Future Thinking and Learning in Improvisation and a Collaborative Devised Theatre Project within Primary School Students

This study examines the nature of the learning process and future thinking of primary school students during improvisation practice and a devised theatre project about the future. In this research project drama education is used as an integrative method for education for a sustainable future. The main goals for the devised theatre project are to reflect prevailing cultural and individual future thinking and images and to collaboratively create future images for a theatre-play on how to change the world. Collective reflections of learning, cooperation and our future images are a crucial part of this kind of creative learning process. The prevailing media culture and the worldview could be seen as reflections in students’ future thinking. Group dynamics and students’ orientation during the lessons influenced students’ future images, improvisations and the play-creating process as a whole.