A mixed-method case study of Readers’ Theatre with African immigrant and refugee students

Readers' Theatre, a drama-based literacy intervention, has been studied for its academic benefit with the socio-emotional impacts largely neglected. In the current study, the Principal Investigator partnered with a summer Readers' Theatre intervention for public middle school students. Following, students completed a self-concept measure and participated in an interview on the experience. This study presents results of the first-and-second-generation African immigrant and refugee participants. Three themes from the interviews are explored: (1) culturally based-arts experiences and intervention buy-in, (2) emphasis on perceived achievement, and (3) the relationship of self-reported impact on middle school readiness, reading attitudes, and sense of ensemble.