Shakespeare and the English methods course

Abstract

This paper investigates the perceived lack of performance pedagogy in Shakespeare instruction in the secondary classroom, the role of active performance pedagogy for pre-service teachers when considering Shakespeare instruction in the English methods course, and student reactions to performance requirements in the Shakespeare classroom. Specifically, it argues the need for methods instruction to include actively engaging pre-service teachers in various types of performance pedagogy: tableaux, performing of scenes, choral readings, etc. in their preparation for future Shakespeare instruction at the secondary level. The focus of this paper is therefore threefold: to investigate the nature of the English methods course and how it approaches teacher candidates' Shakespeare instruction, to the benefits of performance-based pedagogy at the secondary level, and finally, student reactions to performance requirements in the Shakespeare classroom. To this end, I followed a mixed methods (Creswell, 2003) approach, blending both quantitative and qualitative data for evaluation. Methods of data collection included instructor surveys, student surveys both pre- and post-performance, student performance reflection papers, student rehearsals and student performances.