TEACHING POETRY THROUGH THE DRAMATIC METHODS: THE UYO HIGH SCHOOL IN UYO METROPOLIS OF AKWA IBOM STATE EXPERIMENT

Abstract

Teaching involves sharing or impartation of knowledge from one person (the giver) to another (the receiver). The method adopted by a classroom teacher is very important in the impartation of knowledge. The study exposes the indispensability of the dramatic methods in teaching literature (poetry). This work is hinged on the process- concept structural approach to drama as advocated by Geraldine Siks which implies following the conceptual framework of drama to design activities involving students in the dramatic process. The approach recognizes the developmental needs of the students and takes care of the multifarious composition of the class by giving each student equal opportunity to function optimally. The research used the mixed-methodology to achieve set objectives. The qualitative study involved the adaptation of a poem: The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost into drama for classroom teaching, using dramatic techniques, while the quantitative aspect was the administering of a class test which was marked by the class teacher and scored in percentages. The paper concludes that dramatic techniques are practical and participatory in nature and provide ample chance for the students to develop their innate abilities like self discipline, and control, intuitive, cognitive imaginative ability, integration through working with fellow students. The study recommends the adoption of the techniques to make classroom teaching an enjoyable experience for the teacher and the student.