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CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
I analysed Edward Bond’s theory and practice in the second chapter to
understand the complexities of DEs. I reviewed literature on DEs and
scrutinised plays to understand concepts and dramaturgical structures used
in constructing moments which create a rupture in the usual interpretations
and create a gap in meaning that participants need to fill in for themselves.
After the analysis of a drama lesson aiming to create a DE in a LTD by David
Davis in chapter three I brought together concepts, structures and devices
used in the two fields, building connections between the two practices.
Following this theoretical exploration of the components of my research
question I engaged in an empirical inquiry to find out if DEs can be created
in LTD. The objective of this research was not the creation of a recipe that
shows how DEs can be created in LTD. Even if it were possible to create such
a formula it would defeat the object of developing an artistic educational
practice which relies on a number of variables, including greatly differing
contexts and participants. The primary aim is to develop my own practice in
directions that are missing from the current spectrum of drama education.
The research also aims to generate transferable new theoretical and practical
knowledge that I or other practitioners can use in educational and/or art
scenarios in future work. The findings of this research will also add to ongoing
debates within the field of drama education. A more focused discussion on
the limitations of the conventions based approach and the possibilities offered
by LTD is one of these debates, while the more general questions concerning
the relationship between drama education and theatre art is the larger context
of this endeavour.
The central research question — Can Bondian Drama Events be created in
Living Through Drama — implies many further questions that are investigated
in the data analysis. Some of these questions are the following:
+ Are Bondian structures and concepts compatible with concepts used in
LTD?
+ What sort of narratives and dramatic structures can enhance
participants creating DEs in living through improvisations?
+ What makes the situations or narratives extreme for the participants?
s How can objects and space be used in a Bondian way in LTD lessons?
s What sort of understanding and reflection is born out of engaging in
a Bondian drama lessons?
As both territories investigated are extremely rich and the possibilities
to test their connections in order to explore the central research question
are numerous I made the decision to conduct an exploratory first cycle of
research, and carry out a more focused enquiry in the second cycle, based
on the findings of the first. The research questions for the first cycle were:
How can Bondian concepts be used in planning and delivering LTD lessons?
What can they offer and what problems do they create?