"If this is so fun for adults, it must be a thousand times more fun for children!" : Adult teacher students experiences on grouping through drama course practices

Abstract

Cooperative learning, grouping, flexibility in communication and transformational ways of learning play a very important role in today's learning environments. Future teachers need strong experience in grouping and in the mechanisms that lie beyond the ways people form groups. It is essential to make teacher students familiar with the methods of how to positively influence the atmosphere where pupils are forming groups, communicating and cooperating. Drama education has unique and very effective methods for successful grouping. This study reflects the meanings teacher students give on drama course practices influencing their experiences on grouping. The study was executed in Finland at the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius. Drama education course is part of an adult students' teacher education programme and it takes place at the beginning of the studies of new courses. Through the drama education course the students dive into the variety of drama methods by experiencing these themselves and they authentically get to know how drama education creates at its best an amazing learning environment for grouping. This study aims to identify different authentic experiences that teacher students recounted for individual grouping experiences. Drama education forms a third reality among participants, it works on several levels and combines reality and fiction where students are free to let loose control and give space to creativity and spontaneity. As this happens, the ways students free themselves to cooperation, playful, joyful and limitless grouping have great importance for the whole grouping during their teacher studies. Furthermore, as they become teachers they need to know how to create a safe and effective space for true grouping among their pupils.