Using drama in education to develop pre-service English teachers’ understanding and capacity in teaching social justice at post-primary level

One of the most common forms of non-recognition in education is for a group to be generally left outside educational discourse by not being named or known (Lynch and Baker 2005). Addressing inequalities of respect and recognition involves, amongst other things, the development of critical and empathetic perspectives and of educational experiences which enable critical dialogue (Lynch and Baker 2005). This paper examines a project conducted in the University of Limerick in 2010 with a cohort of 3rd year pre-service English teachers. The aim of the project was to facilitate an understanding of how drama in education could be used as a successful pedagogical tool for the critique of social inequality issues and the promotion of social justice. Tuition was provided by the author to four pre-service English teachers in both drama in education and development education (with a specific focus on social justice) over the course of a semester. The cohort were then challenged to employ a post-engagement approach to the development of a resource pack which would illustrate how drama in education could be used as an effective pedagogical tool for developing awareness and reflection on a variety of social justice issues. Resource packs developed by the cohort illustrated the capacity of drama in education to act as an effective medium for enhancing awareness and critical understanding in the area.