Implementation of Life Sciences from the Perspectives of Students: Creative Drama as a Qualitative Data Collection Method

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the perceptions of students on the implementation of
life sciences curriculum through using creative drama sessions. Eighty seven 2nd and 3rd grade students
from an elementary school in one of the districts of Ankara participated in the study. Data were collected
through employing four different creative drama methods: (a) letters, (b) drawings, (c) improvisations,
and (d) still images of students. Content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data collected in
drama sessions. The findings indicated that the teachers had a role of knowledge transmitter to a group of
passive students in life sciences classrooms. The most frequently used teaching methods were lecturing,
question-answer, and demonstration through using textbooks, workbooks, and white boards. In addition,
the most frequently used assessment methods were essay and oral exams, classroom observations, and
self-assessment. Besides, it emerged that students prefer group work and animation rather than typing.
The affluence and diversity of collected data in this study showed that as an art-based qualitative research
method, creative drama was a quite effective method in revealing intimate opinions of young children.