Harnessing creative drama-based storytelling for emotional skill development: Perspectives from early childhood teachers in different countries

Abstract

This study investigates early childhood teachers' perspectives on using drama-based storytelling to develop emotional skills across five European countries. Using a qualitative action research approach, we engaged 20 participants from Turkey, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary, and Northern Ireland participating in the Erasmus+ project 'Social and Emotional Skills Development in Early Childhood Education.' Participants experienced a 12 h workshop based on Anna Llenas 'Color Monster' and other emotion-focused picture books, followed by semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed through content analysis with particular attention to cross-cultural patterns and variations. Findings revealed that teachers across all countries utilize creative activities (drama, art, and music), structured conversations, and specialized materials (books, puppets, and emotion cards) to support emotional development, with notable cross-cultural variations in implementation approaches. Lithuanian educators uniquely employed formal programs like Kimochis, while Northern Irish schools featured dedicated "imagination rooms" for emotional regulation. Teachers across all cultural contexts expressed positive attitudes toward drama-based storytelling, particularly for enhancing emotion recognition, expression, regulation, empathy, and creativity. They indicated intentions to integrate workshop approaches into classroom drama activities, school adaptation periods, and parent involvement activities. The study contributes theoretical insights into both universal and culturally specific aspects of emotional pedagogy while offering practical applications for cross-cultural professional development in early childhood education.