Participatory drama: bridging cultural understanding and Tang poetry teaching

Abstract

This article adopts Geertz's view of cultural analysis and embodiment theory, creating a theoretical lens to explore how participatory drama can support students in their understanding of the culture connoted in Tang poetry – a significant cultural heritage of China. A case study was conducted on fourth-grade (10–11 years old) primary school students in Shanghai. The findings show that participatory drama can help students perceive poetic images with their physical senses, awaken the cultural experience connoted by the body to locate meaning, and reflect on the poet's spiritual world through their bodily experience.