From Script to Stage: A Case Study of Creative Confidence Development in English Language Teacher Education Through Drama and Theatre

Abstract

English language teacher education programs increasingly recognize the importance of creative confidence in preparing adaptive educators, yet traditional approaches often prioritize linguistic proficiency over transformative pedagogical experiences. Drama-based pedagogy offers promising potential for developing creative confidence through embodied, performative engagement. However, limited research has systematically examined how dramatic scriptwriting specifically facilitates creative confidence development among prospective English teachers in authentic learning contexts. This study investigated how dramatic scriptwriting and performance foster creative confidence among Indonesian prospective English language teachers. A qualitative case study with embedded units was conducted over 14 weeks in the Drama and Theatre course at Universitas Harapan Bangsa, Indonesia, involving two prospective English teachers. Data were collected through naturalistic observations, written reflections, semi-structured interviews, and rubric-based assessments at two critical points (Week 6 and 14). Reflexive thematic analysis identified patterns in creative confidence development. Five interconnected mechanisms emerged: overcoming psychological resistance, discovering systematic creative processes, cultivating supportive relationships, transforming creative identity, and integrating multimodal competencies. Quantitative data revealed dramatic improvements in creativity-demanding dimensions (100% increase for one participant with initially lower confidence), while technical skills remained stable, confirming that barriers were psychological rather than skill-based. Transformation magnitude correlated inversely with initial creative confidence levels. These findings contribute to transformative learning theory by demonstrating how drama-based pedagogy synthesizes cognitive scaffolding, affective support, and embodied performativity to enable identity reconstruction in teacher education. The study offers practical implications for integrating drama systematically in language teacher preparation programs globally.