The Play's the Thing: Experimentally Examining the Social and Cognitive Effects of School Field Trips to Live Theater Performances

Greene, Jay P.; Erickson, Heidi Holmes; Watson, Angela; Beck, Molly I.

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3030928

Cited by 22 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 11 publications

(5 reference statements)

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“…In line with our practical suggestions, such research could explore other pedagogical and physical designs and experiment with ways to synthesize cognitive, affective, and social goals, different ME training models, different modes of bridging between the school and museum, and different grouping strategies. Preferably, such research would employ a quasi‐experimental approach (e.g., Greene, Erickson, Watson, & Beck, ) or a designed‐based approach (Anderson & Shattuck, ) and assess opportunities for science identification.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Science identity trajectories throughout school visits to a science museum

Shaby

Vedder‐Weiss

2019

J Res Sci Teach

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Research has repeatedly demonstrated how informal learning environments afford science‐identity development by fostering a broader array of interactions and recognizing more varied participation modes and roles, as compared to the classroom. Thus, science teachers are encouraged to take students to field trips in informal environments, including science museums. However, the question of whether and how informal environments indeed support science identities also in a schooling context (i.e., in field trips) has not yet been explored. This case study addresses this question by analyzing identity trajectories of three students throughout six school visits to an Israeli science museum. We observed and recorded these students in the museum over the course of 3 years (fourth to sixth grade). We also visited their school and interviewed them after each visit. Drawing on a sociocultural interactional approach to identity, we analyzed 18 hr of video and audio recordings, tracking the participation of the three students across time and contexts, comparing between the students, points in time and settings, including structured (museum lab), semi‐structured (riddle‐solving activities in exhibition halls), and unstructured settings (free exploration). We employed linguistic ethnographic methods and microanalysis to examine the ways in which the students participated and their positioning by self and others. While we found differences between settings within the museum, overall, the findings show that the museum reproduced the school's interaction, positioning, and roles. The “(non)science person” in school was also the “(non)science person” in the museum, and thus, the museum visits did not appear to shift identity trajectories. These findings challenge the premise that informal environments support the development of science identities also in a schooling context and call for a more critical view of such fieldtrips in terms of their pedagogical and physical design, facilitation approach, and consideration of peers' social interaction.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Science identity trajectories throughout school visits to a science museum

Shaby

Vedder‐Weiss

2019

J Res Sci Teach

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“…Prior research demonstrates that experiential learning can be effective at improving knowledge and critical thinking skills. Such experiential learning can include visiting art museums Kisida, Bowen, & Greene, 2016), visiting science educational institutions (Weinstein, Whitesell, & Schwartz, 2014;Whitesell, 2016), and viewing live theater (Greene, Erickson, Watson, & Beck, 2018). We theorize that hearing from a Holocaust survivor or expert may have a more meaningful impact on students than receiving instruction from someone with no personal connection to or expertise in the Holocaust.…”

Section: Exposure To Information Will Lead To An Increase In Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Impact of Holocaust Education on Adolescents’ Civic Values: Experimental Evidence from Arkansas

Lee

Beck

2019

SSRN Journal

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American adults overwhelmingly agree that the Holocaust should be taught in schools, yet few studies investigate the potential benefits of Holocaust education. We evaluate the impact of Holocaust education on several civic outcomes, including "upstander" efficacy (willingness to intervene on behalf of others), likelihood of exercising civil disobedience, empathy for the suffering of others, and tolerance of others with different values and lifestyles. We recruit students from two local high schools and randomize access to the Arkansas Holocaust Education Conference, where students have the chance to hear from a Holocaust survivor and to participate in breakout sessions with leading Holocaust experts. We find that students randomly assigned to attend the conference become more knowledgeable about the Holocaust and are more willing to act as an upstander on behalf of others. In our subgroup analysis, we find that minority students are significantly more willing to act as an upstander relative to their white peers.

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“…Furthermore, students who had more opportunities to participate in cultural field trips were able to better read the emotions of their peers or the performers and were more tolerant when evaluating the original work, even if it might go against their interests or expectations (Greene et al, 2015). In addition to their immediate benefits, cultural field trips have also been found to cultivate a stronger interest in future musical attendances, a greater love for music, and some of the critical thinking skills associated with musicians (Greene et al, 2018). Such continued exposure is also able to positively impact the academic performance of attending students, in part due to improved recall, retention, and comprehension of viewed materials.…”

Section: Reflections On Historiographymentioning

confidence: 99%

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story? Hamilton As A Case Study For Musical Mnemonics

Guillen¹

2022

Preprint

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The study of musical mnemonics arose as an attempt to understand why and how music triggers the human brain in such profound ways. Decades of scholarly research have uncovered the complex interplay between music and human brain processes in ways that are able to elicit unique responses, particularly in individuals suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, learning disabilities, or other sensory anomalies. Previous research has demonstrated that music has inherent structures capable of improving retention, recall, language decoding, general cognitive processes, and in some ways, intelligence. These heightened brain processes have been found to be particularly well suited in enhancing learning capabilities in academic settings. However, there is a significant gap in the literature about how musical mnemonics are employed and engaged within live entertainment, such as musicals, to create dynamic cognitive experiences, as well its applications and efficacy within learning environments (i.e., modulated history instruction supplemented with arts-based field trips)

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The Play's the Thing: Experimentally Examining the Social and Cognitive Effects of School Field Trips to Live Theater Performances

Cited by 22 publications

References 11 publications

Science identity trajectories throughout school visits to a science museum

Science identity trajectories throughout school visits to a science museum

Assessing the Impact of Holocaust Education on Adolescents’ Civic Values: Experimental Evidence from Arkansas

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story? Hamilton As A Case Study For Musical Mnemonics

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