Masks and education within an Australian context

ABSTRACT

In drama classes throughout the Western world, masks are regularly engaged within a variety of contexts. However, there is negligible information available as to how masks are actually used in the classroom, and to what degree they are effective in different teaching and learning contexts. This research sought to understand how masks could potentially have further impact and to understand more about the teachers’ and students’ engagement with and understanding of their learning. The findings suggest that training is key for teaching staff, and that students have high engagement, with increased self-awareness of roles and of their own sense of personal identity through the use of masks. In addition, there were indications that the usage of masks in the classroom offered opportunities for genuine inclusion of students with specific learning difficulties.

KEYWORDS:

• Education
• drama
• masks
• Australian curriculum
• identity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

David Roy

Dr David Roy is a lecturer in Education and Creative Arts at the University of Newcastle.

His research interests are in drama and arts learning, and inclusion in Education. He was nominated for the 2006 Saltire/TES Scottish Education Publication of the Year and won the 2013 Best New Australian Publication for VCE Drama and/or VCE Theatre Studies. His most recent text is ‘Teaching the Arts: Early Childhood and Primary’ (2019) published by Cambridge University Press.