Educational Potential of a School Theater

Aim. To identify the key parameters of the educational potential of school theater considering sociological and pedagogical research.

Methodology. Existential approach, centered on the uniqueness of the individual, freedom of choice and responsibility for one’s choices formed the theoretical framework of the study. Based on the task of modern pedagogy to develop a unique personality capable of moral choice and conscious design of the future, the article assesses the educational potential of school theater. The empirical study was conducted using a questionnaire survey of 727 students of theater studios aged 7 to 18 years, followed by quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data.

Results. The empirical study revealed the dominance of internal, conscious motivation among participants in theater studios: more than half of the respondents are guided by an interest in theater and cinema. The most significant goal of the classes is the opportunity to identify pupils’ own abilities (self-knowledge and personal development), while professional, creative and communicative motives are less pronounced. The structure of acquired competencies is dominated by the development of non-verbal expression (56.8%), imagination and fantasy, as well as personal and volitional qualities. Based on the data obtained and the existential approach, the article substantiates four educational strategies that reflect the key parameters of the educational potential of school theater: socialising, acmeological, cultural and existential.

Research implications. For the first time, the realisation of the educational potential of school theater has been examined from the perspective of an existential approach to education. In accordance with this approach, key strategies are identified that define the content of education in the context of theatrical activity. Practical significance is determined by identifying the conditions under which a child's participation in theatrical activity will significantly influence their personal development.

Conclusion. A school theater has a significant educational potential, which consists in creating conditions for the child to search for the meaning of their own existence and to form the spiritual and moral core of their personality. Theater activity introduces the world of culture, literature, and history to a child, considering genuine moral values.

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