Combining research genres: Applying complexity thinking to learning how to teach creative dance
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Transcript of Combining research genres: Applying complexity thinking to learning how to teach creative dance
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Tim HopperAssociate Professor,
Past President Canadian Association for Teacher Education (CATE) School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education (EPHE)
Faculty of Education. University of VictoriaWebsite: http:/web.uvic.ca
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Context of data in this Context of data in this presentationpresentation
Elementary generalist teachers learning to teach PE
Two-term school integrated teacher education course
Creative dance taught in the second term of the course in local school by instructor and then student teachers
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School integrated School integrated teacher education teacher education
programprogram
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Creative dance as part Creative dance as part of Movement of Movement
EducationEducation
Popularized in the 1960’s and 1970’s in the United Kingdom from the approach called “dance for all” advocated by Rudolf Laban (Wall & Murray, 1994).
Four principles—body concepts, effort concepts, spatial concepts, and relationship concepts—deal with what the body does, where it moves, how it moves, and with whom or what it moves
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Creative DanceCreative DanceWhat does it look like in What does it look like in
school?school?
6Age 5 and 6 year olds – Example lesson taught by beginning student teachers
OverviewOverview
1. Research genres for new insights
2. Emergence: Complexity thinking
3. Grade 6 Creative Dance Story
4. Complexity learning in the dance
5. Reflection from student teacher
Extension: Planning creative dance lessons
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1. What is a research genre?1. What is a research genre?How does it relate to How does it relate to paradigm?paradigm?
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A genre is understood as a style or form of representing research data.
Genre refers to how we collect data through multiple methods and then analyze that data to then represent it in numerous ways in order to advance the value of the research agenda.
A paradigm is a world view, a general perspective, a way of breaking down the complexity of the world. As such paradigms are deeply embedded in the socialization of adherents and practitioners: paradigms tell us what is important, legitimate, and reasonable.
ParadigmsParadigms
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…their strength in that it makes action possible, their weakness in that the very reason for action is hidden in the unquestioned assumptions of the paradigm.
(Patton, 1978, p. 203, referenced in Sparkes, 1992, p. 12)
Ontology, Ontology, epistemology and epistemology and
methodologymethodology Ontological understanding refers to “how we know”
Is reality external to the individual (external-realist) or the product of individual consciousness (internal-idealist, relativistic)?
Epistemology refers to assumptions made about the nature of knowledge, the claims we make about truth(s) and how we come to know.
Methodology (1) deterministic - theory to predict, (2) voluntaristic – constructed descriptive of reality, (3) plausible – verisimilitude
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Scientific and objectivity
“Surely there is something out there?”
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Acts upon
World as Object
Reality out there
Truth – CorrespondenceCause/effect – predictResearch instrument
Ideolo
gy
Practice of scientificPractice of scientific
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Naturalistic – Subjective and Inter-
subjective knowing“I been there, done that, talked to the people and
got a t-shirt”
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Social World
Realist - Reality is intersubjectively
constituted
Describes and is described by
Truth – Coherence“Social reality”
Researcher-as-instrument
Ideolo
gy
Practice of realist talePractice of realist tale
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CriticalInter-subjective to emancipate
“Why do I feel so unimportant? Surely we can do it a different
way?”
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Transforms
Critical - Reality is in praxis (thought and
action)
ReflectsUpon
Truth – Catalytic forconscientization
Instruments and researcherfor change.
Ideolo
gy
World
Example Practice of Example Practice of CriticalCritical
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Post-modernInter-subjective
and Inter-objective
“Who said that? What does it mean? If we can do it and then we can see what
happens.”
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World
Evokes to Transform
Communicates to reflect upon
Truth – Verisimilitude
Multiple realitiesResearched/researcher
Ideolo
gy
Reality Reality re/constructed in re/constructed in
praxis praxis
Post-modern practicePost-modern practice
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Another exampleAnother example
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What about this one?What about this one?
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Emergence:Complexity
Thinking
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(2)
Learning and Learning and Complexity ThinkingComplexity Thinking
Behaviourism - stimulus leading to certain response. Mind learns through body
Learning-as-mechanical process
Constructivism – experience that triggers transformation in learner’s structure. Body learns, mind as part of an embodied process
Learning-as-organic process27
Emergence: Emergence: How nature learnsHow nature learns
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Grade 6 creative dance class
“The class from hell”
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Creative dance storyCreative dance story
The following story based on “I’m late…” dance, told by a student teacher, has been written with her permission, based on actual events, but has been shaped to provoke a visceral response for the listener, a sense of being there in the creative dance lesson.
