The importance of theater in the learning of high school students

Abstract

Theater is a discipline that over the years has gone unnoticed in the educational field. It has been underestimated in many academic contexts and largely removed from student teaching. This educational tool has been excluded from the curriculum and extracurricular activities, forgetting the pedagogical benefits such as experimental learning, considered an approach that goes beyond traditional teaching methods, since its primary goal is to acquire knowledge from experiences. The objective of this research is to highlight the importance, value and subjectivity of theater as a fundamental tool for the development of capabilities and skills in high school students of the “Miguel Iturralde” Educational Unit of Latacunga in the year 2024. Through research with a quantitative approach, we sought to analyze the perceptions and attitudes of high school students to identify disinterest and lack of knowledge in the theatrical field in order to establish the relevance, transformative potential and benefits of theater as a teaching method. The results obtained from the implementation of theatre itself demonstrate an active and transformative methodology for young people in their educational, social, and personal environment. Both students and teachers consider theatre to be key to learning in the context of high school studies. Most students consider that theatre improves the understanding of literary texts, strengthens communication skills, and fosters motivation. However, teachers point out that the lack of resources and limited time are the barriers to implementing activities within the curriculum. In conclusion, theatre is perceived as an important tool for the development of students' skills, its pedagogical potential is recognized by both students and teachers.