I have been wracking my brain since I learnt (way back whilst I was completing the RoL module) that during module 3, I will have to propose and then investigate a line of inquiry. However the constant during this time has been knowing that there are two possible directions in which I want to take my career upon completion of this course, both of which result in me teaching.
Option 1 - Secondary Performing Arts Teacher
Option 2 - SEN Teacher
In order for me to follow either of these routes (and be able to work within the state school system, as opposed to the independent sector), I must not only have a degree qualification, but also then complete a teacher training course (PGCE/SCITT) in order to gain QTS (Qualified Teacher Status). There are limited places available on these courses (the only two establishments offering PGCE dance for example are Brighton University and the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD)) and as such I must not only gain a degree level qualification, but it is also crucial that the award title is RELEVANT to performing arts.
I also want my line of inquiry to be current. I follow the TES (Times Educational Supplement) google page and a question that re-occurs frequently, especially when governments change and new budgets are proposed, is whether to scrap Performing Arts subjects within the curriculum. As a performing arts teacher, I feel that such a notion is absurd, however I am now questioning whether this is my head thinking of my heart leading me to draw such conclusions.
Drawing on this government issue and keeping in mind the path in which I wish follow upon completion of the BAPP my inquiry question is:
"Is there a core educational need for Performing Arts based subjects within the National Curriculum framework?"
From this title there are hundreds of avenues to explore:
Questions:
Does performing arts impact/enrich a child's overall education? If so, how?
Performing arts and behaviour management…
Performing arts and SEN…
Is performing arts irrelevant as it is not viewed as a fundamental academic skill (such as literacy/numeracy)?
What impact does performing arts have on future society and does this change when performing arts is not in the curriculum?
Performing Arts beginners vs. gifted and talented children. Is the impact the same? How does it differ?
Which, if any, transferable life skills/knowledge does performing arts educate young learners in?
Do children need to have a passion for performing arts in order to learn from it?
Does performing arts have a place within the curriculum?
Using my professional network and places of work, I already have a varied research group in mind, ranging from fellow teachers/leaders, examiners, children's parents, head teachers, leaders of different key stages, peers, children, and friends who are not working within the performing arts. I feel such a range of people will give me ethical and unbiased research and the ability to explore deeper avenues within my inquiry title before linking them together within my final essay.
As part of this task, I have been advised to compile a set of questions that are relevant to my practice, before taking these to a co-worker and blogging my findings. I am interested in learning more about performing arts within an SEN setting and discover whether fellow practitioners would say performing arts lessons impact positively, negatively or not at all in this instance. As such I have compiled these questions which I will take to two different colleagues (at the SEN school where I currently work as a teaching assistant) and record their responses. One of the teachers I intend to question is the head of performing arts (as such he teaches all ages and abilities within the school) and the other is a teacher of a severe learning difficulties (SLD) division.
Questions:
Would you say performing arts has a valid place within an SEN setting? If so, why?
Can you think of an instance where a child has responded particularly positively/negatively to a creative lesson?
Would you say groups of children respond differently to performing arts depending on their SEN (i.e. Do autistic children have a more positive response than downs syndrome children or is it always a completely individual result?
What skills, if any, does performing arts give SEN children?
Do you have any further information on the performing arts and SEN children that I could use for further research purposes?
I look forward to blogging the results of my findings and talking through these within my Special Interest Group in the not too distant future. I am also very excited by my proposed title and feel it will really engage me.
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Thats a really good question Emma to take forward for the inquiry! I am still unsure how to word mine, but I'm liking yours! I also think the questions you have posed are very similar to the ones i have been thinking about, and i am also going to discuss this with people within a school setting and people that run other dance workshops etc! i think it will be interesting to share our responses and start finding our own evidence! x
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback :) I am glad you like the proposed question, I was unsure whether it was a little vague or broad. I found that looking at the questions from 2d really helped me (especially the 'what makes you sad or angry') when discovering an idea for my question. Perhaps use the 2d handbook questions as discussion questions to take to the schools and dance classes? See what they find interesting and work from there? Yes I agree that we should share a lot of our information especially going forward into Module 3 as we will have a wider research base overall...Great idea! x
ReplyDeleteHi Emma, I found this so interesting as I am looking to base my professional Inquiry on different ways children learn and how to incorporate this into dance, singing and acting classes. I am currently trying to look through everyone's ideas to start up an SIG group. I thought as ours were to do with children it would be great to give ideas or feedback even though they would be looking at different areas. Let me know :) x
ReplyDeleteHi Kirstie, thanks for the feedback. It sounds like a lot of your questions/research areas would be of great interest in my SIG as you say, so would it be a better use of time and resources to just become part of mine? I don't think the task is meant to separate our ideas (so we all have to have SEPERATE SIG's) but rather see where our paths cross and provide an opportunity for those of us who are researching similar topics to share ideas/knowledge. Let me know :)
ReplyDeleteEmma good discussion today on they Yes cultural and social ideas to underpin this work - We mentioned Paulo Freire http://infed.org/mobi/paulo-freire-dialogue-praxis-and-education/ to thin about the 'core values ' in education - you mentioned Gavin Bolton'd article.
ReplyDeletehere is one that uses Dewey!!
Bresnahan, Aili- Toward A Deweyan Theory of Ethical and Aesthetic Performing Arts Practice
Sorry I can only get to the abstract but you can get the idea...
Abstract:
This article formulates a Deweyan theory of performing arts practice that relies for its support on two main things: (1) the unity Dewey ascribed to all intelligent practices (including artistic practice) and (2) the observation that many aspects of the work of performing artists of Dewey’s time include features (“dramatic rehearsal,” action, interaction and habit development) that are part of Dewey’s characterization of the moral life. This does not deny the deep import that Dewey ascribed to aesthetic experience (both in art and in life) but it does suggest that we might use his theory of ethical practice in conjunction with his theory of art as experience in order to create a more robust and unified Deweyan theory of what the performing artist does.
Thanks for this Paula :) Will let you know how I get on…I have just posted a blog to share on my SIG too, asking for help with wording the inquiry and peoples thoughts/concerns/challenges to think about. Hopefully all of this combined will help...
ReplyDeleteEmma to add to this - you have an area that you are interested in - performing arts in education - and then some more specific ares- e.g. SEN, gifted and talented, questions like: "What impact does performing arts have on future society and does this change when performing arts is not in the curriculum?" - lots of idea - so think about which ones are most meaningful to your situation and context to develop further - literature should help you do that... in the next couple of weeks two or three ideas should surface as the most prominent ones to take forward.
ReplyDelete