Certificación de competencias profesionales en el ámbito de los proyectos

During my first meeting with the Head of Department (HOD) for Life Orientation, I explained that my purpose was to introduce performative pedagogy in teaching and learning life skills in line with the Grade 4-6 Life Skills Creative Arts curriculum (DBE 2011b) through Boal’s technique called Forum Theatre. I clarified what Forum Theatre is and how it works. We also discussed which grade would be the most suitable as both Grade 6 or 7 classes would have worked for my field study. I explained what I had learned from my literature study regarding the choice of the developmental stage for a life skills intervention. The Botvin Life Skills Programme indicated that the intermediate phase of schooling in the US was suitable for life skills training (cf. 2.5.4) and therefore I wished to work with this age group as well. In the South African context, this would be children in Grades 6, 7 and 8. My expectation was that the children would be in Stage 2 of the Kohlberg and Hersh (1977: 4) model of moral development. The “instrumental-relativist orientation” stage is where the individual sees:

The right action consists of that which instrumentally satisfies one's own needs and occasionally the needs of others. Human relations are viewed in terms like those of the marketplace. Elements of fairness, of reciprocity, and of equal sharing are present, but they are always interpreted in a physical, pragmatic way. Reciprocity is a matter of "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours," not of loyalty, gratitude, or justice.

It was thus assumed that life skills training through experientially exploring a problem of their choosing would challenge the children and encourage them to move to the next level in their

moral development wherein they reach Stage 3. This is where the “interpersonal concordance or "good boy - nice girl" orientation is in place, and good “behaviour is that which pleases or helps others and is approved by them” (Kohlberg and Hersh 1977:4).

The HOD initially suggested that I work with the Grade 7 year. These learners are not expected to write Annual National Assessments (ANA) and other benchmarking tests set by the government (DBE 2011) and thus the Grade 7 year (13 years old) is less taxing than the Grade 6 year academically. The learners would also be abler to participate as they were a year older. On second thoughts, the HOD shared that the Grade 7 Life Orientation teacher was currently enrolled in further studies and as a result, might not be keen to be involved. From that perspective, the HOD decided that it would be better to work with the Grade 6 classes. Having agreed in principle to allow me to do my research at the school, the HOD for Life Orientation undertook to arrange an information session where I could present my study to all the Life Orientation Intermediate Phase teachers. At this meeting, I explained my purpose in the hope that the teachers would see opportunities for their growth and skills development. The HOD and all four teachers who teach Life Orientation classes across Grades 5-7 attended the information session on 10 June 2016. I first explained the background and context of my research and reviewed the content, format, and structure of Forum Theatre as a dramatic technique. After the presentation, the teachers were invited to participate in the implementation of the performative approach to teaching life skills and to the Forum Theatre intervention wherein they would act as Jokers. The problem plays that would be developed during the term needed to be based on issues identified by the learners to be relevant to them when the Forum Theatre intervention took place.

After my presentation to the teachers, the HOD and the teachers had a meeting to discuss the proposed study. The HOD called me telephonically and requested that I create a series of lesson plans for the Grade 6 (CA) teacher to follow. The teacher asked for the lesson plans to have more clarity on what steps needed to be followed to create a problem play for the Forum Theatre performance. In response, I created a series of nine lesson plans (cf. Appendix G) which came in the place of the information and teaching session for the teachers that I had originally envisaged. As time was limited, I was guided mostly by the Rohd (1998) Theatre for community, conflict and dialogue: the hope is a vital training manual, which provides a practical step-by-step guide on how to work with teenagers in a Forum Theatre process (cf. 4.3.3). During the second week of the winter school holidays, I met with the HOD to explain in a step by step manner how the lessons were planned and would work. She was pleased with the content and said it would work well. The HOD had agreed with the Grade 6 Creative Arts teacher Alice that she would work with me in the third term. It was a pity that Alice, (cf. Table.

4.1) was not able to attend this meeting as well. I asked the HOD if I would still be able to work with the teachers before the term started. She said this was not possible as they were away and would only return at the start of the new term. During the ethical clearance, the GDE indicated that research in public schools should take place after hours and should not interfere with the teaching of the curriculum. I mentioned this to the HOD, who said she preferred that the research is incorporated into their regular CA classes. Judging from the content of the lesson plans and what was prescribed in the textbook, she was comfortable to allow my research to happen during school hours.

I was also not able to work with Alice, the Grade 6 (CA) teacher, on the first day of term, as she is also responsible for the library at the school. The library had been freshly painted, and a new floor had been put in during the holidays. The teacher had worked hard together with some of the parents to add decorations to the library space, which had undergone a major transformation. She only received the lesson plans (Appendix G) that I had created on the first morning when I came to work with her at the school. The permission letters for the parents and the children were also distributed at the start of the third term.

4.3.3 Selection and modification of life-skills programme for Forum Theatre