Social Constructivism and Visible Thinking in Virtual Drama Classrooms in Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia: Insights from Lecturers
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Abstract
The Malaysian Higher Education Blueprint (2013-2025) emphasises students' mastery of communication and critical thinking in coping with future demands, aligning with the social constructivist principles in education. This qualitative study explores the manifestation of social constructivism and the Visible Thinking (VT) approach in a Malaysian tertiary drama classroom. It investigated the interactive roles in the drama classroom, the impact of online interactions and the feasibility of applying VT thinking routines from the lecturers' perspective. Semi-structured interviews were employed as the data collection method, followed by verbatim transcription and thematic analysis. The interviewees were two lecturers of Communication Through Drama (EPC522), a compulsory course for the third-semester students of the Bachelor of Applied Language Studies-English for Professional Communication programme at Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. The study was underpinned by Vygotsky's social constructivist theory (1962, 1978) and Ritchhart's VT approach (2006) from Harvard University's Project Zero (PZ). The findings revealed the challenges of conducting drama activities online and demonstrated the potential of implementing VT routines to enhance students' interactive roles. Despite some connectivity and technical hindrances, lecturers embraced this new experience, creating a more interactive and student-centred environment. They also signified their facilitating roles in giving feedback and guiding students throughout the drama exploration (DE) stages. Adhering to the national education policy, the study’s findings highlight the potential of virtual drama pedagogy in enhancing interactive roles, improving communication, as well as promoting awareness and applicability of thinking routines.
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References
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