Reframing ‘The Rainbow of Desire’ as embodied self-reflexivity in initial teacher education

Abstract

This is a photographic and textual account of research that reframes the Boalian technique ‘The Rainbow of Desire’ (TRoD) as a form of embodied self-reflexivity within initial teacher education. In particular, TRoD is applied as an embodied reflective process to provoke reflection on the emotional dimensions of learning to teach. The application of TRoD in this research subverts the traditional privileging of logical–rational knowledge forms and processes within higher education. As such, this research produces a new, politicised purpose for TRoD itself, which has traditionally been categorised as a therapeutic applied theatre practice.

這是一份圖像與文本並重的研究，旨在重新構建Boal的戲劇方法“欲望彩虹”(TRoD)，使之作為 “具象化的自我反身性” (Pagis 2009)的方法運用於初級師資教育。具體來說，“欲望彩虹”作為一種展現內心反映的過程刺激了教學中情感維度的反射。“欲望彩虹”在本研究中的運用顛覆了高等教育體制內傳統的邏輯性-理性的知識結構與教育方式。因此，這份研究為“欲望彩虹”這一傳統上被定義為治療性的應用戲劇實踐提供了一個政治性的新目的。

Esto es un recuento fotográfico y textual de investigación que replantea la técnica Boal ‘El Arcoíris del Deseo’ (EAdD), como una forma de ‘auto-reflexividad personificada’ (Pagis 2009) dentro de la educación inicial del profesorado. En particular, EAdD se aplica como un proceso personificado reflexivo para provocar reflexión sobre las dimensiones emocionales de aprender a enseñar. La aplicación de EAdD en esta investigación subvierte el privilegio tradicional de las formas de conocimiento lógico-racionales y los procesos dentro de la educación superior. Como tal, esta investigación produce un nuevo propósito politizado para EAdD en sí, el cual ha sido tradicionalmente categorizado como una práctica de teatro aplicado terapéutico.

Keywords:

• reflection
• embodied reflection
• teacher emotion
• teacher education
• Boal
• The Rainbow of Desire

Notes on contributors

Rachel Forgasz is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Monash University (Australia). In her research, she explores the possibilities of performance as an embodied approach to self-reflexivity, especially as an approach to engaging pre-service teachers in reflection on their emotional experiences of learning to teach. She publishes in the fields of embodied reflection, teacher emotion and self-study.