The Impact of a High School Theatre Arts Program on Student Academic and Non-Academic Outcomes: A Case Study
The purpose of this single case study was to explore the impact of a theatre arts program on academic and non-academic for high school students by addressing the following overarching research question: How does student participation in a theatre arts program impact student outcomes? The sub-questions are: (a) how do students describe the impact of a theatre arts program in relation to academic outcomes?, (b) how do students describe the impact of a theatre arts program in relation to non-academic outcomes? The study follows single case study design. Findings show theatre arts participation positively impacts student’s outcomes. Academic outcomes include: (a) theatrical outcomes in knowledge and skill and (b) non-theatrical academic outcomes extending to other academic areas. Non-academic outcomes include: (a) concepts of self, (b) communal experiences, (c) rituals and traditions, and (d) socioemotional experiences. These findings hold implications for practice as well as implications for theory and research.