Enacting Historical Role-Plays to Discover the Joy of Learning: findings from a Secondary School in Singapore

How do we excite students to learn about the past? How might history ‘come alive’? The History teaching fraternity in Singapore has converged on inquiry-based learning (IBL) pedagogy to nurture critical thinking and empower student ownership of their own learning. To explore the utility of role-plays as a device for IBL, I implemented a role-play lesson cycle for a Secondary 2 (Grade 8) cohort in their Lower Secondary History lessons. The role-play lessons were carried out over three weeks and required students to research the past, write an authentic script, create logistics, and perform the historical scene for their peers. Based on 125 student survey responses and teacher observations, I find that student-run role-plays boost the joy of learning, improve student learning in history, and cultivate an appreciation of historical empathy. In sum, having a memorable role-play lesson increased students’ engagement and learning of History in and beyond the classroom.