Embodying writing. Theatrical Pedagogy and Imaginative Education in early childhood teacher training

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.38123/rre.v6i2.994

Keywords:

dramatic play, imaginative education, written language, teacher training, theatrical pedagogy

Abstract

This research analyzes the impact of dramatic play, grounded in Imaginative Education, on the redesign of curricular planning for initial literacy. Through a qualitative action-research methodology, early childhood education students participated in an experiential workshop to overcome traditional teaching approaches. Document analysis of the curricular proposals evidenced a critical break from the technical-behavioral and instrumental inertias detected in the preliminary diagnostic milestone. The results confirm a methodological evolution toward artistic and experiential curricular designs, driven by somatic understanding. It is concluded that scenic hybridization allows for the embodiment of written language by linking emotion, play, and imagination, thereby constituting a robust alternative that transforms mechanical instruction into a meaningful experience.

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Author Biographies

Junell Lorena Araujo Escobar, Universidad del Norte

Master of Education with specializations in Creativity, Pedagogical Innovation, and Educational Management and Leadership; Specialist in Arts in Learning Processes; and Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. My career has focused on a specialized emphasis on using art and expressive languages as transversal axes of knowledge.

In the field of higher education, I currently serve as a professor in the Early Childhood Education degree program, teaching the courses Expressive Languages and Play, Recreation, and Education. My areas of academic expertise and teaching include the design of pedagogical experiences, as well as the use of play and recreation as fundamental tools for transforming 21st-century teaching-learning processes.

My line of work delves into imaginative education as a driver of innovation, exploring how creativity and cognitive development are fostered from an early age. Additionally, I have experience as an Atelierista, leading collaborative research projects that reclaim the value of art and exploration through the body, senses, and expressive languages in early childhood.

Carmen Gloria Sánchez-Duque, Universidad Finis Terrae

Researcher, performing artist, and educator whose line of work is situated at the critical intersection of integrated arts, pedagogy, and social transformation. Her work focuses on making visible the potential of the performing and visual arts as devices for resistance and healing in contexts of high vulnerability. Through her leadership of the Compañía de Teatro Perrobufo, she has developed the theoretical-practical concept of medicine-theatre-education, an intervention methodology that utilizes animated forms and visual culture to mediate in processes of socio-emotional development and identity construction within educational contexts and diverse communities.

Her scientific production, with publications in high-impact (Q1) journals such as IJEA and books like Drama for Creative Learning, maintains a constant dialogue with her artistic and educational practice. With more than a decade of experience in teacher training, she currently directs the Diploma in Applied Theatre Methodologies at Universidad Finis Terrae and serves as a professor in Master of Education programs oriented toward creativity and pedagogical innovation. Her methodological approach promotes the performing arts, art thinking, and research-creation as fundamental tools for an arts education committed to gender equity and social justice across Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary education.

Ángela Barrera-García, Universidad de Granada

Pre-doctoral Research Fellow (FPU) in the Department of Teaching of Musical, Plastic, and Corporal Expression at the University of Granada. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts (2020) with a specialization in Graphic Design from the University of Granada, and a Master’s Degree in Visual Arts and Education: A Constructionist Approach (2021) from the same institution. Currently, she is a PhD candidate in the inter-university Arts and Education program at the University of Granada.

She is a member of the HUM-489 Research Group: "Artistic and Aesthetic Education in Visual Arts," as well as the Comunicar group. Additionally, she is a member of the International Society for Education through Art (InSEA).

Her scientific output includes publications in high-impact journals and publishers (Q1), such as Heritage. Her work delves into Arts-Based Research (ABR) and A/r/tography approaches, promoting the use of audiovisual and multimedia languages within the field of art education. She teaches in the Undergraduate programs of Primary Education, Social Education, and Fine Arts.

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Published

2026-07-15

How to Cite

Araujo Escobar, J. L. ., Sánchez-Duque, C. G., & Barrera-García, Ángela . (2026). Embodying writing. Theatrical Pedagogy and Imaginative Education in early childhood teacher training. Revista Realidad Educativa, 6(2), 10–35. https://doi.org/10.38123/rre.v6i2.994

Issue

Section

Educational Research