John O'Toole

This book offers a comprehensive and critical guide to research and practice in the field of arts education and conflict management. The DRACON project explores the relationship between drama and conflict transformation. This international, interdisciplinary and comparative action research project, begun in 1996, is aimed at improving conflict management and transformation among adolescent school students using the medium of educational drama. The book reports on the underpinning principles, and on action research practice in Malaysia, Sweden and Australia. The strategies and techniques, which were revolutionary when first introduced, are now tried and tested. The book chronicles the history, successes, opportunities and challenges of the original 10-year project, and brings the story up to date by highlighting some of its many legacies and resulting influences around the world. This book will benefit researchers, academics and graduate students in Education, the Social Sciences, Dispute Resolution and the Performing Arts.

This book offers a complete and detailed account of the evolution of an internationally successful, evidence-based program that has been the result of almost two decades of action research into conflict and bullying. It addresses one of the most serious problems encountered in schools and work places worldwide: that of bullying and inter-personal conflict. The book presents a comprehensive account of the research, development and refinement of the DRACON Project and the Acting Against Bullying and Cooling Conflicts programs. The effective strategies that emerged from the extensive international research and practice use a combination of theories of conflict and bullying management with drama techniques and peer teaching which have been unique in their application. The book analyses their evolution into an effective program that has impacted positively on bullying and conflict in a number of settings. In the UK the program successfully addressed behavioural problems amongst girls in schools through the use of peer teaching in a drama setting. In Sweden the program assists nursing students, nurses and other health professionals to deal with conflict in the workplace. In Australia it has been applied in hundreds of schools to reduce bullying and assist newly arrived refugees to deal with cultural conflict and develop resilience and self- identity in their new country. This volume makes a major and authentic contribution to the international effort to find effective strategies and techniques to deal with interpersonal conflict and bullying across a range of contexts.

This book offers a complete and detailed account of the evolution of an internationally successful, evidence-based program that has been the result of almost two decades of action research into conflict and bullying. It addresses one of the most serious problems encountered in schools and work places worldwide: that of bullying and inter-personal conflict. The book presents a comprehensive account of the research, development and refinement of the DRACON Project and the Acting Against Bullying and Cooling Conflicts programs. The effective strategies that emerged from the extensive international research and practice use a combination of theories of conflict and bullying management with drama techniques and peer teaching which have been unique in their application. The book analyses their evolution into an effective program that has impacted positively on bullying and conflict in a number of settings. In the UK the program successfully addressed behavioural problems amongst girls in schools through the use of peer teaching in a drama setting. In Sweden the program assists nursing students, nurses and other health professionals to deal with conflict in the workplace. In Australia it has been applied in hundreds of schools to reduce bullying and assist newly arrived refugees to deal with cultural conflict and develop resilience and self- identity in their new country. This volume makes a major and authentic contribution to the international effort to find effective strategies and techniques to deal with interpersonal conflict and bullying across a range of contexts.

As experts in both applied theatre and education, Au Yi-Man and John O’Toole outline how applied theatre techniques can be used to support workers in the human services to develop crucial skills such as resilience, imagination, critical thinking, and reflection. Highlighting under-emphasised skills and qualities in the human services professions, this book combines theory with context-specific practice to support capacity building across sectors. Drawing on a detailed study of NGO workers learning to use applied theatre techniques in professional development, the book offers insight into the learning and experiences of the participants and how these can be applied to future training programs. The book also provides a deeper understanding of how adult learners, from different backgrounds and levels of experience, approach their professional training. Rich with resources, the book features complete course examples, including theatre of the oppressed, process drama, and educational theatre, as core drama techniques. Opening up new opportunities for applied theatre practitioners and educators, this book is a must-read for teachers in any human services field intending to use drama or applied theatre in their training.

As experts in both applied theatre and education, Au Yi-Man and John O’Toole outline how applied theatre techniques can be used to support workers in the human services to develop crucial skills such as resilience, imagination, critical thinking, and reflection. Highlighting under-emphasised skills and qualities in the human services professions, this book combines theory with context-specific practice to support capacity building across sectors. Drawing on a detailed study of NGO workers learning to use applied theatre techniques in professional development, the book offers insight into the learning and experiences of the participants and how these can be applied to future training programs. The book also provides a deeper understanding of how adult learners, from different backgrounds and levels of experience, approach their professional training. Rich with resources, the book features complete course examples, including theatre of the oppressed, process drama, and educational theatre, as core drama techniques. Opening up new opportunities for applied theatre practitioners and educators, this book is a must-read for teachers in any human services field intending to use drama or applied theatre in their training.

