Engaging Students Through Role Plays

Abstract

Role plays may be used in the classroom as a way of enhancing student engagement. However, we know little about specifically how role plays increase student engagement, whether some types of role play activities work better than others, and how teachers can effectively use role plays to encourage various forms of student engagement. This session presents research findings on studentsââ¬â¢ empathy for characters in a role play as a form of engagement, achieving ââ¬Åflowââ¬Â through role play, and studentsââ¬â¢ selfreports of engagement during role play. Session participants will be encouraged to consider the types of role plays they might use to enhance engagement in their classrooms. This presentation highlights findings
from a FIPSE-funded project titled ââ¬ÅLinking Theory to Practice: ConflictAnalysis and Resolution Pedagogyââ¬Â that includes research conducted in Mason classrooms.