6 c - Proposing my Award Title- Rationale

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When considering the title of my BAPP award I thought about my area of research and how I would like that to be reflected in the title. I also thought about my future career development and how my award title might assist with furthering it. 

My aim after I complete the course is to do a PGCE and teach in mainstream education. I am also looking into the possibility of doing an MA in Dance Movement Therapy. I feel that it would help if my award title indicated that I had studied the teaching of dance for people with special needs. My reasoning for this is as follows:

In line with the government policy for education that "every child matters", my inquiry is concerned at determining whether pupils with Autism are receiving the best dance learning experience that can be afforded to them. The questions I wish to ask are as follows:

      INQUIRY QUESTIONS         

                         

• “What methods are dance teachers implementing for their pupils with ASD and are there any additional strategies they could be put in place to enhance the dance learning experience for people with ASD?”


• Do people/parent’s of people with ASD feel that dance has helped them/their child in any way in their lives and what has their past dance experience been like?




• “Would dance teachers who are not specialist in the field of autism be interested in attending local courses/workshops on this subject that might provide teaching strategies they can implement in their existing classes?” 

Autism is a spectrum disorder encompassing many different conditions such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Epilepsy. I intend to investigate both ends of the autistic spectrum in my inquiry. In order to give an informed opinion in my research analysis it will be necessary for me to have in depth knowledge of the conditions of ASD and how they manifest themselves in various ways in different individuals on the spectrum. I will be gaining experience through the medium of dance of how to meet the challenges faced by people with special needs.

I am already a fully qualified dance teacher and examiner in the private dance sector and therefore I would like an award title that shows that I have added another dimension to my existing qualifications and experience.

After discussions with my SIG as to the validity of my award title, I propose that it be worded accordingly:

BAPP (Dance Teaching with a focus on special needs)


I would welcome any additional comments about whether people think my proposed title is appropriate and suggestions on other ways I might word it.

Inquiry Tools- Pilot Questionnaire

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My pilot questionnaire  was based on the initial one that I drafted at the start of Module 2 and posted on my blog "Lightbulb Moment". The feedback I received from my SIG on this original draft about the type of questions to ask and how to phrase them helped me formulate another version of this questionnaire on "Dance Teaching and Autism" to trial for my inquiry.

I used Survey Monkey to devise the questionnaire and sent it directly via email to my SIG and other people on my BAPP course with whom I had corresponded to seek their permission via their blogs. My target audience consisted of thirty dance teachers, some of whom I already knew had experience of teaching people with ASD. 

The purpose of the questionnaire was to ascertain what percentage of teachers felt they had sufficient knowledge of ASD to be able to provide a valuable dance learning experience for their pupils. It was also designed to find out whether there was a demand for courses and workshops for dance teachers about ASD.

The questionnaire has yielded some interesting results:

                        SURVEY RESULTS SUMMARY

• 100% of the participants said they were aware of the benefits of dance for people with ASD.

•  75% of the participants said they had experience of teaching people with ASD. 

• 33% of the partcipants said that they felt unsure if they had sufficient knowledge to be able to teach dance to people with ASD. Amongst those who said that they were unsure were teachers already involved in teaching dance to people with ASD.

• 100% of the teachers who took part indicated that they would attend a course to provide further information for dance teachers about ASD.

The conclusion I reached from the results yielded by the questionnaire was that there is a need for courses and workshops about ASD for dance teachers.

It was interesting that all participants felt that, although the teaching of dance students with ASD in an integrated environment had produced challenges, it was beneficial to both pupils with ASD and pupils without ASD.


I acknowledge that this pilot questionnaire was limited by the small amount of people who took part. Also, because of the fact that I deliberately targeted some of my SIG members whom I knew had previous experience of teaching dance to people with ASD, it was not as conclusive as a survey of randomly selected dance teachers would be. It did however suggest that it would be an effective tool for determining if there was a need to provide more guidance for dance teachers about Autism.

I will need to give consideration to what would be the best distribution method for my survey. I chose a direct contact approach, but I notice that some people on BAPP have used social media to invite people to complete their survey. This would obviously increase the audience, but might also open it up to the possibility of acquiring rogue replies. I think that I would prefer to print out the survey and give it to my colleagues to complete directly to be sure of collecting accurate results.

6b- Critical Reflections on Inquiry Tools

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When considering which tools to pilot for my inquiry I wrote a list of pros and cons in my reflective diary for each method.

