Somatic-First vs. Text-First Approaches: A Quasi-Experimental Study on Playwriting Pedagogy in Secondary Education

Background: Playwriting is a core module in Hong Kong’s secondary drama education curriculum; however, its effective implementation is often hindered by traditional text-first pedagogical paradigms. These conventional approaches restrict novice students’ ability to conceptualize live dramatic tension, often resulting in plays with stiff dialogue and limited stage feasibility. This study evaluated the instructional efficacy of a four-lesson somatic-first playwriting module—the somatic-generative and dual-loop reflective framework (SoDu) aligned with the LETCA rubric (Literary-language, Effective Lines, Tension, Creativity, and Stage Applicability)—compared to a conventional text-first approach. Stageability was operationalized as the extent to which written text can be effectively translated into embodied stage actions. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test evaluation was conducted with two Secondary 3 classes. The experimental class (n = 19) engaged with the somatic-first SoDu-LETCA unit, whereas the reference class received text-first instruction. An independent panel conducted a blinded outcome assessment of plays across 10 indicators of the LETCA rubric. Baseline literacy disparities were statistically controlled using ANCOVA. Results: The reference class held a lead in the overall literary-language domain (p = 0.048) due to direct lexical borrowing in word choice (p=0.011,ηp2=0.134). However, the SoDu-LETCA unit achieved statistically significant superiority across four major domains: effective lines (p<0.001,ηp2=0.286), tension (p<0.001,ηp2=0.246), creativity (p<0.001,ηp2=0.313), and stage applicability (p < 0.001). Crucially, no participant in the somatic-first group showed a decline in stage applicability scores, whereas declines were observed in the text-first comparison group. Conclusions: These findings offer preliminary evidence that engaging students in somatic and spatial exploration prior to textual drafting may support the development of stageable playwriting in secondary contexts. Given the small sample size and non-randomized quasi-experimental design, future research with larger cohorts is recommended to verify the generalizability of embodied drama pedagogies.