Creative non-fiction ethnographic genre (Hopper et al., 2008; Rinehart, 1998; Sparkes, 2002)
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““I’m late…”I’m late…”
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““I’m Late…”I’m Late…”
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Complexity learning in the
dance
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What is complexity thinking What is complexity thinking and how does t relate to and how does t relate to
creative dance?creative dance?
Based on constructivist epistemology
Focuses on adaptive, self-organizing systems where learning emerges from experiences that trigger transformations in learners.
…pragmatic implications of assuming a complex universe”
(Davis, Sumara, 2006, p. 18) 34
Body as complex Body as complex structure learnsstructure learns
Body as a complex biological-and-experiential structure
Mindy’s lesson sense of embodied learning in the comment “children burst into action, in different directions, their bodies taut and stiff.”
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Teaching as creating Teaching as creating the the
condition for learningcondition for learningConstructivism…Impossibility of teaching class
same thing at the same time.
Teaching cannot determine learning but can only create the conditions for certain things to be learned
“The children's movements showed a sense of control, rhythm and purpose, their movements indicated focused, playful vitality…they existed in their own special community place created by the imagery and the music.” They created the dance and the dance created them.
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Students become self-Students become self-organizing system that organizing system that
learnslearnsEach student (as an agent of system) is “complex
structure” that will adapt to an environment; one the student in part co-creates through engagements with other students.
The idea of the dance is that you are late," Mindy explained; "you have over slept, that is why you are in a rush. Now take up your sleep positions. Oh nice flop Shaun. Good Kirsty it really looks like you are leaning against something.
Identifying body and relationship ideas Mindy allowed the system to learn from actions of agents (students) within it
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Openness results from Openness results from tension between stable and tension between stable and
unstable stateunstable state
Initially the system almost went out-of-control when students “initially treated the whole episode as a lark”, but then with Mindy’s focusing feedback became an open system where the “children whizzed off into tense walks which were ready for another spin.”
Constrained by Mindy's tasks, students were open to the energy from the dance they co-created, they started to realize a variety of movements showing being late.
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Adaptation to Adaptation to environment set by environment set by
teacher and other teacher and other studentsstudents
Children closed to start "With a resistance stare; ‘Oh yeah, going to get us to be clouds are you?’" and “'forget it lady'”.
"By stressing the dynamic effort quality of walking and pivoting with tension and urgency" Mindy invited diversity, whilst maintaining coherence to the structure of the dance.
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Bottom-up as Bottom-up as decentralized control decentralized control
emergesemergesCollective intelligence from simple actions
like “fast walk” that built into a complex dance containing multiple phrases of music corresponding to certain actions, each action having multiple generative possibilities.
The children burst into action, in different directions, their bodies taut and stiff. "CLAP six, CLAP seven and pivot. Well done. That's it keep control...but fast!!” The children whizzed off into tense walks…ready for another spin.
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Decentralized controlDecentralized control
The teacher, though initially at the centre of the lesson, increasingly shifts from this role to initiating new tasks and prompts to more of a engaged observer, guiding, encouraging and showing ideas from one student to others, encouraging diversity and self-organizing awareness
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Features of Features of complexity learningcomplexity learning
Bottom-up as decentralized control emerges
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Openness results from tension between stable and unstable state
Adaptation to environment set by teacher and other students
Body as complex structure learns
Teaching as creating the condition for learning
Students become self-organizing system that learns
Student teacher reflection
School Integrated Teacher Education
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(5)
Four lessons of creative Four lessons of creative dance in local schooldance in local school
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Teach peers then teach Teach peers then teach childrenchildren
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Ashley comments…Ashley comments…
(Realist tale)
In the peer teaching and the dance unit teaching I had the most fun I have ever had teaching which really passed onto my students…teaching to my peers I discovered things I shouldn’t be doing, as well as things that were positive… really liked getting the feedback from my peers as a teacher and a learner.
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She continues…She continues…
Working with students in the lesson I learned to adapt. When I was struggling to teach the young Korean boy who did not have any English how to dance…initially felt bitter… now more of a positive experience for me not knowing how to handle situation, it really helped me develop as a teacher…how to adapt which is essential for every teacher to know how to do.
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Questions?
Observations?
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Planning a creative dance
lesson
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ChallengingChallengingScholars note that it is challenging to
develop tasks that
(1) capture children’s interest,
(2) allow for the children’s developmental range of ability and
(3) can be used to develop their movement qualities
(Weiyun Chen & Cone, 2003; Rolfe, 2001; Rovegno, 1992).
