Theater activities have enhanced the socialization of adolescents.

The research was conducted by the scientific staff of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Contemporary Childhood at MGPPU, Margarita Khusnutdinova and Tatyana Poskakalova.

The experiment took place as part of a two-year theatrical project held in 2023 and 2024. This project served as a stage in the development of the activity-based technology "Multimedia Theater" under the guidance of Olga Rubtsova. The results of the work have been published in the scientific journal "Psychological Science and Education".

Activities within the project included theatrical training, creative meetings, excursions, individual and group assignments, and the creation of multimedia and video sequences. The study involved 79 adolescents aged 13 to 15 years.

The aim of the research was to determine how theatrical activities could assist adolescents in enhancing their communication skills, increasing their level of socialization, and qualitatively transforming relationships within adolescent groups.

The adolescents participating in the study were divided into three groups: the first group consisted of adolescents with low academic motivation and learning difficulties, the second included adolescents with high motivation and good independent work skills, while the third was a control group (with high motivation but lacking interest in social activity). MGPPU researchers employed testing and interview methods to assess behavioral changes among participants.

During the first stage of the research, 24 theatrical sessions were conducted separately with each experimental group. The sessions included acting skills, animation creation, tasks aimed at developing improvisation, imagination, and emotional intelligence. The primary focus was on group cohesion and the development of teamwork skills during the preparation of a play based on the stories of A. P. Chekhov.

The second stage also consisted of 24 joint sessions for the first two experimental groups. Activities included training in acting, journalism, video creation, and interviewing. The tasks offered were aimed at fostering self-discipline, improvisation, imagination, and communication with people of different generations. Within these sessions, emphasis was placed on exercises for conflict resolution and the development of non-conflict behavior strategies. The goal of this stage was to strengthen friendships among adolescents from parallel classes and improve communication with their relatives and adults while gathering materials about the Great Patriotic War for the performance.

The results indicated that theatrical activities, in general, contribute to the improvement of communication skills among adolescents, the establishment of prosocial behavior in interactions, and the development of friendships. Adolescents in the second group exhibited high levels of competent communication positions, while the first group reported an increase in aggressive behavior. The control group showed no significant changes. Participants who were actively engaged in the process achieved better results.

Thus, the research confirmed the effectiveness of theatrical activities as a tool for enhancing socialization and developing communication skills among schoolchildren over a long-term period. The empirical results obtained supplemented the previously studied picture by the MGPPU research team on the impact of theatrical activities on education, development, and learning of contemporary adolescents.