6c - Literature Review 3

Expressive Body in Life, Art & Therapy

Halprin, Daria. (2002)

 

The whole idea of the benefits of dance came from a few places. First was my gaol to do something more with the skills that I have from training in dance, wanting to continue with working with learning disability and the knowledge that creative therapies and that dance movement therapy is used to benefit a wide range of abilities. For this reason I thought that I should do some literature research on dance movement therapies.

The Book “The Expressive body in life art and therapy” looks at the history of the expressive art therapy and the healing power that the process might have. The history of art therapy is not of the greatest relevance to me, however I do think that it is important to point out that the book starts its dance section discussing the historical relevance of dance and how it has been used through time as a form of spiritual connection, expression and integration,  

“In tribal cultures, dance has provided a means for establishing and conveying relationships between the mundane, and the spiritual, for integrating the individual and the community” (p60)

It talks of early modern dance and the idea of the “freely dancing body” that was pioneered by such dancers as Graham, Duncan and St Denis. And this idea that dance could be used to evoke an emotional and challenging reaction in the audience.

This is all important in the beginning of dance therapy as dancer explored how movement could facilitate change in society, reveal emotion and the unconscious and interpret behaviour. I see that this shows the potential for dance to become another form of communication, this book then relates to my enquiry idea that dance can have benefit for learning disability because if dance can be used in the way that the pioneers in creative movement thought then it can help those with limited verbal communication to express themselves.

The Dance chapter in the book then goes on to talk of Laban, H’Doubler, Todd and Barnieffe developed an art/science approach looking at the relationship between structural, function and emotive movement. They began to look at dance as a learning process through which the dancer could understand themselves and the world. Labans movement framework is still used in modern dance movement therapy.  

Early in the 20^th century the dance therapy really began to develop and practitioners moved their work into hospitals settings. The ideas behind it became more defined

“dance/movement therapy posits that movement reflects

emotional states and can lead to psychological insight and behavioural

changes”

Blanche Evan went on to identify what she called the capacities of movement: “functional change (including postural work, coordination, organization of body parts, and rhythmics) and improvisation-enactment by which the individual is able

to experience the “physical equivalent of the psyche in the body through

action.” (p63)

In 1999 Mary Starks Whitehouse, worked with high functioning adults she explained the idea behind movement therapy as

“the body is the personality on the physical level and movement is the personality made visible”

Kinaesthetic awareness is the foundation of her approach, she believed that all stylistic characteristic would have to be sacrificed and that working would have to be very introverted in order the express inner emotion and connect that expression to subjective response.

Trudi Schoop went on to develop Whitehouse’s work. She used her stage skill of mime to encourage her clients to express dramatised versions of their personal character like a cast in a play as a way of freeing up repressed emotions. She worked with Clients with a great sense of humour and personality to create an atmosphere of safe play.

In the chapter on dance it is explained quite nicely with this paragraph and I think is useful in beginning to understand the foundation for Dance Movement therapy.

“Movement -based expressive arts therapy works quite actively

to bring “inner” sensation, feeling, and image into “outer” action by

employing the full range of the creative arts: movement/dance, drama,

voice, painting, poetry and other forms of writing, ritual, and performance.”

In a therapy session these movements and expressions are then analysed by the therapist to create meaning and interpret the inner reasons behind the outward action. This is then discussed with the client and worked on further to bring about changes in behaviour and emotion.

There is a chapter of the book dedicated to case studies. At the beginning of the movement case study there is this quote

“in the entrance the client leaves the troubles logic of everyday life and enters the logic of imagination…

Creativity is sometimes explained as an ability that allows people to discover a new solution to an old problem.”

                                                                                                   Paolo Knill (2000)

The case study was two Individuals working in a pair and experimenting with boundaries. Reactions to eye contact and the comfort of physically created boundaries uncovered a miscommunication of anger through a scowl which was in fact nervousness and a need to protect self with physical boundary. This was discovered to be a defensive state, a reaction to physical abuse.

The abusive relationship was then explored through dance and movement. The exploration of body movement connected to the scowl and the feeling behind this. Expressed feelings of sadness and outrange through dance. The client danced as if she were the younger version of herself, the therapist created the safety and comfort that the abuser should have provided and encouraged the expression of letting go.

This process was over an extended time period more than is explained here. The study then goes on to explain in depth the communication that occurred between client and therapist. It is an incredibly interesting read and shows how the emotional affects the physical posture and communication and how the physical movement is used to deal with these issues tied up in the emotion.

I found this literature on dance therapy really interesting. It explains clearly the relationship between the emotional and the physical and its east to identify as scowl or tense shoulders, hunched posture that we experience within ourselves. The use of dance to explore I think can only be valuable and is shown to be by the case studies provided in the book.

