkeit zu überwinden und Grundrechte zu sichern.

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Résumé Le théâtre populaire jouit dans le Tiers Monde d'un intérêt de plus en plus grand en tant qu'instrument d'éducation populaire et d'organisation de la communauté. Il trouve son expression dans un grand nombre de formes comprenant l'art dramatique, la musique, la danse, les marionnettes et la poésie; il est joué pour, et souvent, par de simples paysans et ouvriers. Le théâtre populaire est un moyen utilisé pour rassembler les peuples, faire naître la confiance et la solidarité, stimuler la discussion, prospecter les options alternatives pour l'action et élaborer un engagement collectif pour le changement.Cependant, le théâtre populaire n'est pas une discipline homogène. Il est utilisé par différents groupes et à des fins différentes allant du théâtre technocratique de domestication orienté vers le message, au début de la gamme, au processus d'élévation de la conscience, de formation de l'organisation et de lutte, pour terminer. On peut distinguer cinq grandes tâches dans le théâtre populaire: (a) la lutte pour l'indépendance nationale; (b) l'éducation de masse et le développement rural; (c) le développement communautaire ou participatoire; (d) la conscientisation ou l'éducation populaire; et (e) l'éducation populaire et l'organisation.Pour dire le mieux, le théâtre populaire n'est pas une exécution isolée ni une expérience cathartique, mais c'est la partie d'un processus continu d'éducation et d'organisation visant à supprimer l'oppression et la dépendence, et à garantir les droits fondamentaux.

     

A social relations analysis of toddler peer relationships

We examined whether young children form different relationships with specific peers. Using the social relations model, effects of individuals as either actors or partners were distinguished from effects of relationships. Relationship effects are inferred when behavior within a dyad cannot be predicted from behavior that both partners give and receive in other social contexts. 32 20- or 30-month-old children were each paired with 2 partners (same age and gender) and observed for 18 40-min play sessions. The social relations analysis indicated that children differed consistently in their initiation of interaction (actor effects) and in the conflict contributions they elicited from their peers (partner effects). Relationship effects were found in games and contingent interaction, and were generally reciprocal. Relationship effects emerged gradually; in contrast, neither actor nor partner effects increased over time. Results were discussed in the context of definitions of relationships and peer relationships of young children.     

Effects of emotional intelligence and supportive text messages on academic outcomes in first-year undergraduates

An increase in the number of students entering higher education has intensified the need for targeted strategies to support a wider range of student requirements. Current research suggests that emotional intelligence (EI) may be associated with academic success, progression and retention in university students but the use of EI screening as a prospective measure of success requires further investigation. This study evaluates the utility of prospective EI screening to predict progression rates, mean grades, attendance and online engagement in a sample of first-year undergraduate students enrolled on the same degree programme (N = 358). A supportive text messaging intervention was employed during potentially stressful periods of the academic year with a subsection of participants (n = 60) who demonstrated low total EI scores relative to the cohort. Results showed no effects of EI classification on progression rates, mean grades, attendance or online engagement (all p > 0.418). Alternatively, the text messaging intervention was associated with significant improvements compared with a matched control group for progression rates (p = 0.027), mean grades (p = 0.026) and attendance (p = 0.007). The frequency of access to the virtual learning environment also tended to be higher in the intervention group compared with the control group (p = 0.059). In conclusion, this study did not identify any benefits of EI screening as a prospective indicator of student success but provides encouraging indications that a text messaging support intervention could help to improve progression rates, mean grades, attendance and online engagement in first-year undergraduate students. Further research is warranted to develop these proof-of-concept findings.     

Formative observation of teaching: focusing peer assistance on teachers’ developmental goals

Peer observation of teaching can provide valuable insights into effective educational practices. By adopting a developmental focus, peer observation can also provide insights into how practices might be enhanced and, importantly, how enhancements in practices might be aligned to teachers’ development goals. However, a review of peer observation of teaching undertaken at Australian universities demonstrates that observation instruments and protocols typically do not explicitly afford alignment of peers’ observations with teachers’ developmental goals. Analysis of observers’ uses of popular peer observation instruments through the deployment of the Peer Assisted Teaching Scheme through multiple institutions across Australia has informed the development and trial of a novel observation instrument and protocol design that is aligned with observer use characteristics, and provides a focus on development goals. This study will be of interest to teachers and academic developers researching and implementing goal-oriented curricular and pedagogical development through peer observation.     

