The Use of Drama in A Level Chemistry: A study into the effects of simulation-role-play on the quality of, and student attitudes towards, learning of organic reaction mechanisms

This study looks at the use of simulation-role-play, a subset of drama, as a pedagogical tool to prepare A Level Chemistry students to answer examination questions relating to organic reaction mechanisms.
The mixed methods approach involved a quasi-experimental intervention in schools and further education colleges with two parallel A Level Chemistry classes, one using practice examination-style questions, and the other using simulation-role-play.
Analysis of post-intervention assessment items, in the form of A Level Chemistry examination questions, revealed no statistically significant differences between the scores of the two groups, irrespective of whether the drama group had used a pre-prepared script or written their own. Analysis of responses to a diagnostic question found a statistically significant difference in favour of the drama group. It is proposed that the use of simulation-role-play contributed to deep learning in a way that traditional teaching methods did not.
Analysis of attitudes gained from group interview transcripts, using grounded theory, showed a mixed picture. Some students felt that the use of simulation-role-play as a pedagogy had helped them recall the chemistry, while others felt it was confusing. Some students articulated they felt the use of simulation-role-play allowed them to obtain an understanding of the chemistry being studied. Some students perceived that the use of simulation-role-play in isolation was not an effective pedagogy to prepare students for completing examination questions. This was not borne out by the marks obtained in the post intervention examination questions, where there was no statistically significant difference in scores between the groups. Students also reported that they felt it is not always necessary to understand the relevant chemistry to gain marks in an examination question.
It is proposed that simulation-role-play, contributes to the development of strong mental models in two ways. Firstly, it provides an embodied, macro experience allowing students to access macroscopic, descriptive level thinking. Secondly sub microscopic explanatory level thinking is accessed through students being able to simultaneously experience real and imagined worlds and make sense of both at this interface. The mental models generated through the use of practice examination-style questions incorporate aspects of the sub-micro and symbolic dimension but not the macro dimension, therefore removing the opportunity for students to transform meaning at the interface of the macro and sub-micro worlds. The stronger mental models generated through the use of simulation-role-play, and generation of associated deep learning needed to answer this question, could account for the difference in responses to the diagnostic question, with a statistically significant difference in favour of the drama group.