To relate to my enquiry I think that exploration of emotions and feelings is something that can be explored in dance classes with learning disabilities, providing the theme could be communicated clearly and simply. The opportunity to express emotion and themselves without a right or a wrong would have its basis in free dance and could be useful for non verbal individuals to have a means of expression and communication, additionally be in integrated into a social group that is using the same means of communication could potentially be beneficial for feelings of inclusion.

Deep personal and emotional issues would not be able to be discussed or explored in a general dance class, and someone without DMT training would not be qualified to do this. But the potential for expression, communication and a “safe play” environment may be benefit it itself.

References.

Halprin, Daria. (2002) Expressive Body in Life, Art & Therapy

Jessica Kingsley Publishers
eBook. Retrieved [07/12/12] from

eBook Collection(EBSCOhost) - Expressive Body in Life, Art & Therapy 

Dance and Autism - Amazing Coppelia Video

The little girl in this video is 10 has Autism and a rare genetic disorder that meant she didn't walk until she was 4 and didn't speak until she was 6. And yet she learned a whole solo from Coppelia, completely alone, unknown to anyone and performs it with brilliant musical timing for someone of her age. Dance and learning disability can be a positive combination. I think this article is really inspiring of the power that dance can have.

The article I found this on can be found here,

Clara Bergs Article

6c - Literature Review 2

Developing Recreation Skills in Persons with Learning Disabilities

By: Lorraine C. Peniston (1998)

 

Lorraine Peniston talks in this article of the benefits of all forms of recreation, sport and dance in the way that it benefits those with learning disabilities. She argues that the way in which we choose to spend our leisure time says much about our personalities and is necessary to fulfil personal needs as it

“…develops skills, promotes good health, relieves stress, facilitates social interactions, and provides a general joy for living.”

She states that for recreation, each of us choose activities at which we are able to succeed. For those with a learning disability the options for recreation and physical activity may be limited due to there being a potential limiting of some skills sets; organisational skills, mobility, cognitive processing, this may induce a fear of failure that prevents them from taking the leap and joining in with such activities. For people whose lives may already be filled with the stress of learning and coping with day to day tasks then an additional activity that presents potential failure may not be welcomed. For this reason Peniston suggests that is the obligation of the teacher or coach to

“…teach skills and provide practice so individuals with learning disabilities can achieve…”

She suggests that adaptations and accommodations should be made to take into account potential limitations and still provide an environment where the learning disabled student is able to progress and improve. I think this is a really important point within this article, if we are going to provide recreational or creative classes for anyone, but particularly for people with disabilities we as teachers have an obligation to do so in a way that is appropriate for the group we are working with. Our role as a teacher is to impart knowledge, skills or understanding, therefore I feel we are required to understands the people we worth with, their needs and the ways in which are able to support them. To make participating an enjoyable experience in which the student feels like they are achieving.

“Satisfying leisure time for persons with learning and other disabilities is as important as accomplishments at home, school, and work.”

The benefits of joining in with recreational activities is then discussed, the first of which is the learning. LD adults have the opportunity to learn, from the lesson structure and practical skills taught, or by being required to meet the demands of a different social setting. The area of psychology and education have identified a number of benefits of recreational activities these include,

“…behaviour change and skill learning, direct visual memory, information (factual) learning, concept learning, schemata learning, metacognition learning and attitude, and value learning…” (Roggenbuck, Loomis, & Dagostino, 1991).

Opportunities to succeed and develop new learning for those with learning disabilities is important to general well being, I have seen this within those that I work with on a daily basis. Most people in general react positively to praise, it is human nature to enjoy being told we are doing well, therefore the opportunity to succeed and learn in a positive and supportive environment can only be a good thing for general well-being.

The articles second point is to remind us that recreational activities such as sports and dance also have the same physiological benefits for those with learning disability as for those without. Daily guideline exercise is suggested at 30min for adults. Those with learning disabilities can often lead sedentary life styles, often spending considerable time watching television; therefore the opportunity to be active for physical health is important. Peniston quotes Paffenbarger, Hyde, & Dow, (1990) explaining physical benefit including, improved muscle tone, reduced resting heart rates, improved lung capacity and lowered blood pressure, reduced body fat, improved structure and function of connective tissues and weight-bearing and strength-building activities help sustain bone mass and reduce the incidence of trauma-induced fractures

 

The rest of the article talks about psychological benefits. Reduced anxiety and stress and the alleviation of mild symptoms of depression through the improvement of self image (Taylor, Sallis, & Needle, 1985)

Other noted psychological benefits include;

• perceived sense of freedom, independence, and autonomy,
• enhanced self-competence through improved sense of self-worth, self-reliance, and self-confidence,
• better ability to socialize with others, including greater tolerance and understanding,
• enriched capabilities for team membership,
• heightened creative ability,
• improved expressions of and reflection on personal spiritual ideals,
• greater adaptability and resiliency,
• better sense of humor,
• enhanced perceived quality of life,
• more balanced competitiveness and a more positive outlook on life

(Academy of Leisure Sciences & Driver, 1994).

