Theatre Arts Education K-12 BA

Program Purpose


The Theatre Education program is designed to produce students with a strong liberal arts and pedagogical foundation preparing them to work effectively in a variety of theatre education settings, in related industries, or in graduate study. Graduates are practitioners with training that can be applied to educational settings (both public and private), as well as other existing and emerging theatre-in-education environments. Students develop general and specialized skill sets in educational theatre as well as master knowledge of theatre, history, theory and practice. They implement processes that integrate current "best practices" and creative applications to new situations. They learn to collaborate. Our students benefit from a strong critical studies core where curriculum develops analytical skills and creates the foundation for collaborative application and experimentation. Students leave our program with pedagogical strength, spiritual awareness, intellectual attributes, character, and a commitment to life-long learning and service to assist themselves, their students, and their families in an optimal learning environment.

Curricular Structure

Pre-service Theatre Arts Education students are accepted into the Theatre Arts Education Major through an application process (Theatre Arts Education Major Application). On acceptance into the program, students complete a preclinical preparation. In this phase pre-service teachers are introduced to and learn concepts, ideas and theories in the classroom. Theatre pedagogy courses are taught in coordination with content-specific courses and education courses taught in the McKay School of Education. In addition to course work required during this phase of the program the theatre education program requires students to participate in co-curricular activities that introduce the student to practical skills necessary to run a theatre program in a secondary school setting. Theatre shops and stages and local secondary schools classrooms work as laboratories for our students. The pre-clinical phase is followed by clinical work in theatre education practicum and student teaching courses. In this phase pre-service teachers apply those curricular ideas in a variety of practical/ secondary school settings.

Links

Major Academic Plan

Catalog Information

Learning Outcomes


Pre-service teachers who complete the BA in Theatre Arts Education will be able to demonstrate the following competencies:

Effective Communication

Students will demonstrate their ability to use gospel principles to communicate effectively with diverse and inclusive teaching and learning communities by demonstrating EDIA (equity, diversity, inclusion, access) principles through curriculum design, delivery, and assessment along with examples of their self-reflective practices.

Courses that Contribute: TMA 257 TMA 276 TMA 352 TMA 375 TMA 377A TMA 377C TMA 377D
Linked to BYU Aims: Communicate effectively, Competence
Strategies

Students will demonstrate their ability to integrate dramatic strategies and skills into arts and non-arts based elementary and secondary educational environments while also providing Christ-centered, equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible instruction for students.

Courses that Contribute: TMA 252 TMA 257 TMA 276 TMA 352 TMA 375 TMA 377A TMA 377B TMA 377C TMA 377D TMA 476
Linked to BYU Aims: Faith and testimony, Competence
Professional Pedagogical Practices

Students will demonstrate professional pedagogical practices by creating, developing, and implementing gospel-principled, diverse, inclusive and standards-based theatre curriculum into their classroom and professional communities.

Courses that Contribute: TMA 257 TMA 276 TMA 375 TMA 377A TMA 377B TMA 377C TMA 377D TMA 476
Linked to BYU Aims: Communicate effectively, Lifelong service
Scholarly Abilities

Students will demonstrate their scholarly and artistic expertise by applying appropriate technology to curriculum, exhibiting a working knowledge of all major elements of theatre history, theory, and practice, and engaging with the great works of theatre and media.

Courses that Contribute: TMA 276 TMA 352 TMA 377A TMA 377B TMA 377C TMA 377D TMA 476
Linked to BYU Aims: Gospel knowledge, Lifelong service
Ethics

Students demonstrate their ability to practice and articulate their ethics of theatre by applying gospel-centered values as they contribute to classrooms and individual learners, exercising moral reasoning when faced with ethical dilemmas in their classroom, school or district, and demonstrating a commitment to embracing inclusion, diversity and making a positive difference in their sphere of influence.

Courses that Contribute: TMA 252 TMA 257 TMA 276 TMA 352 TMA 375 TMA 377A TMA 377B TMA 377C TMA 377D TMA 476
Linked to BYU Aims: Gospel knowledge, Lifelong service
Basic Competence Level

EPP candidates will meet the Utah Effective Teaching Standards (UETS) at the basic competence level.

Courses that Contribute: TMA 252 TMA 257 TMA 276 TMA 352 TMA 375 TMA 377A TMA 377B TMA 377D TMA 476
Linked to BYU Aims: Communicate effectively, Competence

Evidence of Learning


Assessment Tools

The Theatre Arts Education program has established, in coordination with the McKay School of Education, four transition points (admission to the program, preclinical phase, post-clinical phase, and alumni) for assessing teacher candidates. At each of these transition points, teacher candidates are evaluated on multiple, common assessments developed and established by the faculty. These assessments include, but are not limited to, evaluations of academic performance (lesson plans, cases studies, teacher work samples, etc.), professional and interpersonal behavior measures, dispositional measures, and clinical practice measures, all of which are linked and tied to the program aims and INTASC standards. Common assignments and assessment outcomes are collected via LiveText, an online data retrieval/eportfolio system. This system allows authorized personnel to access any and all data sources (artifacts, assessments, etc.) to create summary reports at the class, course, and program levels. The assessment information, as indicated earlier, is collected in an ongoing fashion during or at the conclusion of each major transition point.

Direct Measures

The Theatre Arts Education faculty utilizes core assessment tools that are approved by the McKay School of Education, the secondary design team and the University Council on Teacher Education. These tools are cooperatively used by teacher education programs across campus and include:

1. Teacher Work Sample

2. Clinical Practice Assessment Forms (formative and Summative)

3. Candidate Disposition Scale

In addition to these core assessments the Theatre Arts Education program also assesses students through:

1. Written examinations

2. Written philosophy statements about teaching

3. Written and verbal evaluation of lesson plans and classroom management plans

4. Immediate verbal and written faculty assessment of teaching observations

5. Student assessment of in-class performances

6. Monitoring progress through the College Advisement Center and department advisement.

Indirect Measures

1. Feedback from cooperating teachers in the practicum and student teaching experience

2. Professional activity of graduates within the state and national theatre education associations.

3. Student evaluations

4. Alumni Questionnaire

5. Senior Survey

6. AIMS survey.

Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement


Analysis, Evaluation, and Improvement Process

Theatre Arts Education faculty members work with administrative leaders in the Department of Teacher Education to analyze and evaluate the generated data and assessment outcomes at regular intervals associated with the four major transition points. This analysis takes place with reports generated by and through the Assessment Team. These reports are prepared at the end of each semester, providing summaries of student performance as well as access to the artifacts and assessments that produced the data. These summaries are reviewed by the Theatre Arts Education faculty to identify program strengths and weaknesses. Through thoughtful discussion and debate, consensus is reached, targets/goals for change are identified, and procedures are put in place to achieve the goals. When and if necessary, proposals are forwarded to the University Council on Teacher Education and the University Curriculum Committee for approval.