Grounded in theory and research, with links to teaching practice, Education in the Arts helps students apply what they are learning to new contexts, and encourages them to become reflective and mindful practitioners. Students can continue to use this book as they become practising teachers, drawing on how to implement the various arts practices in a school setting. Lecturer Resources: Additional case studies to use with your students.

The Process of Drama provides an original and invaluable model of the elements of drama in context, and defines how these are negotiated to produce dramatic art. John O'Toole takes the reader through a lively, fascinating account of the relationships between the playwright, the elements of dramatic art, and the other artists involved in this most interactive of creative processes. In doing so he demonstrates - with clarity and wit - how dramatic meaning emerges; how the dramatic event is constructed. Areas covered include: roles and relationships the drama space language and movement tension and the audience gesture and movement This is an essential book for every student of drama who wants to understand how the theatrical art form operates

For many teachers and teacher education students, research is initially, a daunting prospect. Educational Research: Creative Thinking and Doing, Second Edition, is an accessible and engaging text which introduces students to the broad field of educational research and demonstrates how to use research when thinking about issues arising from educational and social policy, as well as schools and classrooms, within organizational and institutional contexts. Assuming no previous experience, the book covers the basic principles, reviewing imperatives and theoretical approaches, and explains how to tackle the necessary processes and procedures for conducting research and presenting the results. The new edition has been updated to highlight the contemporary focus on mixed methodology and collaborative research, and there is increased coverage of research in science and social science educational contexts to balance with its emphasis on helping arts and humanities teacher education students to use and to do research.

‘Here’s a knocking indeed!’ says the Porter in Shakespeare’s Scottish play (Act II, Scene 3) and immediately puts himself into role in order to deal with the demands of such an early call after a late night of drinking and carousal: ‘If a man were porter of hell-gate...’. But what roles does the porter of curriculum-gate take on in order to deal with drama’s persistent demands for entry? Ah, that depends upon the temperature of the times. We, who have been knocking for what seems to be a very long time, know well that when evaluation and measurement criteriaare demanded as evidence of drama’s ef cacy, an examiner stands as gatekeeper. When the educational landscape is in danger of overcrowding, we meet a territorial governor. And how often has the courtesan turned out to be only a tease because the arts are, for a brief moment, in the spotlight for their abilities to foster out-of-the-box thinkers? In this text, we meet these ‘commissionaires’ and many more. The gatekeeping roles and what they represent are so familiar that they have become cliches ´ to us. We know them by their arguments, ripostes, dismissals, their brief encouragement and lack of follow-up. And we know that behind each one (however rmly they think they keep the keys) is a nancial and political master whose power controls the curriculum building and everything in it.

‘Here’s a knocking indeed!’ says the Porter in Shakespeare’s Scottish play (Act II, Scene 3) and immediately puts himself into role in order to deal with the demands of such an early call after a late night of drinking and carousal: ‘If a man were porter of hell-gate...’. But what roles does the porter of curriculum-gate take on in order to deal with drama’s persistent demands for entry? Ah, that depends upon the temperature of the times. We, who have been knocking for what seems to be a very long time, know well that when evaluation and measurement criteriaare demanded as evidence of drama’s ef cacy, an examiner stands as gatekeeper. When the educational landscape is in danger of overcrowding, we meet a territorial governor. And how often has the courtesan turned out to be only a tease because the arts are, for a brief moment, in the spotlight for their abilities to foster out-of-the-box thinkers? In this text, we meet these ‘commissionaires’ and many more. The gatekeeping roles and what they represent are so familiar that they have become cliches ´ to us. We know them by their arguments, ripostes, dismissals, their brief encouragement and lack of follow-up. And we know that behind each one (however rmly they think they keep the keys) is a nancial and political master whose power controls the curriculum building and everything in it.

The Process of Drama provides an original and invaluable model of the elements of drama in context, and defines how these are negotiated to produce dramatic art. John O'Toole takes the reader through a lively, fascinating account of the relationships between the playwright, the elements of dramatic art, and the other artists involved in this most interactive of creative processes. In doing so he demonstrates - with clarity and wit - how dramatic meaning emerges; how the dramatic event is constructed. Areas covered include: roles and relationships the drama space language and movement tension and the audience gesture and movement This is an essential book for every student of drama who wants to understand how the theatrical art form operates