Pedagogy of the Social Sciences

Creative drama is something that all engage in daily for learning. In education, creative drama is a way of learning, a means of self-expression,  a therapeutic technique and a social activity rather than an art form. Creative Dramatics combines all the arts, such as drama, music, dance, movements, rhythm, communication, puppets, masks, drawings, role-plays, mono-act, miming, mimicry, simulation and vignettes for the purpose of teaching learning process. Teaching through creative drama is a viable method for social science teaching in a student centered way. Creative Dramatics is a compendium of Activities, Simulations, Mockups, Games, Oral performances, Percussion Concerts, Videos, Interactive videos and Presentations. The method makes use all these techniques for enthusiastic transaction of contents.
The thematic part of this paper aims to constitute a theoretical frame work of Creative Dramatics as a method of teaching for social science at secondary level. The other objectives are to find out the effectiveness of Creative Dramatic Method of Teaching on achievement in Social Science among secondary level school students, and to see the effectiveness of Creative Dramatic based teaching on developing Creative Sense and Joyfulness of Learning
The study conducted in a randomly constituted homogenous sample of 80 students (Control Group and Experimental Group) of standard IX who studies Kerala State Syllabus. Achievement test in Social Science, Observation cum Opinion schedule for teachers, and Joyfulness of Learning Inventoryfor students were the tools used for the study.
The study reached on the findings:
• Creative Dramatic Method of Teaching is effective in enhancing achievement in Social Science among secondary level school students
• The Creative Dramatics Teaching Method has high Impact on Developing Creative Sense of Students
• The Creative Dramatics method effectively develop students Joyfulness of Learning
The paper suggests Creative Dramatics a suitable teaching method for social science. The creative Dramatics is not suggested yet by any authorities for our schools. The method is dynamic for making students enthusiastic, creative and joyful. Particular uses are there for the method in teaching topics like Freedom Movement, National Integration, Civic Rights and Kingdoms/Reigns. The method must be suggested to our school system as a best method of teaching.

The main objective of conducting action research is to try out pedagogies apart from lecture method  to make  History learning interesting for the learners. It tries to find answers to questions like- Can alternative pedagogies help in a shift from rote memorisation among the learners. Can it change the attitude of learners from considering the subject to be  boring, non-exciting, non -utility, to an exciting subject which is studied to know, enjoy, analyse and learn from.
In the process, it was expected that the classroom will shift from routine lecture method to more democratic and participative classes where learners have a voice. It was therefore an effort to do away with the autocracy of the teacher and make the classes  democratic and student-centric.
It was also conducted to see whether alternative pedagogies result in self exploration by the learners ? How can they aid in developing critical analytical skills ? How far can it help in articulation of ideas, promote expression and analysis of events and bias in History  among the learners. How far does cooperative learning lead to  promotion of spirit of team work, respect for others view point  and sharing among learners

This article focuses on a for-credit cemetery recording class taught at Indian River State College (IRSC) and on the impact of the project on student perceptions of cultural heritage and historic preservation. One of the goals in creating this service learning course was to promote student awareness of the destructive risks that many historic cemeteries face and to impart the importance of stewardship over the archaeological record. To assess the effectiveness of the course in meeting this goal, a series of five interviews with students enrolled in the class were conducted to get participants to discuss their motivations and perceptions of the class and to expound on its impact.

We suggest that engagement in service learning can have a positive impact on student perceptions of archaeology and heritage preservation, an auspicious conclusion that supports the further integration of such opportunities in higher education. Cemetery recording projects that are integrated into the college curriculum offer an opportunity to preserve the cultural information associated with these sites and build awareness about their historical importance, all while training students in transferable skills that are demanded of 21st century professionals.