Body shadow theatre in physical education to promote the emotional wellbeing of schoolchildren: A gender perspective

Abstract

The present study was based on the possibilities offered bybody shadow theatre as a resource and content to promotethe emotional well-being of girls and boys from an earlyage. A total of 118 primary school students (60 boys and58 girls) from a school in south-eastern Spain participated.They assessed the emotional intensity they experiencedthrough the Games and Emotions Scale for Children (GES-C) instrument and explained which emotion they had felt more intensely and why, through drawings and/or comments. The data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 27.0 for Windows and an inductive categorization using NVivo software. The results showed that the expressive motor situations presented through body shadow theatre favored the intense experience of positive emotions (M = 5.02, SD = 1.40) significantly (p = .000) in relation to negative emotions (M = 1.17, SD = 0.47). Boys and girls justified emotional well-being with personal and body shadow theatre aspects. Girls, unlike boys, emphasized social relationships during expressive motor practice. The conclusions showed that the free and creative expressive motor situations presented in body shadow theatre favored emotional well-being in both girls and boys.

El presente estudio se basó en conocer las posibilidadesque ofrece el teatro de sombras corporales como recurso ycontenido para favorecer el bienestar emocional de chicasy chicos desde edades tempranas. Participaron un total 118estudiantes de educación primaria (60 chicos y 58 chicas)de un centro educativo situado en el sureste de España.Valoraron la intensidad emocional que experimentaron através del instrumento Games and Emotions Scale for Children (GES-C) y explicaron qué emoción habían sentido con mayor intensidad y por qué, a través de dibujos y/o comentarios. Los datos obtenidos se analizaron mediante el Statistical Package for Social Sciences versión 27.0 para Windows y una categorización inductiva utilizando el software NVivo. Los resultados mostraron que las situaciones motrices expresivas planteadas a través del teatro de sombras corporal favorecieron la vivencia intensa de emociones positivas (M = 5.02, DT = 1.40) de forma significativa (p = .000) con relación a las emociones negativas (M = 1.17, DT = 0.47). Los chicos y las chicas justificaron el bienestar emocional con aspectospersonales y propios del teatro de sombras corporales. Laschicas, a diferencia de los chicos, destacaron las relacionessociales durante la práctica motriz expresiva. Las conclusiones mostraron que las situaciones motrices expresivas libres y creativas planteadas en el teatro de sombras corporal favorece el bienestar emocional tanto en chicas como chicos