CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Every profession follows a particular method and system in transferring knowledge, skill, idea and information from the teacher to the learner. This entails that teaching and learning are not done anyhow. There are standards regarding how teaching and learning can be conducted in a formal educational environment or setting. Based on the fact that education is very important to human development, many countries spend time and finance to see that education helps to produce unquantifiable benefits for individuals, organizations and the society as a whole. Education is provided through formal and informal means.
Theatre Arts like other professions adopts a standard process of learning. As acourse in the university, the lecturers are known to be experienced in practical and theoretical knowledge within the scope of course allocation. Fafunwa relates that teaching generally is an activity that involves a teacher and students. Teachers assist students to reach their full learning potentials, (36). This applies to teaching and learning in Theatre Arts. According to Peter “Teachers perform the teaching role by sharing values that are based on theatre practices and productions”, (78). Teaching and learning function jointly. While the lecturer assumes the position of a teacher (instructor), the students occupy the position of learners. Between them is the knowledge which the theatre professional tends to pass across to the students. Farrantis states that learning is the process of sharing of educational knowledge. The process starts with the teacher and ends with the students (learners), (52). One of the most suitable definitions of learning as a concept is given by Fafunwa. He says that learning is a process by which a student acquires and retains attitude, knowledge, understanding, skill and capacity that cannot be attributed to intended behavior pattern or physical growth, (32). This is so because learning is targeted to improve the students through knowledge exposure.
Cassady opines that Theatre Arts explore and through their arts, they present a vivid range of thoughts and feelings. Theatre is a vehicle of learning for both the artist and audience. It can broaden cultural and humanistic horizons (71). The main scope of dramatic art is communication. According to Olaniyan, “Theatre Arts tends to reflect the society by passing comments on its social ills as trivial way of comedy and satire. It trains the students on the manipulation of ideas mind, body, action and value. This is why the training of the mind, body and value through physical exercise is always stressed” (114).
Taking a close look at the departments of Theatre Arts, the scope covers historical, literary, practical, and theoretical knowledge. According to Ybarra, “notes that the scope of the department covers historical, literary, practical, and theoretical explorations of performance in global perspective”, (2). Ybarra further states that in the department, the teachers enhance the interest of the students to make them gain exposure that covers a broad spectrum of performance modes and methods in acting, directing, dance, and writing, and chose an avenue of focus among them, (2).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Theatre Arts is a noble profession that has brought many persons like Wole Soyinka, Sam Ukala, and others to global recognition. Therefore, the teaching of Theatre Arts should be an interesting profession for more learners to enroll into. Ybarra notes that Theatre Arts has been a powerful medium of human expression and exploration for thousands of years, offering its community a deeper understanding of itself, both as a collective and as individuals, through a synthesis of entertainment and instruction. A background in the Theatre Arts offers students the opportunity to develop a powerful insight into the nature of human relationships and interpersonal dynamics”, (32).
Akinola, argues that despite all the good side of Theatre Arts, there exist a global recognition and standard in Nigeria, (34). Also, there are many challenges that face lecturers in the teaching of Theatre Arts. These challenges have affected the way teachers prepare and deliver lectures to students.
Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the challenges and prospects of teaching Theatre Arts in Delta State University, Abraka.
1.3 Aims and Objectives of the Study
The primary aim of the study is to identify the challenges and prospects of teaching Theatre Arts in Delta State University, Abraka while the specific objectives are;
i. To investigate the perception and attitude of lecturers towards the challenges facing the teaching Theatre Arts in Delta State University, Abraka.
ii. To investigate the perception and attitude of lecturers towards the prospects of teaching Theatre Arts in Delta State University, Abraka.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The study is purposed to benefit students and lecturers. For the lecturers, the outcome of the findings will help them to understand the factors affecting teaching of Theatre Arts in tertiary institutions. Finally, the student researchers and other researchers shall benefit from the study because the findings from this study shall add to existing literature and study.
1.5 Scope of the Study
This study seeks to cover the challenges and prospects of teaching and learning theatre Arts in Delta State University, Abraka. The study focuses on lecturersin the department of Theatre Arts. This is because the lecturers are in better position to identify the challenges and prospect of teaching Theatre Arts.
1.6 Rationale for the Study
The necessity for this research topic is as a result of the fact that a number of challenges had affected the teaching of Theatre Arts in the Universities. So it is important to make recommendations based on the findings of the study
1.7 Research Methodology
The study has adopted the quantitative research where survey design is used to generate data from the field. This design is from descriptive method of research. The descriptive research is a type of research method that describe the characteristics of the population or phenonmenon studied. The descriptive research method primarily focuses on describing the nature of a demographic segment, without focusing on “why” a particular phenomenon occurs. It was propounded by Max Horkheimer, in 1950 at Frankfurt School Germany. Descriptive research refers to the methods that describe the characteristics of the variables under study. This methodology focuses on answering questions relating to “what” than the “why” of the research subject. The primary focus of descriptive research is to simply describe the nature of the demographics under study instead of focusing on the “why”.
Since the research is on the challenges and prospects of teaching Theatre Arts, the method is relevant to the study because the teachers are the population of the study and the characteristics of the challenges facing the teaching of Theatre Arts. The reason for the choice of survey design for the study is because the research focuses on the challenges and prospect of teaching Theatre Arts. By this, only questionnaire will be helpful for the collection of data for the study
