Assessing the aesthetic : narratives from drama education

This article was originally published in JACE, Volume 6, Number 1, 2012. It is reprinted in this 10th birthday issue, and accompanied by a new reflection on the original article. Performance is an integral part of drama education and through it students are able to create aesthetic texts. However, the assessment of aesthetic learning presents numerous challenges. Aesthetic works are seen as intricate, and associated with personal taste, often resulting in individual subjective responses. Nevertheless, the contemporary demands of curricular deem that transparent assessment and reporting procedures accompany all areas of study. Therefore drama educators must enquire as to how aesthetic values can be successfully reflected within the drama assessment processes. This paper reports on a narrative inquiry study involving six Australian secondary drama teachers. The study examines their practices when assessing aesthetic texts and the role of the assessor in a performance context. Pathways towards future development of assessment practices in aesthetic fields are also considered.