Dramatic interactions in education : Vygotskian and sociocultural approaches to drama, education and research

This book breaks new ground in drawing together contemporary sociocultural research occurring across diverse drama and educational contexts. In doing so it provides models and means for examining the interactions between the affective, cognitive and relational domains, revealing important insights about meaningful learning which is essential for contemporary, futures-oriented learning. Foundational work by the influential scholar Lev Vygotsky is explored and some of his lesser known work revealed, with a particular focus on his writings about theatre, drama and creativity. Key concepts drawn from his work and other sociocultural theorists are explicated in relation to drama and educational contexts. Insight is provided into concepts such as perezhivanie and the zone of proximal development through discussion of a number of drama, theatre and educational research studies. The book also profiles research approaches which investigate Vygotskian theory including textological analysis, Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, playworlds, dialogic processes and Developmental Work Research. Leading theorists and researchers from across the globe have contributed to this book which combines theoretical and methodological discussions, and accounts of research studies with descriptions of applications in school, university, professional development and applied learning contexts. This book makes a valuable contribution to the drama, education, educational psychology and research literature.