Quantifying participation in,and the effectiveness of,remediating assessment in a university mathematics module

In Maths for Business, a large first-year mathematics module, the continuous assessment component comprises 10 weekly quizzes which combine to contribute 40% of the final module mark. If students did not receive the full five marks on their weekly quiz, they were provided with the opportunity to resubmit their corrected weekly quiz with an explanation of their error(s) for one additional mark. We refer to this process as ‘remediation’. Of the students who had the opportunity to remediate, ～70% did. Through examining learning management system data, we show that the remediation process encouraged students to access module resources. Furthermore, by using a Bayesian hierarchical model to account for students’ level of participation, achievement and prior knowledge, we show that participation in the remediation process positively impacted the final examination marks of moderate to high-achieving students (based on initial continuous assessment marks). However, participation in the remediation process provided limited benefit to low-achieving students. We conjecture this is because these students had not achieved a level of understanding whereby participation in the remediation process could progress their knowledge.     

Saccharin eating in undeprived and hungry rats

Undeprived rats on a choice between saccharin mixed with food and food alone prefer the saccharin-food mixture at the lower concentrations, .19% and .38%, and prefer food alone at concentrations exceeding .75%. However, whether hungry or undeprived, rats tested on single conditions eat food and saccharin-food equally. These data parallel those of studies using saccharin solutions and are interpreted in terms of sensory stimulation.     

“They get enough of that at home”: understanding aversion to popular culture in schools

This paper sets out to try and understand why, in the face of a growing body of research and opinion that favours the utilisation of popular texts to teach literacy ( Marsh & Millard, 2000, Dyson, 2001 , Bromley, 2001), teachers in a research and development project in Southeast England, still had an aversion to embracing children's interest in popular culture. It will argue that the professional position the teachers take is an understandable one in view of the issues surrounding conceptions of literacy, the nature of the pleasure that popular texts evoke, and the alienation to school literacy and culture that these texts can induce. In a discussion of literacy, the paper will argue that, surprisingly, the teachers in the project who did not wish to use popular culture in their classrooms share similar traditional conceptions of literacy with many of those who advocate the use of popular texts in the classroom.     

Obtaining more out of less text in CBI: Effects of varied text density levels as a function of learner characteristics and control strategy

Learning from expository text in computer-based instruction (CBI) was examined as a function of text density level (high, low, or learner-controlled) and learner characteristics in achievement, attitudes, and reading ability. Low-density text was found to be as effective for learning as high-density text, but was more popular among students and also reduced completion time. The highest achievement was obtained in the learner-control condition, with low-ability readers showing a greater tendency to select high-density text than did high-ability readers. Reading ability was also positively related to achievement in learning from high-density computer text and to preferences for learning from CBI relative to print. Based on the resulte, use of low-density text is suggested as a standard feature or learner-control option for CBI lessons.     

Securitisation and/or Westernisation: dominant discourses of Australian values and the implications for teacher education

Debates concerning the nature, purpose and importance of Australian values have resurfaced in Australia following the election of the Liberal-led Coalition Government in September 2013. Two dominant discourses on Australian values have emerged within recent government rhetoric and public policy, both of which have included a demand for changes to how Australian values are taught and encountered within Australian education and schooling. In our analysis, we suggest that the two dominant discourses, one focusing on securitisation and one on Westernisation, have to this point operated separately, but have both focused on narrow, fixed and forced understandings of Australian values. Exploring the key themes of these two discourses, some important issues for teacher educators are set out, including the need to mediate these discourses against research evidence which suggests the importance of holistic and co-operative pedagogical relationships based on trust and humility for effective values education. Though our analysis focuses on the Australian context, the arguments made are likely to be of interest elsewhere given current debates about national values in education across a range of jurisdictions.