ABSTRACT

This study explored student teachers’ reflections on the use of drama in education (DIE) to motivateyoung children’s science play during a course, “creative science activity design for young children,” ata teacher development program in southern Taiwan. The participants comprised 21 student teacherswho took the course taught by both researchers. Participants designed science play activities using DIEstrategies and implemented the a for a group of preschool children. The data sources employed in thisstudy were observations, interviews, and collected documents. The data were analyzed qualitatively.The findings revealed that the DIE strategies adopted by the student teachers included warm-up,improvisation, and story roleplaying. The results indicated that the student-teachers considered dramato have aroused the children’s motivation to engage in science play. Advantages and challenges relatingto the application of DIE strategies in science play were presented. Suggestions for futureimplementation of and research on DIE strategies in science play are presented herein.

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