Role Play

Role Play involves recreating a realistic situation in which students take on specific roles and make decisions from the perspective of an assigned character. This helps them learn to act in a social context where emotions, interests, tensions and constraints all matter. A key element of the method is the shift in perspective: students begin to experience the problem as participants in the situation, which helps them recognise the consequences of their decisions and the tensions between stakeholders more quickly.

The method works particularly well in areas where there is no single correct answer and success depends on communication, negotiation and understanding others. It also allows students to practise difficult situations safely, especially those that would be costly or risky in real life.

However, avoid reducing Role Play to acting out scenes without a clear purpose. If the roles are unclear or the situation is too simple, students may focus on performance rather than analysis. In this form, the method loses its educational value. Its real value emerges when the situation requires students to make a decision.

Role Play can be used in many contexts, including conflicts, negotiations, meeting simulations, client conversations and crisis situations. You can also introduce role switching so that students see the problem from a different perspective.

Course: Team Management
Topic: Team Conflict
Students work with an extended scenario based on a specific organisational situation. A proj-
ect team is responsible for implementing a new digital product for a business client. The project is delayed, tensions are rising, and conflicts are emerging within the team due to
excessive workload, missed deadlines and increasing client expectations. Each side has its
own justifications and constraints, making the situation complex and open to interpretation.

Introduction (5 min)
The teacher introduces the project context and the tensions that have emerged within it. They explain that the aim of the activity is to understand the dynamics of conflict and the consequences of different decisions. Students receive role descriptions outlining their responsibilities, goals and constraints.

Role Preparation (10–15 min)
Students analyse their roles and plan how they will act. They identify their goals, decide what information they want to reveal and consider how they will communicate their position. At this stage, they develop a strategy for entering the situation.

Role Play (20–30 min)
Students conduct a team meeting and attempt to resolve the escalating conflict. They negotiate, respond to others’ arguments and make decisions under time pressure and conflicting interests. The teacher does not intervene in the discussion but observes the interaction dynamics and key moments.

Analysis (15 min)
After the simulation, students discuss how the situation unfolded. They analyse which decisions were made, what helped resolve the conflict and what intensified it. They pay attention to communication patterns, emotional reactions and the consequences of actions taken by different roles.

Perspective Shift (optional, 15 min)
Students may switch roles and repeat a short version of the same simulation. This allows them to view the problem from a different perspective and better understand the motivations of other participants.

Reflection (10 min)
Students reflect on what was most difficult about playing their role and how their under- standing of the situation changed after adopting other perspectives. They also analyze which behaviours were most effective and which contributed to escalating the conflict.

• When you want to develop communication and social skills.
• When you are working with topics that require an understanding of different perspectives.
• When it is important to practise real-life situations.

• When students do not have basic knowledge of the problem being analysed.
• When the group is not ready to work interactively.
• When the class time is too short to run and discuss the activity.

• Students treat the activity as acting rather than analysis → clearly define the aim and assessment criteria.
• Engagement is uneven → assign roles that require active participation and responsibility.
• There is no reflection after the activity → always include an analysis and discussion stage.

Easier → Provide a detailed description of the situation and clear guidance for each role. Limit the number of variables and focus on one problem.
More Challenging → Add incomplete information, conflicting interests or time pressure. Introduce the need to make decisions under conditions of uncertainty.

• Make sure the scenario is realistic.
• Do not interrupt too quickly — allow the situation to develop.
• Create a safe atmosphere so that students feel comfortable taking on their roles.
• After the activity, focus on students’ decisions and their consequences, rather than judging the students themselves.

Formative Assessment
During the role-play activity, the teacher observes specific student behaviours, such as the way they formulate messages, ask questions, respond to tension, justify decisions, and take into account the interests of different stakeholders. Developmental feedback is provided by identifying which behaviours helped to resolve the situation, which hindered effective communication, and what could be changed in a subsequent attempt, such as the style of argumentation, tone of voice, or response to the other person.

Summative Assessment
Assessment focuses on a short analysis of the role-played situation. Students should describe the problem, identify the perspectives of the participants, justify the actions they took, and evaluate their possible consequences. Assessment criteria include the accuracy of the situation analysis, the appropriateness of the actions taken, the range of perspectives considered, the quality of the justification, and the ability to act thoughtfully in a social context.