Using Participatory Action Research to Explore How Teachers Can Implement Drama Therapy Techniques to Aid in Nervous System Regulation in the Senior-Phase Classroom in South Africa

Abstract

This study investigated the use of Drama Therapy techniques within Ritual, Embodiment, and Dramatic Projection by teachers in the senior-phase classroom. The aim was to use the techniques to facilitate nervous system regulation in the learners in these classrooms. The participants were three senior-phase teachers teaching various subjects in a private school in Johannesburg. The research was conducted through Participatory Action Research workshops, where data was collected in the form of videos and participant journals. Techniques like breathwork, grounding, and embodied explorations had the most success in regulation, while others were implemented in the classroom to create a safe space (ritual and projection). This study was limited to one school and can not be generalised to all South African schools.