REFLECTIVE DIARY EXCERPT 

                                      

Observations

Pros

• Choice of whether to be an active or passive observer
• Choice of letting people know they are being watched or covertly watching
• Possibilty to record the sessions visually and then analyse the session at a later date
• Possibility of multiple observations to make comparisons ability to see the reactions of the participants to given situations
• Good way to provide supporting evidence used in conjunction with another method of research

Cons

• Time consuming
• Costs of getting to the venue
• If a video is made possible copyright issues
• May be difficult to obtain written permission for participants to be videoed
• Participants may feel inhibited by being watched
• Situation may be contrived to show an atypical representation of events
• Must comply with Data protection policy
• Identity of participants may need to be protected
• Possibilty of observer subjectivity in analysis
• Possible reflexivity issues

Interviews 

Pros

• Ability to ask specific questions
• Flexibilty in the type of interview conducted
• Line of questioning may yield extra information
• Kudos of the interviewee
• Can obtain more in-depth information

Cons

• Costs of getting traveling to interviewee
• Need to fit in with schedule of interviewee
• Interviewee may be nervous and not provide answers that will yield results
• Possibilty of interviewee giving an untruthful account of events to be seen in a good light
• Line of questioning has to be carefully considered
• Possibillity of inadvertently causing distress
• Vulnerability of interviewee 

 Focus Groups

Pros

• Multiple opinions can be obtained
• Discussion can lead to further discovery of other issues
• Less pressure on the reseacher to come up with the information
• Informal setting can generate a better response

Cons

• One person can monopolise the conversation
• A strong character could influence others
• People may feel uncomfortable voicing their true opinion in front of others
• Risk of breach of confidentiality
• Possible difficulties in scheduling a mutually convenient time

Questionnaires

Pros

• Cross section of opinion can be obtained
• Can reach many
• Can be a target specific or random selection
• People can answer anonymously 
• Sample selection can be indicative of a trend
• Can gather statistically evidence
• Specific line of questioning
• Ease of completion for participants
• Can cross reference results
• Can lend credence to qualitative research

Cons

• Analysis of data can be difficult
• Questions need to be correctly framed 
• Open to misinterpretation
• People could give biased answers to influence a decision in their favour
• Time consuming to create

CONCLUSIONS

Considering the merits of the above methods of inquiry made me think about the possible pitfalls that I could fall into with my research. I realised how important it was to pilot my proposed methods so that I could endeavour to eradicate any problems that arose during my trials and thus avoid making those same errors in my actual inquiry.

I often write lists of pros and cons when faced with indecision about an issue. I usually find that it helps organise my thoughts and generally pinpoints me in the direction I need to take. In this instance, however, the only method in which the benefits appeared to outweigh the negatives was the questionnaire approach. This is interesting because I had drafted a possible questionnaire at the start of Module 2, so I had the intention of using this method right from the outset, without having considered its effectiveness in yielding the results I needed. 

Because I had obtained feedback early on from my SIG on how to structure my questionnaire, and been able to test it out at the beginning of Module 2, I think that I was more confident about the effectiveness of this approach. Consequently, I think that this will have influenced my thought process, at a subconscious level, and that is why the benefits appear to vastly outweigh the negatives in my list above. 

In my inquiry I would like to use recorded interviews to obtain the opinions of teachers and pupils about their respective dance teaching and dance learning experience. I have now piloted a semi-structured interview on Skype with one of my colleagues. 

This was an effective method of obtaining information for my research but, I am aware that it is very different when talking to someone face to face. I am also aware of the vulnerability of the students with ASD so, despite having practiced my approach with a colleague, I am still a little apprehensive. Despite these anxieties, I do feel that it will provide me with a much better insight into the dance experience if I can actually talk to the individuals concerned rather than seeking their opinion via a survey.

 The literature I reviewed all suggests that for a dance experience to be meaningful a relationship of mutual respect and trust has to be fostered between the teacher and pupil. I feel that the best way to establish if this is evident is to watch them both together in their dance sessions to observe the rapport between them. I can then also see teaching methods in practice, compare them with my own and take note of any strategies the teacher puts in place for her pupils that might enhance my own teaching.

I hope to be able to conduct my inquiry in both a college of further education and a centre that provides a therapeutic approach to autism though dance and movement so that I can observe the way in which dance is used to benefit people at both ends of the autistic spectrum.

Ideally I would like to record my observations on video so that I can make comparisons between the different methodologies implemented at the two institutions. If it is possible for me to take video footage I will need to give a great deal of consideration and liaise with the institutions involved as to how this is best implemented. I have listed these below:

Ethical Implications of video observation

• As I will be working with vulnerable people with ASD I will have to comply with the the following government policies  and endeavour to minimise any potential distress caused through the filming process :

1. Safeguarding Children and Young People and Vulnerable Adults Policy  
2. Data Protection
3. Copyright Protection
4. Health and Safety

• I will consult with the organisations so that company policy is also adhered to.

