The Effect of Creative Drama Education on Critical Thinking
Skills and Dispositions in Preservice Physical Education
Teachers
Fatma SACLI
Giyasettin Demirhan
University of Hacettepe, Faculty of Sport Sciences
Critical thinking (CT) is one of the most important requirements for the 21st century; teaching
students how to think critically is an essential issue in education worldwide (Facione, 2013; Paul
and Elder, 2002). The purpose of this study was to examine and seek evidence of whether
creative drama (CD) education effects critical thinking (CT) skills and dispositions of pre-service
physical education (PE) teachers. Sixty-four (treatment group n = 34; comparison group n = 30)
pre-service PE teachers from a public university located in the center of Turkey served as
voluntary participants. The embedded mixed methods research design was used in the study.
The treatment group received a 30-hour CD education, while the comparison group did not. A
Turkish version of the “California Critical Thinking Skills Test- (CCTST) Form 2000” and the
“California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory” (CCTDI) were used to collect quantitative
data. Qualitative data sources included reflective student journals and semi-structured interviews.
Results from quantitative data analysis showed that the treatment group had higher posttest
scores and significant improvements (p<.05) on some CT components while the comparison
group did not. Analysis of content revealed the themes of critical challenges, intellectual
resources, reasonable responses and learning outcomes as well as utilization of critical thinking
process and critical thinking dynamics involved in creative drama. Altogether these proved the
existence of some CT components in pre-service PE teachers who received CD education. As De
la Roche (1993) and Bailin (1998) state, CT is encouraged at many different stages of the CD
process; CD can be used as an effective tool in developing pre-service PE teachers.
Key Words: Critical thinking, pre-service teachers, creative drama.
fatmasacli@gmail.com.tr
Word count: 295
References:
1- Bailin, S.(1998). Critical thinking and drama education. Research in Drama Education: The
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2- De La Roche, E. (1993). Drama, critical thinking and social issues, (Report No. SO 024 014).
Arlington, VA: U.S. Department of Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service
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