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The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of Education (RE)WRITING THE SCRIPT OF SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING/LEARNING: EXPLORING TEACHER CANDIDATES’ CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF DRAMA- BASED INSTRUCTION A Dissertation in Curriculum and Instruction by Timothy Matthew Vetere Ó 2018 Timothy Matthew Vetere Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2018 The dissertation of Timothy M. Vetere was reviewed and approved* by the following: Matthew E. Poehner Associate Professor of Education (World Languages) and Applied Linguistics Dissertation Advisor Chair of Committee Mari Haneda Associate Professor of Education (World Languages) and Applied Linguistics Jamie Myers Emeritus Professor of Education (Language and Literacy Education) Deryn P. Verity Teaching Professor in Applied Linguistics and Director of ESL/EAP Programs William S. Carlsen Professor of Education (Science Education) Graduate Program Head, Curriculum and Instruction *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School iii ABSTRACT This dissertation reports on a qualitative longitudinal study that explores the original conceptualization of drama-based instruction (DBI) in the L2 classroom among ten K-12 teacher- candidates in a language teacher preparation program. It gives particular attention to two case study participants as they continued to (re)conceptualize drama-based instruction in L2 teaching/learning during diverse field experiences within the United States and Sweden. The following research questions were investigated: 1) In what ways might drama-based instruction offer a basis to L2 teacher-candidates as they work to engage in playful/learning ZPD activity with learners during field experiences in US K-12 schools and abroad?; 2) What are the challenges and affordances experienced by teacher-candidates as they attempt to orient to L2 education from a perspective informed by dramatic play?; and 3) Does L2 teacher-candidates’ use of dramatic play activities impact their perceptions of their students’ L2 knowledge and development? If so, how? Analysis of participants’ written lesson plans and teaching reflections, along with researcher field notes of classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with the teachers revealed three major findings: 1) participants struggled to successfully commit to perspective of DBI, informed by Vygotskian principles, resulting in formal learning ZPD activity taking precedence over playful/learning ZPD activity during drama-based activities; 2) drama-based instruction ruptured traditional classroom dynamics which challenged participants’ emerging, and existing, pedagogical content knowledge; and 3) participant assumptions of students’ L2 skills, and the process of second language acquisition, affected methodological considerations when designing DBI for L2 instruction. The analysis highlights the need for specific teacher-education iv in DBI for successful mediated learning to occur in L2 classrooms, and the specific challenges of orientating to methods that support a communicative-based pedagogy for L2 teaching/learning. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ viii LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................. x Chapter 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background and Purpose ........................................................................................ 1 1.2 Research Questions ................................................................................................ 6 1.3 Research Position Statement .................................................................................. 7 1.4 The Significance of the Study ................................................................................ 11 1.5 Dissertation Overview............................................................................................ 11 Chapter 2 Review of Literature........................................................................................... 13 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 13 2.2 Definitions and Approaches to Drama-Based Instruction ........................................ 14 2.3 The Relationship Between Play and Drama: A Vygotskian View ........................... 18 2.4 Mediation and Internalization: Creating Playful/Learning ZPDs ............................. 22 2.5 DBI and Language Learning .................................................................................. 26 2.6 Conclusion............................................................................................................. 30 Chapter 3 Methodology ...................................................................................................... 31 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 31 3.2 Study Design: Case Study Research ....................................................................... 31 3.3 Research Context: The World Languages Teacher Preparation Program ................. 33 3.4 Participants ............................................................................................................ 36 3.5 Phase I: The Elementary World Language Classroom ............................................ 39 3.5.1 Methods Course Overview .......................................................................... 39 3.5.2 The Elementary Field Experience Course Overview .................................... 43 3.6 Phase I Sources of Data ......................................................................................... 46 3.7 Phase II: The EFL Secondary Classroom................................................................ 47 3.7.1 English Education in Sweden....................................................................... 48 3.8 Phase II: Sources of Data ....................................................................................... 50 3.9 Phase III: The Secondary World Language Classroom ........................................... 51 3.10 Procedures for Data Analysis ............................................................................... 53 3.11 Validity and Reliability ........................................................................................ 55 3.12 Generalizability/Transferability ............................................................................ 56 3.13 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 58 Chapter 4 Setting the Stage ................................................................................................ 59 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 59 vi 4.2 Conceptualizing Meaningful Instruction for Language Learning............................. 59 4.3 (Re)Framing Drama-Based Instruction ................................................................... 63 4.3.1 The Locked Safe: A Modified Gauntlet Activity .......................................... 67 4.3.2 Vanishing Artwork: A Tableaux Vivant ....................................................... 69 4.3.3 Stolen Colors: Student and Teacher-in-Role ................................................. 70 4.3.4 Writing the Script: Planning Lessons with a DBI-as-Methodology Orientation ................................................................................................... 71 4.4 The Struggle for Self-Regulation: Challenges in (Re)Framing a Mindset ................ 72 4.5 Conclusion............................................................................................................. 79 Chapter 5 Act One: Becoming a ‘Good’ Teacher – The Unfolding Case of Madeline.......... 80 5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 80 5.2. Socio-cultural and Language Learning Background............................................... 81 5.3 Phase I: The Elementary Field Experience ............................................................. 84 5.3.1 Examining Madeline’s Teaching Practices in the Elementary Field Experience.................................................................................................... 86 5.4 Week Three DBI Lesson: A Game of Charades ...................................................... 88 5.4.2 The Disappearing Pantomime ...................................................................... 93 5.5 Week Three DBI Activity: Reflections and Initial Mediation .................................. 96 5.6 Week Six DBI Lesson: Inner Drama ...................................................................... 99 5.6.1 Beginning the Lesson: Getting into Character .............................................. 100 5.6.2 Extending the Dramatic Sphere.................................................................... 105 5.6.3 Discarded Role Play .................................................................................... 109 5.6.4 Imagination and Issues of Power.................................................................