• I will seek written permission from the parents/guardians of the participants and make sure that everyone involved is fully aware of the intentions of my research and when it will be concluded.

• I will ensure that participants know they can end their involvement at any time during the process. 

• I will use pseudonyms to protect the identity of the participants when referring to them in the research.

•  I will show the edited film footage that I intend to use to the staff involved and get their consent to use it before submitting my research. 

• I will present a final copy of the DVD and research report to the organisations before submitting them.

Inquiry Tools - Pilot Interview

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I decided to trial a semi- structured interview with one of my colleagues on Skype in order to see if this approach was suitable for me to adopt for my inquiry.  

The questions I asked were all in relation to the dance teaching experience for people with ASD.

Below are some of the questions I asked and the answers she gave:
                
 SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW WITH COLLEAGUE

Q: Have you got experience in teaching dance to people with Autism Spectrum Disorder ?

A: Yes I have taught several children in my dance classes over the years who have been at the mild- mid range of the autistic spectrum.

Q: What age were these children? 

A: They ranged in age from 6 - 16 years.

  Q: Did you integrate the children with ASD into your usual classes?

A: Yes

Q: Did this present you with any challenges?

A: One or two. 

Q: Can you tell me about some of these challenges and how you overcame them?

A: The first pupil I taught with ASD was reticent to join in when it came to partner or group work and hid in the corner of the room. I overcame this by telling my pupils who to work with whom rather than giving them a choice so that I made sure the pupil with ASD was never left out. I always rotated the groupings and this way the pupil got to know the rest of the class members and ceased to feel isolated. Once I could see the pupil had gained confidence and felt accepted by the other class members, I was able to allow the class to make their own choice of groupings. I have used this strategy ever since and it has worked well, not just with pupils on the autistic spectrum but with all shy new comers into the classes.

There was a little boy once who, when he first came into the class, ran round and round in circles and didn't want to stand in line with the others. I had to adapt my warm up to make it into a game so that all the children began by running in a circle to the music and when the music stopped the person who was the stillest would get a sticker. Gradually I changed it from running in a circle to running, follow my leader style, in a pattern and then changed the running to incorporate other movements such as skipping and jumping. This way the child learned that he had to follow instructions and soon settled down.

Q: What age was this little boy?

A: He was 6 years old.

Q: How did the rest of the children in the class respond to these warm up games?

A: They really enjoyed them and we were able to develop the game so that they added their own ideas to the follow my leader approach.

Q: Did the little boy also contribute his ideas?

A: Not initially, but, once he understood what was required, he did contribute and was very enthusiastic about it.

Q: Did he respond well to the rest of the class?

A: Yes. At first his attention would wander about half way through the class and I had to work hard to keep him stimulated and motivated, but, as the weeks wore on, his attention span increased and he became very involved in the whole class.

Q: So would you say that the dance classes helped him?

A: Most definitely and in fact his parents said his teachers at school had noticed a real improvement in his school work since he started dance classes.  

Q: Did you find that the all the pupils with ASD that you taught benefited from your dance classes and, if so, how did they benefit?

A: Yes. Parents often remarked that they had noticed an improvement in their child's confidence and social skills. I could also see a marked improvement in the co-ordination of some of my pupils. 

Q: Did all the pupils you taught have co-ordination difficulties?

A: No, some were very co-ordinated and showed great potential for dance. Every child was different.

Q:  You mentioned the parents' responses- do you liaise frequently with the parents of pupils with ASD?

A: Yes I feel that it is really important to involve the parents so that I know what they enjoy and what causes them distress so that I can try to provide them with the best experience that I can in my dance classes.  

Q: Did you find that having a pupil with autism in your classes was detrimental to the rest of the class members or beneficial?

A: I certainly don't think it has been detrimental in any way. I would say that it has been beneficial because it encouraged me to think outside the box a bit when teaching. For instance some people with autism respond to visual stimulus so I take photographs in to illustrate some of the dance positions I want the children to do and occasionally I show them video clips. All my pupils have responded well to these approaches.

Q: Would you say then that including people with ASD in your dance classes had been a positive experience for you?

A: Yes I think it has made me a more creative teacher.

CONCLUSION

I think this semi-structured interview approach worked well for my inquiry because, I had some specific questions that I wanted to ask, but I also wanted the teacher to feel free to talk about her experiences and to see what questions emerged as a result. In talking about the little boy she mentioned I was able to develop a very useful line of questioning that revealed far more about the teacher's methods than I could have gleaned by a completely structured approach. 

