Theatrical performance constitutes a complicated way for students to express and to communicate with each other, since it targets both various artistic and educational goals. Even though it constitutes a top moment of students’ expression, several students do not feel comfortable when participating in such cultural activities, as performance anxiety, a negative emotional experience stemming from the public audience exposure, affects them. The aim of this research is to apply and evaluate a student segmentation technique with the help of bio-inspired computational intelligence, for identifying high levels of performance anxiety at schoolchildren. A Mayfly-based clustering optimization algorithm is applied on a dataset with 774 instances of students to classify them according to their levels of emotions and performance anxiety that are developed during the event. A comparison with a genetic algorithm as well as particle swarm optimization shows that the proposed method is distinguished by superior categorization capabilities. The findings demonstrate the effective dissimilar student groups formation, with the members of each being distinguished by similar characteristics in terms of emotions and performance anxiety, highlighting the ones with unmanageable emotional experiences. Therefore, the drama educator is able to effortlessly detect, manage students and develop coping practices in those at risk, by acknowledging each group’s characteristics.

Unveiling the intersection of technology and art, this research aims to explore the vital role of Computational Intelligence (CI) techniques in shaping digital theater performances within virtual worlds by managing student populations engaged in these productions. The realm of digital theater offers opportunities for creative expression and collaboration. This necessitates the integration of Computational Intelligence (CI) to establish cohesive teams in digital theater. By doing so, effective collaboration is promoted, and creativity is dynamically enhanced in virtual cultural environments and digital worlds. Central to this study is the use of a CI algorithm called Flying Fox Optimizer, designed to form homogeneous student groups, and optimize theater dynamics. The algorithm utilizes fuzzy logic, eliminating the requirement for fine-tuning by the user. The results reveal that through this mechanism, theater educators of the future can effortlessly create student groups that foster seamless collaboration in virtual theater education.

The aim of this research study is to investigate the influence of drama-based teaching techniques, specifically Reader's Theatre and Dramatic Storytelling, on teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching reading compared to conventional teaching methods. Using an experimental design, the study involved 204 teachers from different educational regions in Greece, divided as follows: (a) an experimental group of 95 teachers implementing Reader's Theatre interventions, (b) a comparison group of 87 teachers implementing Dramatic Storytelling interventions, and (c) a control group of 22 teachers using traditional teaching methods. Teachers’ self-efficacy was measured using a standardised scale before and after the eight-week intervention. The results showed that teachers using drama-based techniques had significantly higher levels of self-efficacy than those using traditional methods, with large effect sizes. This finding supports the use of drama-based teaching practices as a means of enhancing teachers’ self-efficacy, and highlights their superiority to conventional literacy practices. Further research is recommended to substantiate these findings in other educational contexts and subject areas.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an urgent shift to emergency remote learning, significantly affecting the education of bilingual students. This study examines the use of technology-enhanced drama-based methods, specifically digital Readers Theater, as an emergency measure to enhance reading literacy and psychosocial support during the pandemic amid multiple concurrent crises. Using an action research approach, 37 Greek teachers implemented remote literacy activities involving digital drama in their virtual classrooms over a period of four weeks. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, teachers’ reflective journals, and student participation and were analyzed through Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior. The findings indicate that, despite technological challenges and adaptation difficulties, the creative use of digital drama activities contributed to improvements in students’ reading skills, motivation, and engagement. The intervention also fostered students’ emotional expression and social connection, contributing to their psychosocial support during the disruption. This study highlights the dual role of technology as both an enabler and a barrier, emphasizing the need for better digital infrastructure and comprehensive teacher training for effective emergency response. The results stress the value of technology-supported, arts-based approaches in maintaining student engagement and promoting bilingual literacy in crisis contexts. These findings provide useful guidance for teachers and school leaders on how to support students’ learning and well-being, both during crises and in everyday practice.

Background/Objectives: Public health emergencies disrupt school routines and child development, elevating psychosocial risk. The long-term influence of school-based participatory arts, particularly drama pedagogy, has not been sufficiently explored. This study examined teachers’ retrospective perceptions of the four-year effects of a large-scale, remotely delivered drama-based intervention on children’s psychosocial well-being and school community resilience. Methods: We conducted a retrospective interpretative phenomenological study with 23 primary-school teachers who implemented a seven-week, drama-based program with children aged 10–12 during a public health emergency. Semi-structured interviews were conducted four years post-implementation and analyzed following the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, using the Community Resilience Framework as a sensitizing theoretical lens. Results: According to teachers’ retrospective accounts, participatory arts were perceived to function as a complementary public-health-oriented practice, helping maintain children’s connection to school, and were associated with strengthening trust, creativity, and solidarity, as well as supporting communication, emotional expression, adaptability, and collaborative skills. Teachers reported that stable rituals and drama-based practices appeared to foster a sense of safety amid disruption; over time, some of these practices were reported as becoming part of everyday school routines, which teachers associated with continuity and collective resilience. Conclusions: Integrating drama-based interventions into school health and psychosocial crisis-readiness may strengthen pediatric public health strategies and may help education systems to respond to future emergencies. These findings reflect teachers’ perceptions of sustained influence and suggest the perceived value of arts-based methods in developmental/behavioral support and school community resilience. By addressing emotional regulation, peer connection, and psychosocial adaptation within school settings, the intervention reflects the preventive and promotive dimensions of pediatric public health, emphasizing the school’s role as an environment that supports children’s overall mental and developmental health.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted school life worldwide, heightening risks to students’ psychosocial well-being and mental health, and creating an urgent need for sustainable support strategies during crises. Drama-based interventions, as participatory arts-based approaches, are proposed as flexible interventions that can strengthen resilience, social interaction, and emotional expression in school communities. Objective: This study evaluated the impact of a large-scale, short-term, remote drama-based intervention on the psychosocial adjustment and well-being of primary school students during the pandemic. Methods: An embedded mixed methods design with a pre-post measurement was employed, involving 239 teachers and 719 students aged 9–13 years from schools across various regions of Greece. Psychosocial functioning was assessed using a standardized instrument measuring levels of social, school, and emotional competence, as well as behavioral difficulties. The intervention, totaling 700 min over seven weeks, followed a five-day weekly structure that combined health-focused and psychosocial activities. Results: Quantitative findings indicated improvements across several dimensions of psychosocial adaptation and well-being, while Reliable Change Index analysis revealed important individual-level changes. Qualitative data corroborated these results, highlighting enhanced peer collaboration, increased emotional expression, and stronger classroom cohesion, while also emphasizing the adaptability and scalability of the approach under restrictive conditions. Conclusions: The findings suggest that such artful interventions can make a meaningful contribution to promoting well-being and sustaining the educational and social life of school communities during public health emergencies, thereby adding to the applied psychology evidence based on effective school health interventions.