The Effect of Drama Education on Enhancing Critical Thinking Through Collaboration and Communication

This study explores how collaboration and communication in drama education enhance students’ critical thinking skills, guided by the core literacy framework (5Cs): collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity and cultural awareness. This framework, recognized as a foundation for 21st-...

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Main Authors: Yaxin Hu, Jack Shu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Education Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/5/565
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author Yaxin Hu
Jack Shu
author_facet Yaxin Hu
Jack Shu
author_sort Yaxin Hu
collection DOAJ
description This study explores how collaboration and communication in drama education enhance students’ critical thinking skills, guided by the core literacy framework (5Cs): collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity and cultural awareness. This framework, recognized as a foundation for 21st-century learning, forms the theoretical basis for the analysis of how group dynamics and expressive activities in theater contribute to cognitive and social skill development. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study surveyed 98 university students and conducted in-depth interviews with 15 participants to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Regression analysis revealed significant positive effects of collaboration (b = 0.436, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and the interaction between collaboration and communication (b = 0.236, <i>p</i> = 0.001) on critical thinking. Qualitative findings corroborated these results, highlighting how structured collaborative practices systematically cultivate multiperspective analysis, problem solving and evaluative thinking. The findings underscore the synergistic relationship between collaboration and communication, emphasizing their combined role in cultivating critical thinking. Additionally, the study demonstrates that gender and role diversity influence how students develop core literacies, with female students excelling in emotional expression and communication, while male students show strengths in creativity and originality.
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spelling doaj-art-e8b4c42e042e4c7590cef5c3611b05362025-08-20T03:14:41ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022025-05-0115556510.3390/educsci15050565The Effect of Drama Education on Enhancing Critical Thinking Through Collaboration and CommunicationYaxin Hu0Jack Shu1Department of Applied Language Studies, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Applied Language Studies, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, ChinaThis study explores how collaboration and communication in drama education enhance students’ critical thinking skills, guided by the core literacy framework (5Cs): collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity and cultural awareness. This framework, recognized as a foundation for 21st-century learning, forms the theoretical basis for the analysis of how group dynamics and expressive activities in theater contribute to cognitive and social skill development. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study surveyed 98 university students and conducted in-depth interviews with 15 participants to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Regression analysis revealed significant positive effects of collaboration (b = 0.436, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and the interaction between collaboration and communication (b = 0.236, <i>p</i> = 0.001) on critical thinking. Qualitative findings corroborated these results, highlighting how structured collaborative practices systematically cultivate multiperspective analysis, problem solving and evaluative thinking. The findings underscore the synergistic relationship between collaboration and communication, emphasizing their combined role in cultivating critical thinking. Additionally, the study demonstrates that gender and role diversity influence how students develop core literacies, with female students excelling in emotional expression and communication, while male students show strengths in creativity and originality.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/5/565collaborationcommunicationcritical thinkingdrama education
spellingShingle Yaxin Hu
Jack Shu
The Effect of Drama Education on Enhancing Critical Thinking Through Collaboration and Communication
Education Sciences
collaboration
communication
critical thinking
drama education
title The Effect of Drama Education on Enhancing Critical Thinking Through Collaboration and Communication
title_full The Effect of Drama Education on Enhancing Critical Thinking Through Collaboration and Communication
title_fullStr The Effect of Drama Education on Enhancing Critical Thinking Through Collaboration and Communication
title_full_unstemmed The Effect of Drama Education on Enhancing Critical Thinking Through Collaboration and Communication
title_short The Effect of Drama Education on Enhancing Critical Thinking Through Collaboration and Communication
title_sort effect of drama education on enhancing critical thinking through collaboration and communication
topic collaboration
communication
critical thinking
drama education
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/5/565
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