I am aware that conducting an interview in person will be more difficult than a Skype interview because the interviewee might be nervous and their responses may be influenced by their desire to be seen in a positive light. Despite this I think it will provide me with valuable insight into my research into the dance learning experience for people with ASD.

4 d - Conclusion to the three pieces of literature I reviewed for Module 2

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 The most difficult task for my literature review for Module 2 was deciding which pieces to use out of the vast array that I had collected. My inquiry will encompass the opinions of dance teachers who have experience with people on the autistic spectrum. I felt, therefore that I wanted to choose pieces that showed people's different approaches to using movement for people with ASD.

 The pieces I opted for gave me three different perspectives on using movement for people with ASD:

• 'Teaching Motor Skills to Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders" by Teri Todd- a sport's science view

• 'Dance For Young Adults On The Autism Spectrum' by Lydia Hance'- a dance teacher's view

• 'The Dancing Dialogue' by Suzi Tortora- a dance movement therapist's view. 

The sport's science view provided by Todd enabled me to get a fuller understanding of motor skill development.This was acquired partly from what Todd had written, but also from the extra reading that I did in order to gain further clarification of the terminology he used. 

I made the observation, in my review of Todd's article, that it was, in my opinion, unclear who his target audience was. This made me reflect on my own enquiry and the importance of deciding exactly who it will be aimed at. 

I began at the start of Module 2 by looking at the training aspect of dance teachers but my focus has shifted to look at the dance teaching experience for people with ASD. At the moment I am considering that from the perspective of the dance teacher and the pupil. I now wonder whether it might become necessary to narrow that down and focus on just one perspective so that it is clear who my target audience will be.

Hance's article made me reflect upon my own experience of teaching dance to people with ASD and on my own dance training. I was surprised at her extensive use of improvisation and the enthusiasm with which her students engaged in this process as this was contrary to my own teaching experience of people with ASD. 

Hance's approach to the teaching of improvisation technique seemed to be similar to mine, in that she provided the students with a structure to guide them, but the response of the students was very different.This highlighted the fact that every student with autism is different and will respond in different ways to different aspects of teaching. 

As with Todd's article, I felt that more information needed to be provided for the reader about the various conditions of autism that the students were affected by. I need to address this point for my own inquiry so that I provide my audience with as much background detail as possible in order to support my research.

Tortora's book provided me with a glimpse into dance movement therapy. I use the word glimpse because I realise, from the other literature I was directed to during my reading of this book, that dance movement therapy is a vast area of research and one which I will not have time to explore thoroughly for the purposes of my enquiry. 

Tortora's book gave me the most food for thought, possibly because it is the area of study that I know least about. It made me reflect upon my own knowledge of Laban Analysis and it was interesting to see how it was used to provide qualitative research to help with the physical and psychological development of the children Tortora mentions in her book.

Throughout the literature review I found that I was comparing the dance teaching approaches to my own. This reminded me of the value that my own experience can bring to the inquiry. DeMarrais et al in "Foundations for Research: Methods of Inquiry in Education and the Social Sciences state:

      "Although as a researcher you want to recognise the biases you bring to your research, you do not want to overlook the value of your own perspectives, which can lead to insights derived from a particular way of seeing." (2008, p 115)


 In taking three different perspectives on the teaching of dance for people on the autistic spectrum I was able to make comparisons to see if any of the approaches were the same. What emerged strongly was the importance of the teacher pupil relationship and the need for mutual respect and trust in order to foster an environment in which the pupil could feel comfortable enough to begin to express him/herself through dance movement. When this was achieved positive results for the participants were recorded. 

All three perspectives were from people who themselves had a great deal of knowledge about autism.This would seem to suggest that an in-depth knowledge of autism spectrum disorder is necessary in order to create a dance experience for a pupil with ASD that is enjoyable and one in which they can flourish. I am interested in exploring this idea.

 Although it was not stated, the inference in Hance's article was that the students were at the mild end of the autistic spectrum. Tortora was working with people at the severe end of the spectrum who were non-verbal.The pupils in both Hance's article and Tortora's were taught in a special needs environment. Todd, on the other hand seems to be advocating an integrated approach to teaching people with ASD. I would like to get teachers' views on which method they implement and why.

This literature review has been invaluable. I had already collected a lot of information about my topic prior to commencing the review, but, in analysing the pieces I chose, I felt it necessary to search for other literature that would provide either further clarification of terminology, or greater insight into issues raised by the authors. As a result of this process I feel much better informed about my area of research. Considering the different teaching approaches for people on the autism spectrum has helped focus the direction of my inquiry and formulate my inquiry questions.

