Drama-based Pedagogy for Marginalised Children in Indian Preschools: Research, Intervention, and Impact

背景在印度，超过60%的在册种姓和在册部落儿童在进入高中之前辍学（人口普查，2011年）。被边缘化的人，特别是部落儿童，“发现他们的学校教育在文化和学术上与他们的生活无关，而且是外国人”（印度政府，2020年）。对他们来说，教育造成了一种疏远感，导致高辍学率、旷课率和被动参与。COVID-19使情况变得更糟，通过减少最弱势儿童继续学习的机会，加剧了先前存在的差距（联合国，2020年）。为了奋进实现全纳教育和全民幼儿教育的全球议程，印度的《2020年国家教育政策》（NEP）侧重于历史上被边缘化的群体，并强调以探究为导向的幼儿教育法，其中包括以艺术为基础的幼儿教育方法。本研究旨在探讨如何为边缘社区的学龄前儿童发展戏剧教学法。研究新的《2020年国家教育计划》如何在早期教育（EYE）中为边缘化儿童阐明基于艺术的教学法。观察EYE从业者目前如何体验和使用基于艺术的教学法，反思现有实践在多大程度上可以促进为边缘化儿童开发基于戏剧的教学法。与眼科医生和非政府组织合作，实施基于戏剧的教学干预。从不同的角度，其中包括眼科医生和儿童检查教学干预的影响。这项研究将在3个国家幼儿园从部落，沿海和农村地区的喀拉拉邦，在印度南部，并将涉及与非政府组织合作，ANANNIA。ANANNIA将为访问、数据收集和制定现场干预措施提供指导和支持。他们还将促进与利益攸关方和研究的主要受益者的接触。第一阶段将涉及对最近的NEP 2020政策的文献分析，并关注其对幼儿教育的建议;这一阶段还将涉及民族志数据收集，探索如何在三个学前教育环境中使用各种基于艺术的教学法。早期的课堂实践和儿童的经验，它将使用视觉方法（例如，儿童作为摄影师，课堂实践的视频等）进行研究，参与观察和非正式访谈。第二阶段将涉及与非政府组织和EYE从业人员合作，利用收集到的民族学数据，开发和促进实施基于戏剧的教学干预。研究的最后阶段将审查干预措施的影响。作为理论框架的一部分，能力理论和人类学的教育异化概念的贡献，将与戏剧作为艺术教育学的理论一起考虑。应用与效益本研究的应用与效益为：1.以戏剧为基础的教学法将有助于边缘化社区参与教育的价值。将向决策者提供一个可以复制的示范教学框架。EYE从业者和非政府组织将在转变EYE教学实践方面得到支持。与ANANNIA合作，研究将在整个研究过程中与利益相关者进行接触。

BackgroundIn India, over 60% of Scheduled caste and Scheduled Tribe children, drop out before entering upper primary schools (Census, 2011). The marginalised, particularly tribal children, 'find their school education irrelevant and foreign to their lives, both culturally and academically' (Government of India, 2020). For them education creates a sense of estrangement, resulting in high dropout rates, absenteeism, and passive participation. COVID-19 made the situation worse, exacerbating pre-existing disparities by reducing opportunities for the most vulnerable children to continue learning (UN, 2020). In an endeavor to address the global agenda of inclusive education and early childhood education for all, India's 2020 National Education Policy (NEP) focuses on historically marginalised groups and emphasizes inquiry-oriented early childhood pedagogy, which includes art-based pedagogic methods for young children.Aims, objectives and research methods Accordingly, drawing on ideas from anthropology and education, this research aims to explore how drama-based pedagogy can be developed for preschool children in marginalised communities.Specifically the objectives of the study are to: 1. Examine ways in which the new NEP 2020 articulates an art-based pedagogy for marginalised children in early years education (EYE).2. Observe how EYE practitioners currently experience and use art-based pedagogy, reflecting on the extent to which existing practice can be facilitated to develop a drama-based pedagogy for marginalised children.3. Work with EYE practitioners and an NGO, to implement a drama based pedagogic intervention.4. Examine the impact of the pedagogic intervention from different perspectives, which include EYE practitioners and children.The study will be conducted in 3 state preschools selected from tribal, coastal, and rural regions of Kerala, in the South of India and will involve collaborating with the NGO, ANANNIA. ANANNIA will provide guidance and support for access, data collection, and development of a field intervention. They will also facilitate engagement with stakeholders and key beneficiaries of the research.The project will be designed in two phases. Phase I will involve documentary analysis of the recent NEP 2020 policy , with attention to its proposals for early childhood pedagogy; this phase will also involve ethnographic data collection, exploring how various art-based pedagogies are used in the three preschool settings. Early years classroom practice and children's experiences of it will be studied using visual methods (for example, children as photographers, videos of classroom practice etc.), participant observation, and informal interviews. Phase II will involve working with the NGO and EYE practitioners to develop and facilitate implementing a drama based pedagogic intervention using ethnographic data collected. The final phase of the study will examine the impact of the intervention. As part of the theoretical framework, the contributions of capability theory and concepts of educational alienation from anthropology, will be considered alongside theories about drama as art-based pedagogy. Applications and benefitsThe applications and benefits of this research are:1. Drama based pedagogy will help marginalised communities engage with the value of education.2. Policymakers will be provided with a model pedagogical framework which can be replicated.3. EYE practitioners and the NGO will be supported in transforming EYE pedagogic practice. In collaboration with ANANNIA, the research will engage with stakeholders throughout the research process.