departing is my arriving
TRANSCRIPT
Departing is my ArrivingAdrian WongArts Education Officer (Drama)Arts Education BranchStudent Development Curriculum DivisionMinistry of Education, Singapore
A tribute to Kuo Pau Kun: Descendants of the Eunuch AdmiralHome? I have no homeMy home is across the ocean, on the seas.Home? I have no homeMy home is in alien countries, on faraway watersYesterday, from Liu Jia He to the Western OceanToday, from Longyamen to the Suzhou ParkTomorrow, the Earth, the Moon, Mars and the SunWandering is my residenceDeparting is my arrivingI cannot tarryI must hurryThe market is calling me!
Introduction
•Setting the context: Schooling in Singapore•Why this project? - Introducing the
researcher and co-researcher•Action research and Process Drama•Hypotheses and Research questions•Research design and data collection•Outline of the drama- “Departing is my
Arriving”•Implications and emergent themes
Singapore’s population• Republic of Singapore sits at the southern tip
of Malaysia, land mass of 42 km by 22 km • Total population: 5.18 million (as of June 2011)
▫Non-residents: 1.39 million▫Residents: 3.79 million
Citizens: 3.26 million Permanent resident: 0.53 million
• Ethnic composition: Chinese (74%), Malays (13%), Indian (9.2%) and others (3.3%)
• Essentially, Singapore is a nation formed by migrants.
Schooling in Singapore• National statutory board: Ministry of Education• Compulsory 10 years of education
▫Primary 1 – 6 [age 7 – 12]▫Secondary 1 – 5 [age 13 – 17 years]▫Post-secondary [age 16 and higher]
• National examinations at key stages that streams students according to their abilities
End of Primary 6 End of Secondary 4 or Secondary 5
• English is the default language for all classroom instructions except for “Mother Tongue” lessons.
Political, social and cultural context of education in Singapore• Political : Education is always tied to economic
needs of the nation • Cultural : Education is heavily influenced by
“Asian” values of Confucianism, tended to be more teacher-centered, usually whole class teaching and didactic though in recent years large strides has been made towards student-focused approaches.
• Social : Society reinforces the importance of education, that better education provides greater financial stability and greater social mobility in the future.
The challenge of educational reform in Singapore•One of the challenges in educational reformis
“(c)hanges such a integrated curriculum, student focused learning and formative assessment can be easily framed within a progressivist educational outlook with its roots deep in the history and philosophy of Western education other than the needs of Asian societies in the twenty-first century.” (p. 49, Kennedy & Lee)
•Yet, the “more liberal the school curriculum, the more necessary it was to retain local values.” (p. 53, Kennedy & Lee).
Drama and 21st Century Competencies
Desired Student Outcomes
The desired outcomes for every student are:
a concerned citizen who is rooted to Singapore, has a strong sense of civic responsibility, is informed about Singapore and the world, and takes an active part in bettering the lives of others around him.
Specifics of the local contextTeacher/researcher Context of practice [Jul to Sept
2011]
• Adrian Wong, Senior Teacher [Drama], M.Ed [Drama Education] Ethnic Chinese Studied ‘Higher’ Chinese
and Chinese Literature Bilingual
• Sri Laxshemy, Literature in English and Drama teacher▫ Ethnic Indian▫ Studied Malay language in
school, understands spoken Chinese (Mandarin)
• CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ school [Secondary]
• 1,600 students, top 10% of their cohort
• 98% Ethnic Chinese • 65.1% of them speak English
at home• 33.3% of them speak
Mandarin at home• Special Assistance Plan (SAP)
status: bi-cultural programmes• Secondary 1: 380 students• 10 classes, each half taught by
1 teacher, concurrent lessons
Why action research? Gall, Gall and Borg (1999, p.3) regard
educational research as “the systematic collection and analysis of information in order to develop valid, generalizable descriptions, predictions, interventions, and explanations relating to various aspects of education”.
Johnson (2005, p.21) has defined action research as the “process of studying a real school or classroom situation to understand and improve the quality of actions or instruction”.
Why this action research? (1)
•Principles of drama praxis are derived from the progressive traditions of the Western world with different beliefs about teaching and learning (Wong, 2009).