The questions I wish to ask as a result of my literature review are:

     POSSIBLE INQUIRY QUESTIONS

• Do people with ASD benefit more from being taught dance in an integrated environment or in a special needs environment?

• Do dance teachers feel that they have sufficient knowledge of autism spectrum disorder and sufficient resources to provide the best dance experience for pupils with ASD?

4d - Reviewing Literature 3 - "The Dancing Dialogue"

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"THE DANCING DIALOGUE" by Dr Suzi Tortora

            "Dance training creates an experiential knowing of how body and emotions interrelate through nonverbal expression." (2006, p6)

The above quote by Dr Suzie Tortora is taken from her book 'The Dancing Dialogue'. Tortora is a Dance Movement Therapist. As part of my enquiry into Dance Teaching and Autism I wanted to look at Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) because it is used to help people who are on the autistic spectrum, especially those who are nonverbal.In the book Tortora shows how movement is used to glean a deeper understanding of a child's personal expressions and social interactions. It is therefore very relevant for my research.

The American Dance Therapy Association defines DMT as:
      
      "the psychotherapeutic use of movement to further the emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration of the individual."       

 Tortora discusses the benefits of DMT and explains the 'Ways of Seeing' method that she has developed to help people with disabilities. It is this, rather than the whole book, that I will review.

I first heard of Tortora and her 'Ways of Seeing' method when I came across the article she had written entitled :"Ways of Seeing: An Early Childhood Integrated Therapeutic Approach for Parents and Babies" In it she says the 'Ways of Seeing' method is:

      "based on dance/movement therapy principles that incorporate dance, movement, music, creative expression, and Laban nonverbal movement analysis to facilitate healing and change." (2010, p37)

Longstaff gives a brief overview of Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) and Laban Notation as being:
     

      "methods for observing, describing, notating, and understanding all types of body movement. They provide a language and notation for detailed analyses of body movement, identification of specific movement attributes, and promotion effective physical performance of movement characteristics. Further, the methods draw on underlying theories and concepts for body movement 'harmony', health, and physical ability."  (2007)


LMA uses Body, Effort, Space and Shape to provide information about which part of the body is moving and how and where it is moving in relation to one's own kinesphere  and to the surrounding space.

I was already acquainted with Laban Analysis from my studies at the Laban Centre so was interested to discover that Tortora uses it to help measure the progress of people on her 'Ways of Seeing' programme. 

The 'Ways of Seeing' method involves the processes which Tortora calls: Match, Dialogue, Explore and Expand and Nonverbal to Verbal Expression. Match incorporates attunement and mirroring. Kossak defines attunement as:


      "a felt embodied experience that can be individualistic as well as communal,that includes a psychological,emotional, and somatic state of consciousness." (2009, p 14)


McGarry and Russo define mirroring in relation to DMT below:


      "Mirroring involves imitation by the therapist of movements, emotions, or intentions implied by a client's movement, and is commonly practiced in order to enhance empathy of the therapist for the client."(2011,p178)


The basic concept behind 'The Dancing Dialogue' is that, by tuning in to and imitating the child's movements a relationship between the child and the therapist develops. The therapist can then interpret the child's moods via his/her body language and respond, through movement, to the child. A bond is then formed which allows the child to evolve his/her own way of expressing emotion through movement.This can eventually lead to the child verbalising the feelings. 

The 'Ways of Seeing' approach above happens in three stages:

• Stimulate - is associated with the Match process described above and is the initial exploration of moments of connection that emerge between the child and therapist via body movements 

• Activate- is where the child begins to interact more fully with the therapist and a dialogue of movement begins to emerge, but is still in response to prompts from the therapist

• Mobilize- is the final stage when the child takes a leadership role and initiates the movement dialogue

Tortora illustrates her 'Ways of Seeing' method with vignettes which demonstrate her theories. She then shows how she uses Laban Analysis and a Movement Signature Impressions (MIS)checklist to assess the effects of the movement sessions and develop a course of action for the next session. Tortora explains the MIS as:

      "the range of movement qualities and elements observed during this assessment that the child uses to express himself or herself"

I found the book very informative.Tortura explains her theories clearly and the examples that she mentions, showing how she puts her theories into practice, give the reader a real insight into her work.

The effects of Tortora's 'Ways of Seeing' approach on the children mentioned are all shown to be positive. I was left pondering several questions that the book didn't answer:

1.  What were the long term effects of this therapeutic treatment approach? 
2. Did these children continue to have regular sessions throughout their childhood or was there a point where they had progressed so much that they were deemed unnecessary, or, in fact, a point where they ceased to be effective? 
3. What happened in adolescence and adulthood? Was therapy of this nature still a part of their lives?
4. Were the positive developments solely attributable to this therapy or were the children receiving help in other areas, for example at special schools, that might have also contributed?
5. Was the development something that might have occurred as a natural process of psychological and physical development that had just manifested itself later than was normally recognised as typical?

