Process drama as a tool for participation in explorations of ‘wicked problems’ in upper secondary chemistry education

Kerstin Danckwardt-Lillieström; Maria Andrée; Carl-Johan Rundgren

doi:10.31129/LUMAT.12.2.2132

Authors

Kerstin Danckwardt-Lillieström Department of Teaching and Learning, Stockholm University, Sweden https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9001-856X
Maria Andrée Department of Teaching and Learning, Stockholm University, Sweden https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5574-8636
Carl-Johan Rundgren Department of Teaching and Learning, Stockholm University, Sweden https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7679-1628

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31129/LUMAT.12.2.2132

Keywords:

Process drama, wicked problems, chemistry education, upper secondary school

Abstract

This study targets a special form of educational drama called process drama, as a potential means for enabling student engagement with wicked problems. The overarching aim is to explore how process drama may afford student agency in dealing with wicked problems in upper secondary chemistry education. It is a design-based study with two cycles of intervention in two schools. A process drama plan was designed to focus on the wicked problem of plastic pollution. The interventions were video- and audiotaped and thereafter transcribed. The data were analysed using a combination of qualitative content analysis and a sociocultural framework of the two dialectics agency|structure and margin|centre. The analysis resulted in three themes regarding how plastic pollution and plastic use was explored in the process drama. The students participated in a constant flow between margin and centre where different spaces for students’ agency was afforded. In brief, our main finding is that process drama enables students and teachers to participate in a variety of ways in the exploration of wicked problems, and talk about plastic pollution and plastic use, while drawing on knowledge and perspectives of science as well as values and societal and social science perspectives and knowledge.

Author Biography

Maria Andrée, Department of Teaching and Learning, Stockholm University, Sweden

Professor

Department of teaching and Learning, Stockholm University, Sweden

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