• In translating principles of practice (of applied drama) in local contexts (Nicholson, 2005, p. 39), we are not only crossing geographical but ideological borders as well.
•What are the issues of having process drama in Singapore’s school system?
Why this action research? (2) Narratives, identities and languages in applied drama:“A narrative conception of selfhood recognizes that identity is
not constructed autonomously but in relation to others, through both language and other symbolic codes available in different cultural practices (and) (i)n describing the self as discursively or culturally constructed, … (it is) suggesting that identity is uniquely layered through a historical sedimentation of events and experiences over which, as individuals, we have some degree of choice.” (p. 65, Nicholson, 2005)
“…the use of both fictional and autobiographical narratives to play with alternative constructions of selfhood, to frame experiences in order to view life from different places and perspectives.” (p. 66, Nicholson, 2005)
Why this action research? (3) Process drama: Aesthetic engagementAnother way of learning, or rather, understanding about the world
around us (Jackson, 1999, p. 56) through the aesthetic experience. It is the personal connections the percipients made in response to it. It is deeply personal as it refers to the realization by the percipients (p. 57).
Nicholson (1999) further added that the aesthetics within drama education “recognizes, and values, the cultural diversity which exists in today’s pluralist and postmodern world.” (p. 83). She posited that an aesthetic engagement is highly idiosyncratic to the personal, social and cultural values of the participants who are actively involved in the drama as they interpret the dramatic events actively through their identification with the event, or through questioning the values and feelings of others (p. 86).
Bundy (2003) forwarded that when students are engaged and open to the experience of the drama, and connecting with the experience on a metaphorical level, they are encouraged to be more open to new ideas and thoughts.
Why this action research? (4) •Process drama: Second language acquisition
Kao & O’Neill (1998) explain, “Language acquisition arises from the urge to do things with words, and this need becomes paramount in process drama, when participants are required to manipulate the dramatic circumstances to achieve their own goals ” (p. 4).
In the context of EFL and ESL, where the pedagogical aim is to develop students’ confidence and competence in the use of English language, with instructions/facilitation in English.
Hypothesis 1: Drama’s impact on students • Tapping into students’ personal stories of their
own ancestry, using them in the process drama of their ancestors’ journey to Singapore and creating a play at the end of the process will have a positive impact on their sense of cultural and national identity.
• This will in turn nurture an increased use of and greater appreciation for the Chinese language, the diversity in the Chinese ‘cultures’ and social-cultural diversities in the classroom.
Hypothesis 2: Teachers’ impact on the Drama•The two teachers will make different
choices in the facilitation, introduce different knowledge and respond differently during the unit of work, due to their ethnic identities and subjective cultural knowledge.
•This will in turn impact students’ experience of the drama, which may impact the outcome of the action research.
Research Questions• RQ1 : What is the drama’s impact on
students’ cultural, ethnic and national identities?
• RQ2 : What is the drama’s impact on students’ appreciation of Chinese culture and use of the Chinese language?
• RQ3: How does the teachers’ ethnicity impact their choices during the unit of drama?
• RQ4 : What is the impact of the teachers’ ethnicity and their subjective choices on students’ engagement with the drama?
Data collection
•Pre-intervention survey•Post-intervention survey•Teachers’ weekly reflection of their own
lessons•Teachers’ observations of students over
10 weeks
Survey questions (sample)1) I identify myself as a Singaporean. 2) I identify myself as Chinese / has Chinese origins.3) I identify myself more as a Singaporean than
Chinese / of Chinese descent. 4) I identify myself more as Chinese / of Chinese
descent than with my dialect group. 5) It is important for me to know how my ancestors
came to be in Singapore (or country of birth) and how they lived.
6) I am interested to find out more about how my ancestors came to be in Singapore (or country of birth) and how they lived.
The process drama“Departing is my Arriving”•Adapted from “First Fleet” (O’Toole &
Dunn, 2002)•The lesson exemplars have been tried and
tested by experienced practitioners grounded in praxis.
•The themes of migration are similar.
