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.
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Learning Outcomes
Pre-service teachers who complete the BA in Theatre Arts Education will be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
Curriculum and InstructionStudents will demonstrate professional pedagogical practices by creating, teaching, and assessing gospel-centered, standards-based theatre curriculum.
Students will demonstrate moral and ethical reasoning in addressing contextual dilemmas in university or public school classrooms.
Students will apply gospel-centered values while using dramatic strategies to foster a sense of belonging in arts-based educational environments.
Students will demonstrate scholarly and artistic expertise by effectively engaging with key elements of theatre history, theory, technology, and practice.
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.