Drama and possibility thinking – Taiwanese pupils’ perspectives regarding creative pedagogy in drama

Abstract The aim of the study was to examine how drama fosters children's everyday creativity, its relationship with creative pedagogy, and what teachers can provide for children's development in creativity in an Asian context. A series of drama lessons were designed and taught to two six-grade (11–12 years old) classes by involving pedagogical strategies that foster qualities of possibility thinking. The pupils’ accounts concerning the drama lessons and the pedagogy used in drama were collected through diaries, response sheets, and group interviews. The findings show that the pupils considered drama useful in developing certain creative abilities and qualities, such as imagination, independent thinking, and risk-taking. The pupils indicated the strategies used in drama which made the development possible, including task-oriented, collaborative learning, and the teacher's guidance and ethos. The pupils also identified five features regarding creative teaching in drama, namely playfulness, innovation, flexibility, space, and in-depth learning. Although most of the pupils conveyed their enjoyment of the lessons, many of them found the way of learning through drama difficult, and commented that the strategies used and the ethos behind drama may result in the teacher losing authority, which they depend on to a large extent. Based on these findings, the possible tensions of fostering possibility thinking is discussed, and implications are proposed for Taiwanese as well as other Asian teachers for promoting creativity through creative pedagogy.