A teaching guide to educational dance in secondary schools : an evaluation

Abstract

Dance has been alive throughout history in different forms and is still present today. Nowadays, curricula aim to develop students holistically including their creative expression. This research questions and evaluates whether professional aid helps teachers in the area of Education Dance. It tries to simplify Laban's concepts of effort elements and the sixteen movement themes. A qualitative approach has been adopted in this study. Semi-structure interviews with experts and physical education teachers were conducted to obtain their views on Education Dance at Maltese SEC level. The study showed that the resource pack was most effective with teachers and students having little or no background to Educational Dance while giving added confidence and knowledge to teachers. This was mainly achieved through the choice of activities and music to which students could relate easily. The study also noted the presence of gender and cultural issues which hinders the application of ED in schools.