Effects of drama-based geometry instruction on student achievement, attitudes, and thinking levels

Abstract

The authors investigated the effects of dramabased instruction on students' geometry achievement, geometric thinking level, attitudes toward mathematics and geometry, and retention of achievement, in comparison with traditional teaching. The sample involved 102 7th-grade students from a public school. Multivariate analyses of covariance revealed that drama-based instruction had a significant effect on students' achievement, retention of achievement, thinking level, and attitudes, regardless of gender, mathematics grade in previous year, and prior attitudes and thinking levels. Drama-based instruction made learning easy and understanding better by providing the opportunity to contextualize geometric concepts and problems, act as a character (role playing), and communicate and study in a collaborative learning environment. It improved attitude by getting students' attention with an exciting, motivating, and interesting learning environment. Copyright © 2009 Heldref Publications.