School theatre as a means of enhancing the educational and cognitive activities of teenagers

This article presents the results of an empirical study aimed at identifying the characteristics of the educational and cognitive activities of adolescents participating in supplementary education at a school theater. Two identical groups were formed for the study, matched for the number of students (n = 76), their age (13–15 years), gender (32 males and 44 females), and level of academic achievement (average grade point average from 4,3 to 4,5). The first (main) group consisted of adolescents who had been attending school theater classes for 1 to 1,5 years; the second group consisted of adolescents who had not attended such classes. The study included external and internal manifestations of activity in educational and cognitive activities (expert assessment (by 5 teachers) using the methodology of G.I. Shchukina, motives for educational activity and attitudes towards it (A.D. Andreeva), and the level of independence of adolescents (Ch.D. Spielberger – A.K. Osnitsky). Statistically significant differences were found between the groups in the indicators of independence and activity in educational and cognitive activities, the desire to acquire new knowledge, productive motivation and a positive attitude towards learning, research skills, and internal satisfaction from the learning process. Statistically significant correlations were found between interest in children's theatrical activities, a positive attitude towards classes, active participation in school theatrical productions, and independence of educational activities, productive motivation, the desire to acquire new knowledge, and the ability to find unconventional solutions to educational problems. It was concluded that school theater can be considered as an effective means of activating the educational and cognitive activities of schoolchildren.