Melbourne Graduate School of Education - Theses

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    Where is Tora?: implementing process drama in Japanese language classes at an Australian primary school
    Araki-Metcalfe, Naoko ( 2001)
    This study investigates how Australian primary school students respond to process drama in their Japanese language classes. It considers whether this method is appropriate in the second language curriculum. This study was conducted by a teacher researcher using participatory action research methodology. It is a case study of Year Six students' participation in Drama-Japanese classes at a primary school. A review of related literature focuses on the recent teaching methodologies in Language Other Than English (LOTE) and drama as a teaching methodology within second language classes. As participatory action research is used as a methodology, action research cycles are implemented in the Drama-Japanese project. Each chapter of the thesis relates to stages of an action research cycle. The main chapter is a discussion of insights into my teaching and the students' experiences in learning Japanese as their second language through process drama. Research outcomes are examined in relation to relevant literature. The significance of the teacher's role in providing effective second language learning methods for primary school students emerges from the data. It becomes evident that various process drama activities tend to engage the language learners and enhance their interest in Japanese language and culture. This study indicates that process drama can be successfully incorporated into Japanese language teaching and learning. It suggests possibilities for other second language teachers to employ this drama method as an alternative teaching method in their teaching practice with their students.
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    The waterhole: using educational drama as apedagogical tool in a foreign languageclass at a public primary school in Japan
    Araki-Metcalfe, Naoko ( 2006-07)
    This study investigates Japanese primary school students’ and teachers’ responses to educational drama as a pedagogical tool in their English language classes. Along with the participants’ responses, the applicability of educational drama as a teaching method for the Japanese teachers is also discussed. The study was conducted in Japan as ateacher-researcher using participatory action research methods. The participants of the study are three Year Six classes and their teachers in a public primary school in Japan. Educational drama is introduced as an alternative teaching and learning method to these participants who have had no experience of drama in education.