I think it is undeniable that dance movement can have a positive effect upon people's general well being. There is much literature that provides evidence of this. One such article by Penedo et al entitled "Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity" states:

      " in randomized clinical trials of physical-activity interventions show better health outcomes, including better general and health-related quality of life, better functional capacity and better mood states." (2005, p 189)

The clinical psychologist Anat Baniel maintains that:

      "Movement is the language of the brain. Movement is a window to the brain and movement opens to us a magnificent opportunity to communicate with the brain of the child on the (autistic) spectrum and help it heal." (2015, online)


Whether it can be proven that DMT or Tortora's 'Ways of Seeing' method can be used as a long term effective therapeutic treatment for people on the autistic spectrum is open for debate, but I believe that the 'The Dancing Dialogue' certainly provides a valuable insight into the benefits that can be derived from dance movement and so supports my research into the area of Dance Teaching and Autism.

Bibliography

AMERICAN DANCE THERAPY ASSOCIATION (2009-2015), ABOUT DANCE/MOVEMENT THERAPY, ONLINE, http://www.adta.org/about_dmt , ACCESSED FEBRUARY 2015

BANIEL, A  (2015), BREAKTHROUGH TREATMENT FOR AUTISM IN CHILDREN, AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AND THE ANAT BANIEL METHOD, ONLINE, http://www.anatbanielmethod.com/children/autism-spectrum-disorder ACCESSED MARCH 2015


LONGSTAFF, JS (2007),  OVERVIEW OF LABAN ANALYSIS AND LABAN NOTATION ONLINE  http://www.laban-analyses.org/laban_analysis_reviews/laban_analysis_notation/overview/summary.htm
ACCESSED MARCH 2015

MCGARRY, L M,  RUSSO F, A MIRRORING IN DANCE /MOVEMENT THERAPY ; POTENTIAL MECHANISMS BEHIND EMPATHY , THE ARTS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY, ONLINE, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197455611000426 ACCESSED APRIL 2015

PENUDO, F, DAHN, J (2005)  EXERCISE AND WELL-BEING; A REVIEW OF MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, CURRENT OPINION IN PSYCHIATRY, VOL 18, ISSUE 2,ONLINE,http://journals.lww.com/co-psychiatry/Abstract/2005/03000/Exercise_and_well_being__a_review_of_ment ACCESSED APRIL 2015

SPLETE, H (2005) DANCE THERAPY HELPS IN COPING WITH AUTISM, PEDIATRIC NEWS,ONLINE,http://ped.imng.com/fileadmin/content_pdf/ped/archive_pdf/vol39iss5/70241_main.pdf ACCESSED JANUARY 2015

TORTORA, S (2006), THE DANCING DIALOGUE, PAUL H. BROOKES PUBLISHING INC.

6a- Reviewing Reader 6- Thoughts on Inquiry and More Ethical Considerations

                                          Image source:www.slideshare.net

Prior to reading Reader 6 I had very little idea of the different types of research and the various methods employed in the process of gathering information for an inquiry. I found the succinct definition provided in the Reader of qualitative research and quantitive research very helpful in determining which sort of approach was pertinent to my line of inquiry of dance teaching and autism. 

The Reader describes the qualitative approach as being that:

      "which relies on the words that people use to understand phenomena.'

 Quantitive research, on the other hand, is something that :

       "can be translated into numerical data."

When I first thought about what my inquiry question would be I was looking at dance teacher training for the teaching of autistic children. My initial question was :

      "Should all dance teachers receive training about autism?"

 Having considered the ethical implications of this line of questioning and discussed it with my SIG, I decided that I needed to approach it from a different angle. I had not realised that it was assuming that all teachers had an inadequate knowledge of autism or that it could be construed as undermining the existing teacher training that is available. 
Costley et al in "Doing Workbased Research" state:

      "Any possible criticism that the researcher makes in evaluation of the research will be instantly perceived by the organisation and could cause tension between the researcher/worker and the organisation." ( 2010, p 32,)


Initially, I had drafted a questionnaire and was thinking of conducting a more quantitive approach to my research, but, now I intend to look at the dance learning experience for people with  Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Consequently,as a result of this shift of focus, I now think that a qualitative approach is far more appropriate.

