Task 4d: Literature Reviews

I originally found it difficult to select three pieces of literature that related to my topic. I have found I have undergone a lot of confusion and frustration this week over my inquiry. Generally, I have been feeling quite overwhelmed and lost.

However after Adesola’s advice from the online session, I looked back at my questions for the assumptions I had made, to discover what I was truly interested in finding out more about. From this exercise, I found two themes really permeated the majority of my questions: ‘Dance and Literacy’, and ‘Engagement’. Therefore I selected three articles, using Summon, that I felt related to this topic. Through the research process, I found that I was already using my critical thinking skills as I dismissed certain articles because I didn’t find them useful for expanding my knowledge or I found the views and stand points for the arguments biased. I ensured annotated the articles in detail with highlighters before writing my reviews. I hope to have used my critical thinking skills in the selection and justification of why I have chosen these sources, for both the positive and negative aspects of each article.

I have posted my reviews of a separate page. Please follow the link below and I would appreciate feedback on these reviews to guide me in the right direction:

Task 4d: Literature Reviews

Online Session 13th October

Last night Laura, Lisa, Jodie, Granger and myself joined Adesola for the online session. Our main topic for discussion was ‘Questions’. This included different types of questions, in particular questions that don’t necessarily have to have an answer. This really confused me at first! How can our inquiry question not have an answer?

We looked at examples of questions and discussed how questions that include ‘why’ can push people towards an answer. For example: ‘Why do students who excel in performing arts sometimes underachieve in other subjects?’ This pushes me towards the answer that all students underachieve for the same reasons, when in fact there could be multiple reasons, each on individual to each student. All the answers and reasons are completely different. One answer could actually be very ‘random’ and this can affect the way someone thinks about the results. This question also had assumptions in it.

For me, the most significant part of the session was the idea of ‘assumptions’. We discussed one of my questions: ‘Is there a link between improving literacy levels with dance lessons?’ From this question, I have already assumed that there is a link when there may be no link at all. This is something I am really interested in within my workplace, and as Adesola pointed out I have already made assumptions about this topic from what I have seen and read. This question is implying that that I need to find an answer based on my own assumptions. Adesola then said that when you make assumptions, you actually want to find out more about the ‘thing’ you’re making the assumption about. Then explore this and challenge your own assumptions. In this case, literacy levels and dance.

Another important discovery for me from this session was the idea that the inquiry is like a foundation; you are actually finding out more about a topic that you are interested in and is relevant to you and your work place. Adesola identified that some of my questions would not be possible for me to find out at degree level within the 12 weeks assigned for carrying out the inquiry. So, for me, my inquiry may be could be looking back at my own questions and finding the assumptions within them and exploring this. I am going to look back at my questions today and look for the assumptions within them. I will think about the following ideas when I do this:

1. Is it begging for an answer?
2. How do you make it personal to you?
3. Explore the ideas/assumptions around the question to gain greater knowledge.

Task 4b: Developing my own Special Interest Group

I started this task by looking back at my research on ‘communities’ of practice in task 3b: http://jessicaplant.blogspot.co.uk/p/task-3b-theories-relating-to-networking.html In my concluding thoughts I noted that: 'Fundamentally, Communities of Practice hold the key to our success with networking and Social Constructionism shows that with the appropriate network, meaning can be found and knowledge enhanced.' I intend to use this theory knowledge in my own SIG.

I also researched this topic further through the reading list.  Salmon (2003) states that the better the design process of an online learning site, the better the quality and participation of the learners. From this, I realised that I needed to have a clear purpose for my SIG in order for it to be a successful tool for developing my inquiry and studies.  I also found her website useful for this: http://www.gillysalmon.com/ (Salmon, 2015). 

I have created, and been developing, a SIG (Special Interest Group) over the past few days: ‘Performing Arts and Literacy in Education’. I wanted to create an online space where anyone who works in any form of dance or performing arts education, in any setting (compulsory/private) could discuss similar or dissimilar issues that are arising in their practices. Below, using the Reader 4 questions, I have outlined how I would like to use my SIG.

How does your SIG compare to other groups or communities that you are a part of in the workplace?

I believe my SIG is very different from the communities in my workplace because the people involved have a much broader range of experience. For example, many are still performing or many have performed and are now teaching. Also the range of experience from education is more diverse, as some members work in compulsory education, some in private dance schools and some a mixture of both. In my work community many of us have a shared Academy values, whereas the members of my SIG all have different teaching values, ideas of teaching expectations and have taught a wider range of student ages and abilities. The members of my SIG will be BAPP students, so they will have a much clearer idea of the course expectations, whereas my colleagues do not have this depth of knowledge.

How will you use your SIG?


I would like to use my SIG to develop my question for my inquiry, through posting videos, articles and question, utilising the diverse range of experiences and opinions of the SIG members to try and answer questions that arise. I will try and get a broader idea of education as a whole through my SIG, as my ideas and impressions could be limited to within my workplace. By gaining the opinions of the others on the course, I can ensure that my line of inquiry is legitimate. I will use my SIG to work collaboratively with the BAPP members of the course to discuss issues that arise during the course study period of planning my inquiry. Moreover, I would like to use the SIG as an online space where we can share our professional issues on subjects that arise in our day-to-day practices.

Thoughts… 

I have never been in control of SIG before, so I feel this will be a learning experience for me. My main hope is that the conversations, debates and discussion in this community will be beneficial for all of us as practitioners and something we can use in our inquiries. If and BAPP members feel this SIG would be useful for them and they would like to join, then please comment below so that I can send you an initiation…

Reading List

Salmon, G. (2003) Etivities, The Key to Active Online Learning, London: Kogan Page Limited. 

