Creative Dramatics as a Pedagogical Tool for Harnessing Moral and Social Values in Elementary Schools

The decline in moral and social values among children has become a growing concern for educators and policymakers worldwide. This article examines creative dramatics as an innovative pedagogical strategy for promoting character formation and social competence among elementary school pupils. Drawing on literature and findings from a field study conducted in selected elementary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, the paper demonstrates that creative dramatics provides experiential learning opportunities through role-play, storytelling, improvisation, collaborative learning, and reflective discussion. These activities enable pupils to internalize values such as honesty, empathy, responsibility, respect, cooperation, and self-discipline more effectively than traditional teacher-centred approaches. The study also identifies barriers to implementation, including inadequate teacher training, lack of instructional materials, insufficient curriculum integration, and limited instructional time. The article argues that integrating creative dramatics across the elementary curriculum will strengthen values education while simultaneously improving pupils' communication, creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.