The reader discusses the 'positioning' of the researcher in qualitative research saying that, when you are conducting an inquiry within your own professional sphere, you are adopting an insider- researcher position because of the knowledge and experience about your area of work that you already possess. It refers to reflexivity as:

      "a term used in social science to signify that the researcher needs to try and be as objective as possible about the inevitably subjective practice of research"

I also found the following in the BERA ethical guidelines:

      "Researchers engaged in action research must consider the extent to which their own reflective research impinges on others, for example in the case of the dual role of teacher and researcher and the impact on students and colleagues. Dual roles may also introduce explicit tensions in areas such as confidentiality and must be addressed accordingly." (p 5)

I had been considering getting the views of some of my past pupils who are on the autistic spectrum about their dance learning experience but, having read the above, I now think that might not be appropriate. 

 One of my friends in my SIG teaches some students who are autistic and has volunteered to give her views for my pilot research. I am also considering seeking permission from the college she works in to do some video observations and interviews for my actual inquiry.

In further reading about practitioner research I found the following quote by Baumfield et al in "Action Research in Education: Learning Through Practitioner Enquiry" :

      "The intent with which you undertake a piece of practitioner enquiry, the purpose, the process and the audience, all depend on your 'real world view.' Your beliefs and understandings about the world will dictate, consciously or unconsciously, the decisions you make at all stages of the practitioner enquiry process. It is the thing that ties it together. It will influence the literature that you like and use, the types of research questions you ask, the tools that you use, the answers you will accept and all the stages in between." (V Bawnfield, E Hall, K Wall, 2013, p 15)

This is interesting because it is suggesting that it is not only your professional experience that will influence your inquiry, but also everything else that has shaped your life that will impact upon it. Maintaining objectivity and trying to present an unbiased view in my research will, therefore, be quite difficult to do.

Reader 6 mentions the terms 'ethnology', positivist and 'interpretivist'. I needed further clarification of the context within which these terms are used to see which would apply for my research.

 Costley et al in "Doing Work Based Research"  gives the following definition of 'Ethnology":

      "This is a broad methodological category within which different methods, normally qualitative can be employed. It's main principal involves going into (or being in) 'the field' and collecting unstructured data through methods such as observation, discussions and interviews and to explore and illustrate a social situation." (2010, p 89)


Baufield et al gives the following definitions of 'positivist' and 'interpretivist'.

• Positivist

      "The positivist scientific tradition states that we can generate rules and laws based on facts and these can be investigated through experiments that test hypotheses using a deductive framework." (2103, p 17

• Interpretivistic

       "An interpretivist epistemology is often associated with social constructivism, looking beyond the individual to how they relate to their peers, their family, their class and culture and so on." (2103, p 16)

I found the following site which gives an example illustrating the difference between the interpretivistic and positivist approach helpful:

  https://www.academia.edu/342858/Interpretive_Research

It says that researchers working within a positivist paradigm will look at a child's reading disability as something that can be measured and possibly fixed, whereas those working within an interpretive paradigm want to see how the child copes with disability and reacts to those around them.

I have looked at the definitions above and considered them within the context of my research. I think that my approach to my inquiry will be an interpretivistic one as I will be concerned with observing different teaching approaches for young people at both ends of the autistic spectrum and seeing if there are any methodologies that are used that I can implement in my teaching. I will also be getting the opinions of teachers, students and parents about the dance learning experience for people with ASD.

Once I had decided what approach my research would take I looked at the different tools suggested in Reader 6 to see which I thought would be most appropriate to pilot amongst my SIG.

I have actually hit a bit of a problem here in that the tool that I want to pilot is video observation, but, being in Italy working currently with my emphasis on examining dance, it is not feasible for me to trial this approach. I am however quite used to doing video observation of mock examinations in my role as an examiner so this experience should enable me to carry out a video observation for my inquiry. I have therefore decided to pilot an interview and a questionnaire for Module 2.

I hadn't really considered the different interview techniques that there are, so I found the list in Reader 6 below very helpful in deciding which might work best to get the information for my inquiry:

• semi-structured interview which includes set questions or themes with the flexibility of following interesting or useful emerging issues is often most appropriate for the work-based researcher because of its inherent flexibility.
  
• non-directive or open interviews that allow the interviewee to talk about anything they like
  
• narrative inquiry (related to open) where the participants use a storytelling format
  
• informal interviews which have an overall data gathering aim using an extremely non-structured approach
  
• informal/guided interview which provides topic areas to cover but no set questions. Interviews are time-consuming but they can allow the collection of valuable data about motives, expectations and attitudes that are very difficult to collect by any other means. 

I think the semi-structured approach might work best for me as I have some specific questions that I want to ask, but, I also want to give the interviewee the opportunity to tell me about his/her own teaching methods and experiences. This is the approach that I will pilot. I am going to conduct my interview via Skype because it is not practical for me to do this otherwise, as the people in my SIG are all in the UK.

