A Theatre Pedagogy for Teaching Moral Imagination

Abstract

Moral imagination can be understood as a process of self-reflecting that enables one to step back and become increasingly aware of a given situation and next, to imaginatively evaluate and identify possibilities of responding ethically. Many studies suggest that moral imagination is vital for responding to morally complex situations in organizations. This practice study aims to outline a pedagogy for developing moral imagination using theatre exercises and approaches. Specifically, following a review of the relevant literature, we seek to show how the undergraduate module Acting Responsibly draws on existing theoretical knowledge to design and deliver a pedagogy that seeks to actively facilitate the development of moral imagination. The attainment of the learning objective is captured through an end-of-module questionnaire. Moreover, we reflectively discuss the module’s core learning objectives and suggest ways in which they can be leveraged in the context of traditional classrooms.