Outline of unit of work [1]Phase 1 : Initiation Phase 2: Experiential
• Data collection • Research task• Context building
▫ Teacher to share personal histories
▫ Students to share personal history / histories
▫ Creating characters from the personal/family histories
• Creating the drama▫ Preparing to leave China ▫ Trapped on the Chinese
Junk
• Extending the drama▫ Research into the
journey from China to Singapore
▫ Snapshots of journey ▫ Disembarking from the
ship
Extending the Drama:Providing historical knowledge
Extending the Drama:Providing a gendered focus
Outline of unit of work [2]Phase 3: Reflection Phase 4: Crafting the drama
• Rolling freeze frames set in the context of paintings in the Asian Civilization Museum [Narration with excerpts from the play]
• Using the letters, diary entries and poems written in- and out of role, the students will use them as source material (together with their research and personal stories) for the scenes of their play.
• Play-building [Theme-based play]
FindingsFrom hypothesis 1 From hypothesis 2
• RQ1:▫ Survey results: No significant
difference in quantitative data
• RQ2: ▫ Students used their subjective
family history and knowledge in their role-play, writing-in-role and performance
▫ Students were using Chinese (and dialects) in their performances though the lessons were conducted in English
• RQ3: ▫ The teachers’ ethnicities
impact on the personal stories specificity of historical
and cultural details that they can provide the students out-of-role
• RQ4: ▫ Survey results: Not
significant between the 2 halves of the same class
Survey questions (highlights)1) I identify myself as a Singaporean. [4.9 – 5.5]2) I identify myself as Chinese / has Chinese origins. [4.5 – 5]3) I identify myself more as a Singaporean than Chinese / of
Chinese descent. [4.3 – 5]4) I identify myself more as Chinese / of Chinese descent
than with my dialect group. [3.8 – 4.2]5) It is important for me to know how my ancestors came to
be in Singapore (or country of birth) and how they lived. [4.2 – 4.5]
6) I am interested to find out more about how my ancestors came to be in Singapore (or country of birth) and how they lived. [4.5 – 4.8]
Findings (1): • The survey result did not indicate a significant
change on their sense of national and ethnic identity. The students still reported a stronger identification with their national identity than their ethnic identity.
• BUT the students were observed to be highly engaged in excavating their subjective social, cultural and personal histories, sharing them with their peers and using these personal knowledge in the unit of work.
• They made a choice to use Chinese language and some of their dialects in their work, as they want to strive for authenticity in their drama work.
Adrian’s reflection [Term 3 Week 1]
“It was the first lesson of the term, where they were supposed to share their research task. There was a sense of anticipation for almost all the classes. I observed students sharing their research tasks with their peers even before the lesson, all intently reading.
… After I have shared a story from my family history about my mother leaving China for ‘Nanyang’, the students took turns to share their family history. All of them were focused, respectful and genuinely curious.”
Sri’s reflection [Term 4 Week 1] “I was surprised this week when I was giving the
classes their performance task. There were at least one group from my half of the classes who asked if they could use Chinese and/or dialect in their performances. Even those students whom I know speak more English than Chinese. They were concerned that I might ‘mark them down’ because I couldn’t understand. I told them I could understand some basic Chinese but not enough to correct them if they were wrong. Satisfied with my response, they continue with their discussion and rehearsal, using Chinese at times.”
Findings (2):
•The teachers did make different choices, but most of them are out-of-role and often in providing contextual and historical knowledge to the students. ▫E.g. Sri : Indians were called “Kiling-kia” ▫E.g. Adrian : Communism in China
•These are no significant differences in the survey between the 2 halves of the classes, across the 10 classes, in their response to the unit of work.
Adrian’s reflection [Term 3 Week 3] “A student shared that her ancestor had to escape from
Communism in China. She clarified that her family was well to do. Her grandmother had to bind her feet when she was young but when they heard the communists were near, she had to ‘unbind’ her feet. Most students do not understand nor have the contextual knowledge about Communism. I felt I had to explain, in a nutshell, about Communism and why some felt that they have to leave the country. I also related how the Chinese diaspora is felt all over the world.
