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The research reported here brings together three settings of conceptual and methodological inquiry: the sociological setting of socio-economic theory; the curricular/pedagogic setting of educational drama; and the analytic setting of ethnomethodolgically informed analyses of conversation analysis and membership categorisation analysis. Students from two schools, in contrasting socio-economic areas, participated in drama lessons concerned with their future. The study found that process drama allowed them to overcome the rhetoric and abstract nature of the theorising of controversial issues by allowing them to become actively involved in testing theories, developing ideas, and finding solutions to controversial problems through their work in the dramatic context. Within this paper three aspects of the study are drawn out for particular attention: the settings for such an inquiry, the varying kinds of talk found in drama lessons, and the key contrasts and similarities between the two research sites. These three aspects highlight the particular ways in which talk in drama classrooms may have powerful implications for the ways in which moral reasoning is built and shared by students. IntroductionThis paper summarises aspects of a more extensive study that used the detailed analysis of classroom interactions to explore relationships between drama in schools and socio-economic status as both topic of talk and resource for interpretation. Three aspects are drawn out for particular attention in this paper: the settings for such an inquiry, the varying kinds of talk found in drama lessons, and the key contrasts and similarities between the research sites. These three aspects explored together allow for an investigation into the particular ways talk is structured in drama classrooms, and the implications of this for the ways moral reasoning is built and shared by students.

Teacher education in universities is under pressure. In many new education policies there is a renewed focus on teacher quality, and therefore quality initial teacher education. In some countries this renewed focus has led to a resurgence of “alternative approaches” to teacher education such as Teach for America / Australia. One of the most persistent complaints about pre-service teacher education is that educational theory presented in these programs does not relate sufficiently to the real work of teachers. In an attempt to overcome these real or perceived divides, tertiary drama educators at the University of Sydney constructed a professional experience program based on both the community of practice model (Lave and Wenger, 1991) and Frierean notions of praxis (1972). The community of praxis approach emphasises the importance of integrating theory and practice to support the development of beginning teachers. This article outlines the development, implementation, and evaluation of this approach, including the reasoning behind its foundation and the theoretical and practical significance of such an approach for teacher-educators.La formation des enseignants au sein des universités est soumise à des pressions constantes. En effet, plusieurs nouvelles politiques éducationnelles réaffirment l’importance d’avoir des enseignants compétents et donc, une formation initiale des enseignants de qualité. Dans certains pays, le renouvellement de cet objectif a provoqué la réapparition « d’approches parallèles », telles que Teach for America / Australia, approches offrant une alternative à la formation des enseignants. Une des plaintes les plus tenaces à l’égard de leur formation est que les théories exposées au sein de ces programmes ne reflètent pas adéquatement la réalité professionnelle des enseignants. Afin de pallier à ce fossé réel ou perçu, des professeurs d’art dramatique en enseignement supérieur de l’Université de Sydney ont mis sur pied un programme d’expérience professionnelle en s’inspirant à la fois du modèle de la communauté de pratique (Lave et Wenger, 1991) et des notions de praxis de Friere (1972). L’approche de la communauté de pratique met l’accent sur l’importance d’intégrer la théorie et la pratique pour soutenir la formation des nouveaux enseignants. Cet article décrit le développement de la mise sur pied ainsi que l’évaluation de cette approche. Il explique également le raisonnement qui sous-tend sa création et la signification théorique et pratique d’une telle approche pour ceux qui forment les enseignants

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This paper argues that policy agendas and proposals about social change and wellbeing are evident in the implementation of applied theatre projects through technologies such as evaluation practices and funding applications and effect public discourse about who the participants are and why they are or are not 'being well'. Like public policy, applied theatre for social change cannot 'get to work' without first establishing a problem that needs to be solved. We consider the ways in which the discourses of funders, governments and communities call on applied theatre practitioners to frame particular issues and/or groups of people as problematic and the implications of doing so within neoliberalised policy contexts. This issue relates to existing debates about the extent to which the conceptions and models of change that underpin many forms of applied theatre are affected by funders and governments. This paper engages with this critique as it explores current donor and public policy discourses related to well-being in Australia and New Zealand. It draws on specific policy documents and funding schemes in the two contexts to discuss the mechanics and politics of 'change' as a key character in the work of applied theatre and performance in each country. The paper attempts to understand the way the field might navigate systems, technologies, policies, and public understandings of wellbeing, social change, personal change, and social good to produce work with and for participants within neoliberal structures.