Using role-play and narrative empathy to explore social emotional learning outcomes in English literature lecture rooms.

Abstract

This thesis is grounded on the premise that many young people and adults in South Africa lack education in fundamental interpersonal and intrapersonal skills. It explored how role-play and narrative empathy activities in an English Literature lecture room facilitated the development of social and emotional learning (SEL) outcomes. The targeted SEL outcomes were embedded into five prescribed texts from the second-year English Literature syllabus at a private higher education institution in South Africa. Through William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, the participants explored social-awareness skills. The play Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe enabled participants to engage with self-awareness skills. The novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen allowed participants to learn relationship skills; the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë served as a vehicle to explore responsible decision-making skills, while the play She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith provided opportunities to develop self-management skills. These five SEL specific text analyses were examined within the framework of five action research cycles in this qualitative study. Each cycle facilitated SEL development through creative activities, including role-play exercises and narrative empathy discussion sessions conducted during literature lectures. The study concluded that integrating literary analysis with SEL outcomes can effectively promote social and emotional learning. Role-play processes facilitated enjoyable and embodied learning of the prescribed texts, alongside increased empathy for different characters. The narrative empathy discussion sessions provided deep reflection on the characters being studied and offered a cathartic experience for participants, who reflected on their personal journeys while considering the characters’ experiences. The study’s interdisciplinary SEL model indicated that English literary fictional works can effectively explore the human condition, making English Literature studies ideal for exploring, simulating, and reflecting on SEL experiences. This study contributes to discourses on SEL in South Africa, role-play in English literature lecture rooms, and narrative empathy in an oral discussion format for English literature study. Additionally, the study found that culturally responsive SEL can occur through role-play and narrative empathy activities in the English literature lecture room.