Date of Award

3-2022

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

School of Education

First Advisor

Dr. Dane Joseph

Second Advisor

Dr. Scot Headley

Third Advisor

Dr. Linda Samek

Abstract

Teacher retention and attrition dominate the conversation with various stakeholders in the education field. Despite the continued attention, teacher attrition continues to be a significant issue nationally and in the state of Nevada specifically. This study analyzes this multi-faceted issue through the lens of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed and Jim Bryant’s Drama Theory to provide a holistic view of the educator’s experience and the possible factors leading to attrition. The study uses an original play to examine a fictional school to assess the personal factors that may lead these educators to consider leaving the profession. Then, this study analyzes the play using confrontation analysis (Bryant) and image theatre (Boal) to consider a path forward for stakeholders that are addressing the teacher attrition and retention issue. To this end, this study contends that the traditional means for recruiting and retaining educators unintentionally leads to depersonalization and isolation which are leading factors in educators leaving the field. As a result, Drama Theory and Theatre of the Oppressed features may lead to educator empowerment and a possible positive impact to the teacher attrition issue. Teacher turnover became a nationwide issue that demands attention by education professions, lawmakers, and other stakeholders. There are cases where teacher attrition has slowed and even some instances where teacher turnover is at a healthy rate. This project highlights the impact confrontation analysis (Drama Theory) and Theatre of the Oppressed (Boal) could have on the depersonalization and isolation many educators feel today which may lead to empowering stakeholders to collective action. Further, this project provides implementation strategies and a Boal exercises to help facilitate these important discussions.

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