PhD, MEd, BA, DipEd
Chair in Applied Theatre, School of Education and Professional Studies
Convenor, Bachelor of Education Secondary
Contact details for Professor Bruce Burton
Acting Against Bullying Program and Professional page
Research expertise
Bruce Burton is a leading researcher in the field of Applied Theatre, where the concepts, forms and techniques of theatre are applied to investigating and generating change across the spectrum of human activity social, educational, economic, political and cultural. His recent research has included the use of Drama to empower school students to deal with conflict and bullying. This research was awarded two ARC Linkage Grants. The first phase of the research was part of the international DRACON project involving Sweden, Malaysia and Australia. The second focused specifically on Acting against Bullying in Australian schools.
Research projects
- ARC Linkage - O'Toole, J., Burton, B., Ewing, R., O'Brien, A., Bundy, P., Donelan, K., Anderson, M., Hughes, J., Sinclair, C., Jordan, N. (2007-2011). Accessing the cultural conversation: investigating participation and non participation of young people as audiences of live theatrical performances in Australia.
- ARC Linkage - Ferres, K., Adair, D., Alexander, M., Buckridge, P., Bundy, P., Burton, B., Ellison, D., Keys, W., O'Toole, J., Woodward, I. (2005-2008). Sustaining Culture: The Role of Performing Arts Centres.
- ARC Linkage - Burton, B., Bundy, P., Bates,M., Walton, B. (2003-2006). Moving On: Researching a drama based program designed to assist survivors of institutional childhood abuse to experience more fulfilling lives.
- Core Conflict Competency: This on-going international project with academics from Cambridge UK and Gothenburg in Sweden involves the research and development of programs teaching conflict management through theatre to undergraduate and post-graduate students in professional degrees including nursing, teaching, and criminal justice
Current teaching areas
- Applied Theatre as a change Agent
- Theatre Performance
- Drama Education
- Work - Integrated learning
National teaching awards
- Carrick Citation 2007. The creation of individual, life-long learning through praxis and reflection.
- Carrick Australian Award for Teaching Excellence in the Humanities and the Arts. Theatre for living and Learning.
Publications
Books
- Burton, B. (2005). Making Drama 2nd Edition. Melbourne Longman Pearson Educational.
- O'Toole, J., Burton, B., & Plunkett A. (2005). Cooling Conflicts : a new approach to managing bullying and conflict in schools. Sydney Pearson Longman.
- Burton, B. (2003). Creating Drama 2nd Edition. Melbourne Longman Pearson Educational.
- Burton, B. (2001). Living Drama 3rd Edition. Melbourne Longman Pearson Educational.
Book chapters
- Burton, B. (2008). Acting Against Bullying in Schools. In Donelan, K. & O'Brien, A. The Arts and Youth at Risk: Global and Local Challenges. Cambridge UK, Cambridge Scholars Press.
- Morrison, M., Burton, B., & O'Toole, J. (2006). Re-engagement through Peer teaching Drama Insights into Reflective Practice in Burnard, P., & Hennessy, S. (2006). Reflective Practices in Arts Education. Netherlands Springer Publications.
- Burton, B., & O'Toole, J. (2005). From Dracon to Cooling Conflicts To Acting Against Bullying. In Lofgren, H., & Malm, B (ed). (2005). Bridging the Fields of Drama and Conflict Management: Empowering students to handle conflicts through school - based programmes. Studia Psychologica et Paedagogica Series Altera CLXX. Malmo University, Sweden. School of Teacher Education Series Altera CLXX.
- Burton, B., & Lepp, M. (2003). Drama For A World Peace Culture. In Heikkinen, H. Special Interest Fields of Drama, Theatre and Education IDEA Dialogues. Finland Jyvaskylan University.
Journal articles
- Burton, B., & O'Toole, J. (2008). Acting Against Bullying. DRAMA - nordisk dramapedagogisk tidsskrift. Vol. 45, Number 2. Oslo fagpressen.
- Burton, B., & O'Toole, J. (2005). Enhanced Forum Theatre: Where Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed meets Process Drama in the Classroom. NJ -Journal of Drama Australia. Vol. 29, No.2.
- Burton, B. (2005). Acting Against Conflict and Bullying: The Brisbane Project 1996-2004: Emergent Findings. Research in Drama Education (RIDE), Vol. 10, No. 3. England Carfax.
- Burton, B. (2003). Staging The Transitions To Maturity: Youth Theater and the Rites of Passage Through Adolescence. Youth Theatre Journal of the American Association of Teachers of English, Arizona, USA Volume 16.
- O'Toole, J., & Burton, B. (2002). Cycles of Harmony: Action research into the effects of drama on conflict management in schools. Applied Theatre Researcher, No. 3, Centre for Applied Theatre Research, Griffith University Queensland.