An Investigation of the Relationship between Democratic Attitudes and Communication Skills of Drama Educators

Abstract

Creative drama encompasses two primary learning objectives: the internalization of democratic values and the cultivation of advanced communication skills. To foster these attributes in individuals through creative drama education, it is imperative that the educators themselves possess these skills. This research pursues a dual objective: firstly, it delves into the communication skills and democratic attitudes of creative drama educators, considering various influencing factors. Subsequently, it explores the correlation between communication skills and democratic attitudes. The study included 143 creative drama educators from 18 cities in Turkey. Various statistical analyses, including independent samples t-tests, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis, were employed. The findings reveal that the gender and years of experience of drama educators are not significantly linked to their democratic attitudes or communication skills. However, the faculty that they are graduated from significantly impacts both their communication skills and democratic attitudes. Finally, the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis demonstrates a significant and positive relationship between the communication skills and democratic attitudes of creative drama educators.