Masks and education within an Australian context

ABSTRACT In drama classes throughout the Western world, masks are regularly engaged within a variety of contexts. However, there is negligible information available as to how masks are actually used in the classroom, and to what degree they are effective in different teaching and learning contexts. This research sought to understand how masks could potentially have further impact and to understand more about the teachers’ and students’ engagement with and understanding of their learning. The findings suggest that training is key for teaching staff, and that students have high engagement, with increased self-awareness of roles and of their own sense of personal identity through the use of masks. In addition, there were indications that the usage of masks in the classroom offered opportunities for genuine inclusion of students with specific learning difficulties.