Connecting Embodied Learning in educational practice to the realisation of Science educational scenarios through performing Arts

Embodied Learning constitutes a contemporary pedagogical theory of learning, which emphasizes the use of the body in the educational practice. As a contemporary theory, it can incorporate art in teaching leading to a multifaceted development of the student. Several researches related to various areas of expertise highlight the usefulness and the necessity of the body itself as a learning tool. Despite this, until recently the body was mostly used as a means to enable students’ experiential participation and to attract their interest. However, it had not been connected to knowledge building and skill development. Therefore, nowadays the need to attract students’ interest in a creative way and to develop their skills is imperative. To examine issues related to Embodied Learning means to observe body movements and the ways students express their feelings, their mental engagement with the task, their cooperation, the clarity of instructions and the goals of teaching. It also means to adopt a holistic approach to planning activities and to examine the students’ ability to use acquired knowledge in new environments. Given the significance of Embodied Learning to new teaching methods and approaches, this paper presents results from a large scale implementation activities in Greece during the realization of the initiative “Learning Science through Theatre” 2014-2015 (LSTT – http://lstt2.weebly.com/). LSTT is based on the pedagogical framework which was developed by the European project CREAT-IT (http://creatit-project.eu/) and continues to be implemented in the framework of the European Project CREATIONS (http://creations-project.eu/). The initiative is following the principles of the Inquiry Based Science Education, Creativity, and Responsible Effective Research and envisages to deploy the Creative Science Classroom (http://www.opendiscoveryspace.eu/community/culture-creativity-curiosity-413201).  This study aims at highlighting the fact that Embodied Learning is connected to the development of skills such as creativity and critical thinking, to the active engagement with scientific topics and phenomena and to the interdisciplinary connection of science with different forms of Art. The data were collected from thirteen (13) theatrical performances that were organized by secondary school students (500 subjects). Specific methodological tools were employed to analyze the data from students’ performances. In the Data analysis, meaning generation, communication and student motivation were analyzed in relation to isolated gestures, full body movements, students’ emotional attachment, and facial expressions. As a consequence, it is suggested that Embodied Learning may lead to scientific learning outcomes of a higher quality while at the same time it may reinforce student communication and motivation in scientific topics.

Keywords: Embodied Learning, Dramatization, Theatre, Art, Creativity