The perceptions of parents and teachers on the participation of students with learning disabilities in an educational dance class

Abstract

The importance of participation in leisure activities for children is a vastly researched area of study. It is largely recognised that participation in leisure activities has various benefits on the development and well-being of the child (Aujla & Redding, 2013; Couper, 1981; Dinold & Zitomer, 2015; Murphy et al., 2008; Zitomer & Reid, 2011; Zitomer, 2015; Zitomer, 2016; Zitomer, 2017), however children with learning disabilities are not often involved in the same leisure activities as the typically developing child. This research study aimed to explore the perceptions of parents and dance teachers on the participation of children with learning disabilities in a dance class. A total of 8 participants, 4 parents and their child’s respective dance teachers, were interviewed in the process. Two sets of semi-structured interviews were prepared, one for the parents and the other for the dance teachers. Participant were asked 7 open-ended questions, and interviews lasted around 15 – 30 minutes. Thematic analysis yielded themes from the interviews after repeated review of the data. Results showed that the majority of the participants felt that the children’s participation was a positively influenced by dance education. However, various common barriers encountered by the parents, dance teachers and children were highlighted. This provides the possibility of facilitating change within the local dance schools for increased inclusion and participation of children with learning disabilities wishing to attend dance classes. The conclusions from this study indicate that while parents and dance teachers feel that children with learning disabilities stand to benefit from participating in dance classes, accessibility and inclusion in Malta leave much to be desired. Further research could provide solutions for change on a practical level, especially within the local scene.