Theatrical pedagogy and exploration of reality: An expressive approach that causes awareness in teacher training

Abstract

The premise that proposes theatrical creation as a creative, interdisciplinary, and disruptive practice emanates from the exploration and reflection on the pedagogical contributions of theatrical expression and creation in the training of primary education teachers. As a pedagogical proposal, it is part of training processes in the teaching program of the National University of Costa Rica and integrates themes from various disciplines like pedagogy and psychology. This training also incorporates distinct forms of scenic expression such as theatre, pantomime, masks, and expression through the body. The training is oriented towards the achievement of experiential and integrative learning and the development of artistic, expressive, and creative skills in the integral development of each individual. It starts from a series of processes that involve observation, analysis and social interaction in different contexts; reality is recreated from a critical perspective, conceiving the everyday life and the social context as sources of information and, at the same time, expressive resources, which favor the construction of a broad range of knowledge through experiential experiences. Theater pedagogy proposes an approach to theatrical expression and creation, conceived as triggers for the study, analysis, and recreation of the broad spectrum of situations granted by reality. The application of these expressive resources in pedagogical mediation is addressed by considering the spatial and cultural particularities that characterize each observed context. Finally, a series of reflections is proposed regarding the first achievements of the proposal and the impact on pedagogical training and the future performance of professional groups in this field.