Preparing Future Teachers of Theatre: Pedagogical Issues and Current Practice

Abstract

The premise to this study began as a personal one, indeed. As a doctoral student in the early 1990s, I found myself standing in front of a classroom of students for the first time. I thought that this notion was exciting, yet odd, for I had never had a formal education class in my entire academic career. Nonetheless, there I was in front of a roomful of students faced with the task of teaching them a specific area of theatre, which compelled me to give some profound thought to the transmission of knowledge. I was fortunate in that the graduate program in our department required that first year doctoral students enroll in a course entitled “Theatre Pedagogy.” At least I would have exposure to numerous teaching theories and practices through the required readings in the course. However, I wanted to teach at a college or university upon graduation and did not feel that one course in pedagogy would provide me with enough knowledge to teach others. Doctoral programs traditionally provide the student with academic knowledge, yet the majority of graduates, many of whom have little or no prior teaching experience or teacher education background, will be employed in higher education.