Salmon, G. (2015) Gilly Salmon: E tivities - Introduction [Internet] Available from: http://www.gillysalmon.com/e-tivities.html [Accessed on 9 October 2015]

Task 4c: Developing my questions with my Professional Community – Continued

Today I met with the Vice Principal (VP) in charge of Curriculum. We initially met to discuss how my role has changed this year, so I took as an opportunity to discuss my inquiry planning with her.

I said how I had met with the Head of Dance to talk about some of my questions and outlined our discussion around the ‘engagement’ question. The VP said this would be a viable route to take within the organisation, but I could take this further. She discussed the option of addressing performing arts as a whole (not just dance or school musical), including the drama department and their play, music and their nationally acclaimed bands and the dance and the school musical. She also said this inquiry does not just have to focus on a student voice perspective, but it could include staff and parent perspectives to see if there are any correlations or discrepancies between these.

She stated how this inquiry could help develop the school as a whole organisation, where I said I had looked into this already through research. She did suggest that I should go and speak to the Assistant Vice Principal (AVP) in charge or Teaching and Learning at the Academy to see what her thoughts were on this type of question and how it could be used in the school as a whole. This is not something I would have considered.

I realised today that discussing my questions with one colleague can actually lead me to another colleague that can help me further. I would not have thought to speak to the Teaching and learning AVP – although now it sounds obvious. Discussing my lines of inquiry is helping me to miss the ‘obvious’ aspects and push the boundaries of what I thought would be achievable in my work context, something that I didn’t expect to happen!

Task 4c: Developing my Questions with my Professional Community

Yesterday, I discussed my questions with the Head of Dance (HoD) at my Academy. I outlined that I was struggling to decide which questions would be viable lines of inquiry; I also took this as an opportunity to share some of the research I have undertaken into planning an inquiry, so I could express my concerns from my previous posts about the idea of ‘time’ and ‘good will’ (Task 4a: Developing Questions that are Relevant to my Practices and Task 4a: Developing Thoughts). 

First, we discussed the question, ‘Do students approach and undertake tasks differently if they are in control of their learning outcomes?’ She believed that this question was a difficult one to answer. We discussed how she ensures students meets the learning outcomes via the lesson criteria on the board and RAG (red, amber, green grouping) differentiation method. She also discussed how student know that they can always ‘move up the ladder’ to meet higher criteria and the RAG groups are not ‘set in stone’. She also calls the groupings ruby, gold and emerald to ensure that students are not discouraged when they are ‘red’. However, she uses this method as she gets to know the group and their abilities. This conversation made me realise that I did not have a clear purpose (Denscombe, 2010) in mind with this question; I wasn’t really sure what I was hoping to achieve from this research and it definitely was not a skill (Raelin, 2008) I need in the future.

One question that the Head of Dance was really interested in was, ‘How does participation in extra curricular Performing arts effect engagement in timetabled lessons? Is this positive or negative?’ She explained to me that one of her students had missed a rehearsal for the school musical last week and today, during their timetabled lesson, another student took the beginning of the lesson to teach the student what they had missed without prompting. We also discussed the impact that extra curricular involvement has inside her lessons, as many of the students involved with extra curricular, particularly with year 7 students, are always talking to her about parts of their day or things that they have done. This then has a positive impact in lessons, as they are more willing to engage and learn. We then shared our views that professional relationships with students really are fundamental to good lessons, whether they are built from extra curricular or timetabled lessons.

From this point, we looked back at the set of ten questions and found that the following questions at had a link: engagement.

• How does participation in extra curricular Performing arts effect engagement in timetabled lessons? Is this positive or negative?
• What are the factors that contribute to positive engagement for students?
• Do positive male role models within a school (students/staff) effect the level of participation and involvement of male students in timetabled classes?
• Can positive professional relationships in Performing arts be used to improve attitude, engagement and enjoyment of English and Literacy classes? 

This was a moment of realisation for me. The above questions are all linked to positive engagement. We discussed that this really was key in getting the students to learn, and how I will need this in the future and for my professional development. It is clear from this that this question, ‘What are the factors that contribute to positive engagement for students?’ is a viable line of inquiry. Furthermore, I expressed my concerns about the need for lots of ‘good will’ given by herself to help me with this inquiry (through observation, questionnaires, taking time out of her extra curricular to talk to students) would stop me from carrying this out. She said that she was very much on board with what I was trying to achieve through this course and inquiry and that she would be happy to help me with any time or resources that I needed.

Upon reflection, although this would be a good line of inquiry for me, as it addresses the idea of causes and consequences, has a clear purpose and falls under the relevance of personal agenda (Denscombe, 2010), I don’t feel it would meet my desire to use my combined role in English and Performing arts to contribute to my organisation as a whole.

I now feel I need to do two things:

• Go back to my original questions and consider how they could be altered and adapted to fit my ideal approach of using my combined role, whilst still using addressing the idea of engagement, which I clearly feel is a good line of inquiry.
• Discuss these altered questions with my other colleagues (particularly those not in the Performing Arts Department) to develop these questions further - the more ideas I collate from a diverse range of more experience practitioners the more likely I am o find a line of inquiry that is appropriate and well though out.

Reference List

Denscombe, M. (2010) Ground Rule for Social Research - Guidelines for Good Practice 2nd Edition. New York: Open University Press

Raelin, Joseph A. (2008) Bridging Knowledge and Action in the Workplace Work- Based Learning, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.