Can an educational intervention, specifically Theatre in Education, influence students' perceptions of and attitudes to cultural and religious diversity? A socio-educational research

Citation:

Koukounaras-Liagkis, M. (2011). Can an educational intervention, specifically Theatre in Education, influence students' perceptions of and attitudes to cultural and religious diversity? A socio-educational research. British Journal of Religious Education, 33(1), 75-89. Doi: 10.1080/01416200.2011.523526.

Abstract:

Contemporary thinking seems to be particularly interested in the investigation of the role of culture in socio-political life. This article presents aspects of a research project, undertaken in Greece, looking into whether a cultural product can foster intercultural communication and influence young people’s perceptions of and attitudes to cultural and religious diversity. Such cultural products are the Theatre in Education (TiE) programmes, which focus on the use of the art of theatre as a means of educational intervention. For the purposes of our research a specially designed TiE programme was used as a means of intervention and as are search tool. Our research examines secondary education students’ perceptions of and attitudes to cultural and religious diversity prior to and following the intervention in Thessaloniki and in Thrace, Greece. This cultural intervention, which incorporates art and religion, offers new insights into the possibility of the use of TiE for the religious education of young people.

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