Aiding learning of juvenile delinquents through the use of drama : a study of a female youth rehabilitation centre in Singapore

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore whether adopting drama techniques in education has an impact on improving the communicative and thinking skills among female juvenile delinquents. This study also investigates how participating in a drama program could help aid learning for juvenile delinquents. The study is limited to a drama program implemented for a group of female juvenile delinquents from Pertapis Center for Women and Girls, Singapore. This Center is a rehabilitation center for female Muslim youth offenders. As such, the data was collected from three juvenile delinquents enrolled in the drama program. The data was gathered through observation, textual analysis and interviews. The aim was to explore how adopting drama techniques in education will create an environment where juvenile delinquents could use their thinking skills and communicate in a non-violent manner while participating in group work which enhances the juvenile delinquents capability to learn. The collected data revealed that during the weekly drama program sessions, the juvenile delinquents had improved positively in their ability to communicate in a non-violent manner and in learning and in their ability to use creative thinking skills. This study sheds light on the ways that educators in rehabilitation centers can use drama techniques to create an environment that aids every juvenile delinquent to learn, thereby enhancing the thinking skills and communicative skills of juvenile delinquents. Therefore, the study recommends introducing drama program in the juvenile delinquents education to aid learning.