Drama performance assessment in senior secondary years : a study of six Australian schools

Abstract

This thesis investigates the assessment of Senior Drama performances in Australian states and territories. The practices, processes, roles, experiences and cultures associated with assessing Drama performances are analysed, using two Australian states and one territory as contrasting examples of practice. NSW has an external assessment model which is contrasted with the school-based assessment models used in Queensland and the ACT where verification of grades is undertaken by external panels. These models use varying methods of grade verification, or moderation. This study is presented in the context of the release of the Australian Curriculum for the Arts which encompass the Foundation Year to Year 10 state and territory curriculum (the Foundation year is called Kindergarten in NSW and the ACT, and called 'Prep' or the Preparatory year in Queensland). Senior secondary curriculum, assessment and certification is administered by states and territories. Nevertheless, extensive discussions are being held at a national level about the knowledge, understanding and skills contained in the curriculum and this research has currency for discussions taking place at a national level. Meanings and inferences that lead to findings about Drama performance assessment are constructed based on document analysis, narrative inquiry, ethnographical experiences and an autoethnographic approach. Through an analysis of relevant literature, policies and curriculum documents, this study arrives at a rationale for the assessment of performances in the senior secondary years. Volunteer student and teacher participants from six secondary schools (two in each of Queensland, NSW and the ACT) were engaged, using narrative interviews, performance ethnographies and participant observation to develop insights into the field of Drama performance assessment. This study engages in qualitative research within a conceptual frame whereby knowledge is constantly constructed in critical relationships to prior ways of knowing This study found varied Drama assessment practices at the different school sites, as demonstrated by experienced teachers. The assessment tasks reveal six critical issues that characterise the distinct challenges associated with the assessment of Drama performance. These critical issues identify performance as fundamental to Drama, establish students' aspirations when performing, describe students' motivations for their performance efforts, analyse the capstone nature of Drama performance tasks, evaluate performance as a form of formative assessment, and establish the audience's role as an influencing factor on the assessment of Drama performances. Drama assessment practices are discussed in terms of assessment cultures that play out under the influence of state or territory, school, class or teacher influence. Accordingly, the roles of teachers and students in the Drama performance assessment process are theorised using the metaphors of teacher-as-curator, the teacher-as-critic and student-as-artist. These metaphors suggest new interpretations for the phenomenon of performance assessment. This study concludes that there is an overarching framework of Drama performance assessment in Australia, despite some significant differences between various states. The study calls for an enhancement of dialogue between states and territories, to share understandings of Drama performance assessment and highlight exemplary practices that are occurring in other jurisdictions. This thesis contributes to the research on current practices in arts assessment and has implications for policy, practice and professional development in drama education.

Date of Award	2014
Original language	English