I found that I have the contextual knowledge and background to inform them of such information. They were acquiring such knowledge not as disinterested facts, but there are affective interest to want to know such facts to inform their understanding of the stories.”
Adrian’s reflection [Term 3 Week 3]
“Some students shared how their grandmothers had to bind their feet when she was young, and I asked the class why. They could not explain so I introduced that fact that only girls from rich families need to bind their feet them as it was a sign of their wealth and status. The students leaned forward with interest as such cultural knowledge situate and clarify the stories in context.
These moments, teaching moments, which were spontaneous and arose out of the structure of the unit of work, are moments where the students’ cultural identities are strengthened by relevant knowledge of history. They are deepening their roots in the context of their personal histories – histories that are deeply embedded in and interwoven with the history of Singapore, the history of the Chinese diaspora and certainly the narratives of departing and arriving.”
What do these findings mean? (1) •The unit of drama has the capacity to raise
students’ awareness and knowledge of their own personal histories (nestled within the history of the country) and those of their peers, which can contribute to their development as concerned citizens of the world who are culturally rooted to Singapore.
•Though instructed/facilitated in English, the unit of drama has a positive impact on students’ use of Chinese language.
What do these findings mean? (2) •The teachers’ ethnic identities do not
have an impact on students’ experiences of the drama.
•The teachers drew on their subjectivist cultural knowledge to provide historical context to the students, where needed.
•The consistency in facilitation, even between teachers for different classes, creates the experience for the students that engage them with the themes of the drama.
Implications for Singapore
•The unit of process drama, when properly facilitated, can have an impact on students regardless of the ethnicities of both the teacher/facilitators and the students.
•This unit of work can be adapted to suit the multi-cultural classrooms in Singapore.
Other outcomes•Students’ responses
▫“History has come alive for me!” ▫“Now, I know why people travel so far to a
foreign place to find work.” ▫“Better than Chinese History lessons.”▫Significant moment reported: Trapped within
the Chinese Junk•Teachers’ observations
▫Almost all groups chose to re-create the scene in the Chinese Junk where they were packed together
Limitations to the study
•Structural constraints that makes it challenging to sustain students’ engagement in the unit of work over 10 weeks.▫Timetable ▫School holidays and other events▫Unpredicted ‘interruptions’
Student teachers Lesson observations
Other emergent themes (1)
•Consistency in facilitation produces greater sophistication in students’ making and presenting of their performances.
•Consistency in facilitation produces greater engagement with the themes, and students shows a lot more reverence and care towards the process of making and presenting, aiming for authenticity in historical facts, mood, use of language and even space.
Adrian’s reflection (Term 4 Week 3)
“I had student teachers who were assigned to the Sec 1 classes and as part of their learning experience, they have to take over some of my classes for 3 weeks during which the key episodes where the teacher and students are collectively improvising. As the student teachers had little experience facilitating process dramas, some of their practice became ‘activity-based’ where the student teachers were following the lesson plans as written but had little notion of how to lead the students through the experience by modelling story-telling, using key questions and using TIR effectively to engage the students to collectively imagine the situations with them.”
Other emergent themes (2)
• The triangulation of data between teachers’ reflections, teachers’ observations and students’ responses shows that a critical moment of the process drama (in the Chinese junk) has a significant impact on the students such that they want to re-create the moment in their presentations.
• This suggests that the students experienced aesthetic engagement with the drama at that critical moment.
Sri’s reflection (Term 4 Week 1)“Most of the groups want to present a scene of
the immigrants on board the Chinese junk. This coincides with the lesson where the students were improvising the scene where they were huddling on board. I entered in-role as someone from the Gongxi, suggesting hidden danger through my “gangster” gestures and demeanour… Out of role, I asked them questions like … “What about the women on board?”, “What if someone offended the guard?” …”
More questions than answersHome? I have no homeMy home is across the ocean, on the seas.Home? I have no homeMy home is in alien countries, on faraway watersYesterday, from Liu Jia He to the Western OceanToday, from Longyamen to the Suzhou ParkTomorrow, the Earth, the Moon, Mars and the SunWandering is my residenceDeparting is my arrivingI cannot tarryI must hurryThe market is calling me!
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