Evaluating drama in education through the capability approach

This study attempts to understand the challenges faced by teachers when using drama-based pedagogy in teaching by looking at three secondary schools in Hong Kong. It also examines the consistency between the reform and its implementation by investigating the experience of the three schools. The study is based on the Education for Capability approach pioneered by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum. The research adopted a qualitative approach, with in-depth case studies conducted from 2006 to 2010 in three Hong Kong government-subsidized English as Medium of Instruction (EMI) secondary schools that use drama pedagogies in their daily teaching. Data were collected through document review, observation and interviews with principals, teachers and students. The experiences of these three secondary schools suggest that the promotion of student-focused education by the government has injected energy to the reform and helped to nurture the development of educational drama in some Hong Kong secondary schools. However, internal and external conversion factors inhibited its adoption, making teachers question the practicality and feasibility of a wider use of drama pedagogy in their schools, however much they value – and have reason to value – it.