McGill (1984) suggests that integrated and inclusive leisure activities provide opportunities for learning disabled children to model behaviour, this leads to learning new skills and and some social constructions, learning through doing and copying is also important as it not reliant on traditional communication or traditional auditory/linguistic teaching. It also serves to improve social ties, and promote self image through successful experiences and satisfying relationships within a peer group.

Peniston closes this half of the article with details about the provision of leisure activities within America.

“Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, all private, public, and non-profit agencies delivering recreation services to the public must supply accommodations and modifications within their programs to persons with disabilities (as requested). These professionals may not have any knowledge of providing accommodations and/or modifications to participants with learning disabilities.” 

In the UK with have the similar Equality Act 2010. But as is the case in America the professional providing these services may not have the knowledge to be inclusive in their provision of activities. Therefore a greater understanding of the needs of those with learning disabilities and the barriers faced are of great importance.

The final section of the article goes on the explain some of the characteristics of specific learning disabilities and the problems that this may present in involvement with specific recreational activities and how these may be overcome by the learning disabled adult, she calls these "compensation strategies”. The ways in which the individual learns to overcome their disability, whether that is standing at the end of the line and so having an opportunity to learn from the actions of other until its their turn, or seeking guidance and support from a friend after the activity in preparation for the next lesson. She also provides a Cognitive leisure check list where the student completes a form that can be scored to give a “level of difficulty” detailing how much support the individual needs. These are great strategies for the more highly functioning adults with learning disability but perhaps not so possible for others. So to me still highlights the need for understanding, inclusive and informed teaching from the outset, so that all students have the opportunity to gain some of the benefits that are detailed in this article though the duration of the activity.

References. 

Peniston, L.C (1998) Developing Recreation Skills in Persons with Learning Disabilities
LD Online
Article 6173. Retrieved [07/12/12] from

http://www.ldonline.org/article/6173/

Applications of Dance in Education Article- Worth Reading

After completing my first literature review, I researched some of the people cited in the article. Susan Griss, I found particularly interesting. She is a choreographer, dancer and educator. This article I found had some great creative approaches to teaching and learning using creative processes to teach non creative subjects.

Creative Movement: A Language for Learning

I'm not going to review it as one of my pieces of literature as it is not directly related to learning dis which is my subject of interest, but thought that it might be of interested to some others out these on the BAPP network.

6c - Literature Review 1

Movement and Dance in the Inclusive Classroom – Stacey N. Skoning (2008)

This journal article I found while researching inclusive dance and benefits for adults with learning disabilities. I was initially getting frustrated that I couldn’t find anything that is specific to adult learners. I then began reading this article, it is about the use of dance as a teaching tool within the classroom and so its subjects are children, however it had some very interesting and transferable points that I felt still make it relevant to my line of enquiry.  

Its first area of discussion in the article is that of Gardener’s (1983) multiple intelligences, as discussed in module one. The idea that we are all intelligent in different ways; special, logical, mathematical in this case the important one is bodily – kinaesthetic. The fact that some people may learn through movement, different theories of learning are not only relevant to children but adults also. This is particularly important when we think of those with learning disabilities, as their disability is often defined as not being respondent to verbal linguistic teaching or understanding. Using teaching methods that use movement and expression could unlock new learning for those with cognitive disabilities. The studies discussed in this article discuss improvement in the learning through the implementation of creative session to explain mathematical and scientific concepts, but implies that it could be applied to a range of subjects.

The article talked of Carter, Richmond, and Bundschuh (1973) who suggested that children with learning disabilities might have “abilities and interests not fully developed in a traditional academic program” I wonder then if this might be true of adults, if opportunities to learn in any other way than traditional methods have never been accessible then is it possible that creative teaching may be able to unlock new learning and skills?

“Students with emotional disabilities took risks and participated in movement activities as members of small groups which led to an increase in social skills” These are results from a study discussed. If this is something that is possible for children then I wonder if would be transferable to work with adults. Increased social skills is something that would be of extreme benefit to adults with learning disabilities as often not being understood or able to communicate easily with the outside world is an isolating situation. Benefits of dance education to help with other behaviours in children were also mentioned Skoning makes reference to Griss (1994) who looked at dance allowing children with disruptive behaviours to be able to take this disruptive energy and make it into something creative and positive.

The journal article itself comments on the fact that this work is related to children rather than the adult with learning disabilities that I am looking to find benefits for.

“little research has explored benefits of teaching older students with disabilities through more creative traditional approaches” (Skoning 2008) This therefore is a gap in this research, but the ideas are linked, we always continue to learn and so I would be interested to see if these benefits are transferable into adult learners also. I think it provides good support for the subject of my enquiry and shows that dance can have beneficial results in terms of learning and social, emotional and expressive skills it is just whether this is also able to be shown for adults, something that I am hoping to look into.  