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Basic Task ModelBasic Task Model
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Mindy’s lessonMindy’s lesson
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Laban movement Laban movement concepts to refine concepts to refine
movementmovement Body concepts - what the body does such as activities
(locomotion or stationary) whole action (twisting) roles of body parts (supporting) and shapes during activity (wide).
Effort concepts – how the body moves with weight (firm or fine), time (fast or slow), flow (bounded or free) and space (linear or flexible).
Spatial concepts – where the body moves in personal space (direction, extension, air patterns and levels) and general space (levels, extensions, floor pathways and air patterns).
Relationship concepts – with whom or what the body moves based on people in the environment or objects in the environment.
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Simplify or ExtendSimplify or ExtendThe movement concepts allow the teacher to
refine students’ movements, generating different possibilities, but also changing the learning environment that frames the movement (i.e., how to use the space, relate to other dancers or imagery idea).
This focus on an onward orientation, simplifying/extending, and also on the each child’s inward movement ability, refining movement quality, allows a coupling between students’ actions and the simple structures of the dance. Each extension would lead to the application of parts of the dance or the entire dance
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Music AnalysisMusic Analysis
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Looking back…Looking back…
Teaching the dance lesson really taught me how to break down the skills like skipping…to refine the skills…to get the type of movements you want. Loved the experience in creative dance, would do again in a heartbeat. Really excited that I was able to show my friends and family what I got to teach these children and how I affect them.
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ConclusionConclusion
Within elementary physical education creative dance has offered a way of embracing the qualities of complexity thinking, offering a way to include every learner in a collective system greater than the sum of the individual parts.
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Video sourceVideo source
Retrieved Sept 15, 2008. Emergence complexity from simplicity (1 of 2 parts)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdQgoNitl1g
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ReferencesReferencesBoorman, J. (1969). Creative dance in the first three grades. Don Mills, Ontario:
Longman Canada Ltd.Boorman, J. (1971). Creative dance in grades four to six. Don Mills, Ontario.Boorman, J. (1973). Dance and language experiences with children. Don Mills,
Ontario: Longman Canada Ltd.Carline, S. (2005). Children Who Dance: A handbook for teachers of elementary
school children. Victoria, BC: University of Victoria bookstore.Chen, W., & Cone, T. (2003). Links between children's use of critical thinking and an
expert teacher's teaching in creative dance. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 22(2), 169-185.
Chen, W., & Rovegno, I. (2000). Examination of expert and novice teachers' constructivist-oriented teaching practices using a movement approach to elementary physical education. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 71(4), 357-372.
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ReferencesReferencesDavis, B. (2004). Inventions of teaching: A genealogy. London: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.Davis, B., & Sumara, D. (2005). Complexity science and educational action
research: toward a pragmatics of transformation. Educational Action Research, 13(3), 453 - 466.
Davis, B., & Sumara, D. (2006). Complexity and education: Inquires into learning, teaching and research. London: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Davis, B., Sumara, D., & Luce-Kapler, R. (2008). Engaging minds: Changing teaching in a complex world. New York: Routledge.
Hopper, T. (1993). Learning to teach physical education: The hidden curriculum. Unpublished MA, University of Alberta.
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Hopper, T., Madill, L., Bratsch, C., Cameron, K., Coble, J., & Nimmon, L. (2008). Multiple Voices in Health, Sport, Recreation and Physical Education Research: Revealing Unfamiliar Spaces in a Polyvocal Review of Qualitative Research Genre. QUEST, 60, 214-235.
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ReferencesReferencesHopper, T., & Sanford, K. (2008). Using poetic representation to support the development
of teachers’ knowledge. Studying Teacher Education, 4(1), 29-45.Light, R. (2008). Complex learning theory— its epistemology and its assumptions about
learning: implications for physical education. Journal of Teaching Physical Education, 27, 21-37.
Richardson, K., & Cilliers, P. (2001). What is complexity science? A view from different directions. Emergence, 3(1), 5-22.
Rinehart, R. (1998). Fictional Methods in Ethnography: Believability, Specks of Glass, and Chekhov. Qualitative Inquiry, 4(2), 220-224.
Rovegno, I. (1992). Learning to teach in a field-based methods course: The development of pedagogical content knowledge. Teaching and Teacher Education, 8(1), 69-82.
Sparkes, A. (2002). Fictional Representations. In Telling Tales in Sport and Activity: A Qualitative Journey: Human Kinetics.
Waldrop, M. (1992). Complexity: The emerging science at the edge of chaos and order. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Wall, J., & Murray, N. (1994). Children and movement. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown Publishers.
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