Reimagining Theatre in Education for Transformative Learning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Human-Centred Pedagogical Framework Aligned with NEP 2020 for Future-Ready Education
Aug 2026· International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology· 0 citations
TL;DR
This conceptual paper argues that Theatre in Education (TIE), long valued for cultivating empathy, embodied cognition, and critical reflection, offers a necessary human-centred counterweight to the efficiency-oriented logic of AI-driven instruction.
Abstract
The rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI) into classrooms has intensified debate over what forms of learning
genuinely prepare students for an uncertain future. This conceptual paper argues that Theatre in Education (TIE), long valued
for cultivating empathy, embodied cognition, and critical reflection, offers a necessary human-centred counterweight to the
efficiency-oriented logic of AI-driven instruction. Drawing on transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 1991, 1997), critical
pedagogy (Freire, 1970; Boal, 1979), and constructivist learning traditions (Dewey, 1938; Vygotsky, 1978), the paper synthesises
recent empirical and policy literature on drama pedagogy and generative AI in education, following a narrative-synthesis
methodology, to propose an integrated Human-Centred Pedagogical Framework. The framework positions embodied theatrical
practice, critical-reflective dialogue, and AI-augmented scaffolding as complementary rather than competing pedagogical
resources. Three tables and three figures a comparative synthesis of pedagogical postures, a summary of key empirical studies, a
policy-alignment matrix, a framework diagram, a competency-comparison visualisation, and a process model for teaching AI
ethics through applied theatre -illustrate how the framework addresses gaps left by purely technological or purely traditional
approaches. The paper concludes with practical implications for curriculum design, teacher preparation, and future research,
arguing that future-ready education must deliberately safeguard embodied, relational, and reflective learning as AI becomes
ubiquitous
The Responsible AI Literacy in Education (RAIL-Ed) framework is introduced, developed through a systematic review and qualitative framework analysis of 67 studies (2023-2025), grounded in critical, pragmatist, sociocultural, and human-centered traditions.
S. Hossain, S. Ahmadi, Leqi Li et al.· 0 citations
It is argued that the role of human instructors in liberal arts education is not rendered obsolete by technological advancement, but becomes more foundational as the irreplaceable agents of educational functions that algorithmic systems are structurally incapable of performing.
G. Oh, K. Han· The Korean Association of Ge...· 0 citations
This paper critically examines the teaching of History in secondary schools in rural and township contexts in South Africa, focusing on persistent learner disengagement within an increasingly digitised educational landscape shaped by the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence. Drawing on constructivism, critical pedagogy and creativity as an integrated theoretical framework, the paper interrogates dominant pedagogical practices and historical narratives that continue to shape History classrooms amid rapid technological change. It offers a reflective and analytical discussion informed by existing scholarship, curriculum and policy documents, emerging debates on AI in education and the author’s professional experience as a History educator. It argues that traditional, teacher-centred approaches are increasingly misaligned with learners’ digital realities, limiting historical consciousness, critical thinking and relevance, advocating for a pedagogical reimagining of History teaching that foregrounds curiosity, creativity, humour, ethical digital literacy and the inclusion of multiple perspectives, positioning generative AI as a mediating tool rather than a pedagogical threat. By reconceptualising the roles of teachers, learners and knowledge resources in the 21st century History classroom, it contributes to ongoing debates on how History education can be made more inclusive, meaningful and socially responsive in the context of deepening technological and educational inequalities, particularly in under-resourced schools.
P. Nyathi· Turkish History Education Jo...· 0 citations
Student disengagement in Indian higher education has reached a critical threshold. This article examines the nature, dimensions and structural roots of disengagement in Indian commerce and business classrooms, arguing that the crisis stems not from student apathy but from a pedagogical model misaligned with the cognitive, social and motivational realities of contemporary learners.
This viewpoint article draws on a critical synthesis of established educational research, cognitive science and the author's decade of pedagogical practice in Indian commerce education, using frameworks from Freire (1970), Fredricks et al. (2004), Bloom et al. (1956) and Mark (2023), among others, to diagnose the conditions producing disengagement and propose a principled pedagogical response.
Three observable patterns characterise disengagement – selective wakefulness, the comprehension-performance paradox and the disappearance of curiosity – traced to five failures: the transmission model, examination-driven curricula, inadequate teacher preparation, unabsorbed digital disruption and an institutional accountability vacuum. The article proposes the ARC Model of Responsible Pedagogy – Activation, Relevance and Connection – as a theoretically grounded and practically implementable response.
The ARC Model provides faculty and policymakers with an immediately actionable framework for addressing student disengagement in Indian commerce education, applicable within existing institutional constraints.
This article makes an original contribution by theorising compliant disengagement as a distinctive Indian higher education phenomenon and advancing the ARC Model as a structured pedagogical framework with direct implications for faculty, institutional leaders and policymakers.
The proposed framework demonstrates how drama pedagogy, integrated with the underlying social constructivist principles and VT routines, can stimulate collaboration, creative and reflective thinking and thus engagement amongst learners.
Zaamah Mohd Nor, Laura Dass, Jebakumari Selvarani· Quantum Journal of Social Sc...· 0 citations
It is concluded that GenAI should serve as a pedagogical assistant for teachers, not a replacement, and effective implementation requires robust AI governance mechanisms, continuous teacher professional development, ethical safeguards, and the promotion of AI literacy.
Moses Adeolu Agoi, Oluwakemi Racheal Oshinowo, I. Muraina· International Journal of Act...· 0 citations
A new method for surgically removing training examples from a model reveals that as datasets grow, the link between what a model learns and what it produces dissolves.