For my questionnaire I intend to use some of the questions from the initial draft questionnaire that I posted on my blog "Lightbulb moment". I have already re drafted these questions in my journal based on the feedback that I received on how to structure my questions from my SIG. I will use Survey Monkey to send my questionnaire to my SIG and other people on my BAPP course.

I have never analysed data before so I found the explanation of the different quantitive and qualitative approaches to data analysis in Reader 6 especially helpful. I anticipate that I will use a qualitative approach.

I will post the results of my pilot research methods on another blog.

      


     

5d - Ethical Use of Language and more SIG views

Image source:http://blog.hillsbiblechurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Politically-Correct.jpg

I have just received the email comments back, from a professional colleague  who works with children with special needs, regarding my initial outline questionnaire for dance teachers about their experience teaching children on the Autistic Spectrum. 

My friend pointed out that some of the language I had used was not politically correct. I had, for example, asked whether teaching autistic children in a dance class had presented any problems. It was suggested that the word 'challenges' would be better as 'problems' was emotive. I had also used the phrase "deal with autistic children". My friend suggested changing the word 'deal' to 'support'.

I was aware of the need to be careful in the choice of words for describing anyone who has special needs, but I realised that I hadn't addressed this fully, either in this draft questionnaire, or in my blogs. I was very grateful to my friend for drawing my attention to this. 

In my desire to ensure that I used ethically correct terminology I looked for guidelines that listed appropriate words to use when referring to people with special needs.

I found the following site which lists some ethically correct terminology for describing people with disabilities:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-communication/inclusive-language-words-to-use-and-avoid-when-writing-about-disability--2

I also found the following blog entitled "The significance of Semantics: Person-First Language: Why It Matters". 
This article is concerned with how to address someone on the autistic spectrum so it was especially helpful to me in realising the need to choose my words carefully when writing about and talking to people with special needs in order not to cause offence:

http://www.autistichoya.com/2011/08/significance-of-semantics-person-first.html

When I looked at Ethics for Module 2 the accepted use of language was an area that I omitted to mention. 

Another colleague did a mock interview with me on Skype, answering my initial draft questions and providing further suggestions.

I have posted this below:

DRAFT QUESTIONNAIRE- 
              DANCE TEACHING AND AUTISM

Q: Are you aware of the statistics for autism in the UK?

A: Do you mean the amount of people affected by autism? If so I am not certain but I believe that it is about 1 per 1000.

Q: Do you feel you are adequately informed about autism to be able to teach an autistic child in your dance classes?

A: I have taught children who are at the mild end of the spectrum and that was fine, but I would struggle to know how to accommodate people who are at the severe end of the spectrum.

Q. Do you know about the different types and levels of autism?

A:  I am aware of some like Asperger's Syndrome for instance, but I don't know them all and I don't know all the symptoms.

Q: Do you currently have any autistic children in your dance classes?

A: Not at the moment.

Q:  Has the presence of an autistic child in your dance classes ever created any challenges for you, the child, or the rest of the class? 

A: No not really

 Q: If there were challenges presented by having an autistic child in your dance classes how did you overcome them?

A: N/A

Q:  Have you ever had to exclude an autistic child from your dance classes?

A: No

Q: If you have had to exclude an autistic child from your classes, did you suggest an alternative lesson or offer private tuition?

A: N/A

Q: Do you feel dance teachers should have knowledge of autism?

A: Yes I think it would be beneficial.

Q: Are you aware of the benefits of dance for some autistic children?

A: Yes it helps with co-ordination and social skills.

Q: Are you aware that Dance Movement Therapy is one way of helping autistic children?

A: Yes

Q: If workshops and courses on dance and autism were available for dance teachers in your area would you attend?

A: I'm not sure, it would depend on the costs and how busy I was, but ,yes, in principal.

Discussion

This colleague also made comments about use of ethical language. She said that she felt I should not use the phrase "autistic child", but rather "a child with autism". This reminded me of the above blog about using 'person first' language. 

She also said that she thought I should re-phrase the first question because it didn't clarify what autism statistics I was referring to. I realised that she was right and that it should have should have said:

      "Are you aware of the statistics for how many people in the UK have been diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum?"

The email comments and interview responses of my two colleagues helped me with the ethical considerations for my inquiry and I took their views on board when drafting my Ethics Form. 

The comments from my SIG made me reconsider the way I have phrased my questions and made me think about other questions that might be more appropriate to ask. I am now looking at other people's BAPP blogs to see how they have phrased their questions for inspiration for another draft of my questionnaire.