The impact of creative drama activities on aggressive behaviour of preschool children

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a research study examining the impact of creative puppetry activities on aggressive behaviour in preschool children. The aim of creative drama was to allow for experiences that help children understand interpersonal relations, put themselves in another’s shoes and see alternative possibilities of behaving or acting in given situations. Play with a puppet in small groups offers children opportunities to establish pro-social peer interactions and learn socialisation skills including solving minor conflicts. The research was conducted with 22 preschool teachers in Slovenian preschools and first grades of elementary schools (including 460 children aged 4–7). The teachers completed a scale of social behaviour for each child in the group before introducing the puppetry activities and after concluding them, i.e. after three months of intense, daily creative work with puppets. The paired difference t-test showed that according to the teachers’ assessments after the three-month conduct of creative puppetry activities in the group, the frequency of the occurrence of aggressive behaviour in the total population was diminished, especially in the children who had the lowest scores in the initial assessment.

Examining the Effectiveness of Drama Education Program on the Interaction and Social Skills of Children in Preschool Classes Applying Inclusive Practices

“…Dramada çocukların sosyal, empati, hoşgörü, etkileşim gibi becerilerini geliştirmeye yönelik dramatik kurgu oluşturulduğunda, çocuklar bu becerileri drama ortamında uygulama fırsatına sahip olmaktadır. Bu şekilde planlı biçimde, yaparak-yaşayarak kazanılan becerilerin daha etkili ve kalıcı olarak gelişeceği vurgulanmaktadır (Korošec ve Zorec, 2020). Yapılan bir metaanalizde drama yönteminin çocukların bütünsel gelişimleri üzerinde etkili olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır (Ulubey, 2018).…”

The Effect of Role Playing Methods on Social-emotional Development in Preschool Children

“…The third study showed the results that role playing skills in preschoolers had a significant effect on children's emotional regulation, organization, and imagination through a short intervention of 8 weeks (Fehr et al, 2021). The fourth study showed that there was a significant decrease in children's aggressive behavior and progress in children's social competence during the measurements observed in dramatic play activities (Korosec & Zorec, 2019). The fifth research by Petersen et al (2020) corroborating the results that children's ability to regulate reflective emotions significantly increased peer group acceptance of role playing.…”

“…In role playing, children will be introduced to various instructions by doing stories or scenarios on game tools such as doll figures that include animals or objects (such as toy cars, rubber balls, and others). This role teaches children to be able to manage various forms of emotional expression, the ability to behave aggressively, and the ability to prosocial behavior (Fehr et al, 2021;Jaggy, Perren, Mainhard, et al, 2020;Korosec & Zorec, 2019;Marcelo & Yates, 2020). A study in the Netherlands applied role-playing and incorporated this method into a part of the curriculum in a daycare centre.…”

“…Dramatization carried out by children using symbolic props, such as dolls in small groups provides opportunities for children to build interactions with prosocial peers and practice social-emotional skills, one of which is conflict resolution so that children's aggressive behavior decreases (Korosec & Zorec, 2019). It is equivalent to (Jaggy, Perren, Mainhard, et al, 2020;Marcelo & Yates, 2020;Slot et al, 2017) from the results of his study that when children are instructed to play freely and makeup stories with game tools, children's prosocial behavior will develop by itself, reduce aggressive behavior, and emotional skills will naturally manifest in the interactions that take place.…”

Puppets and inclusive practice: Engaging all learners through drama and puppetry in preschool contexts

“…An emerging body of research shows that puppets can contribute to creating relaxed and playful environments that foster the relationships between children and between children and adults (Korošec, 2012;Majaron, 2002). Alchrona (2012) and Çağanağa (2015) describe how puppets create opportunities, through playful interactions for children and adults, to communicate and in doing so create relationships and trust.…”