References.

Skoning, S. N. (2008). Movement in dance in the inclusive classroom. TEACHING Exceptional

Children Plus, 4(6) Article 2. Retrieved [05/12/12] from

http://escholarship.bc.edu/education/tecplus/vol4/iss6/art2

6b – Critical reflection on research pilots

On piloting the 4 research tools that are presented in the reader, I have gotten a good insight into he methods that may be most useful to me. I am going to reviewing each method starting with the ones that I found to be least useful for answering my enquiry questions.

Survey.

Surprisingly, I found that the survey approach of a questionnaire one of the more difficult methods of research when completing my pilots. I found that developing questions that were specific enough to add to a questionnaire was difficult as I am really interested in more in-depth opinions, changes in behaviour and reactions to situations created in classes rather than something that can be measured by statistics.

The second problem that I encountered was that really the best people to ask would have been the participants in the classes, but as I am working with learning disability and often written communication is difficult and questions need to be reworded or explained with the help of sign, widget symbols and pictures this would have been difficult, and would have turned into a interview situation anyway.

In asking the opinions of support staff as onlookers the opinion sections were either not completed or vague. I have no real evidence for this but I wonder if perhaps they felt unable to comment as they do not have a deep enough knowledge of teaching or were not experiencing the class themselves. I wanted to know about outward benefits seen in participants but I think it is possible that these onlookers had never looked for anything other than enjoyment and therefore had nothing to share, perhaps it is because they see no benefit…. That is something for my enquiry to answer.

Then there were other more common problems with this method for me. Out of the 15 surveys that I handed out to be completed I only received 7 back, this is an uptake of less than 50% and in addition the ones that were returned were not fully completed.

I am interested in looking at behaviour, reactions and interaction that occur as a result of different teaching styles, I think that this is perhaps something that is more difficult to judge through a question and answer system and can not simply be answered by statistics, even the sliding scales of responses suggested by Black (1999) I feel would not give the detail that I would want. I am looking for more qualitative, the how and the why, and so think I need a broader approach. 

Focus group.

The focus group created lots of evidence to analyse. There were lots of opinions shared and a lot of discussion around the topics of creative classes and creative therapies. However these opinions were all form a certain group, the participants who are usually most vocal, and who are not afraid of sharing their opinion. It was difficult to involve the quieter members of the group and so it wasn’t really a representative sample of people. It was not always possible to decide when analysing whether the majority agreed with a particular point or not as not everyone was fully engaged.

The stronger personalities in the group responded to the questions and ideas quickly and were then supported by equally strong personalities, the quieter member of the group seemed intimidated by this and would begin to present an idea and then back down if they were challenged. I don’t think that this meant that their opinion was wrong or any less valid I just think that they found the situation uncomfortable and were not able to get their feelings across. I feel that this may undermine the validity of the data collected.

Perhaps one to one interviews would have got a more representative cross section of opinion as each person would have had the time and space to think about their response and do so in a more relaxed environment.

What I did find interesting about the focus group though was that it was a good way to gauge the response to the relevance of my questions, people became animated and engaged in talking about the role of the creative classes and this made me feel that there is a support for the relevance of this kind of activity and the benefits it can have.

As a staring point for research and in gaining some initial responses to questions I think the focus group is a useful tool. My skills as researcher I think would need to be improved in order to try and involve more people to participate and to share opinions freely. However I don’t think it is the strongest of the methods in answering my questions, again, I am interested in seeing the benefits of different approaches and although opinion will of course support this I want to look at interaction between people in classes, body language and data that can not simply be ascertained by asking.

Interview. 

I was able to pilot this method through a one to one interview with the head dance tutor at a school that deals with challenging students. This I found truly valuable.

I was able to ask my set questions, but the conversation then evolved naturally into other things, I was able to further question particular points of interest to gain more knowledge, and a greater explanation, the interview allowed me the opportunity to do this as opposed to say the survey questionnaire where there is a limited space for opinion.

I also came to realise that the set questions would allow me a point of comparison between interviews. The further explanations would then allow the experience and knowledge of the interviewee to come through, further supporting the evidence.

Additionally in this interview the tutor was able to show me lesson plans, progress reports to support what she was telling me; again this allowed me further insight and understanding of what she was saying.

I was incredibly lucky with the person I chose to interview, she was extremely forthcoming and allowed me considerable time which was very valuable in gaining evidence, of course not all situations may be like this, some people may not have the time to afford to the interview, and this will limit what data I can record. Sound recording however is a benefit, as you can say a considerable amount in a short space of time, compared to writing in a questionnaire for example.

I think a chosen time frame would be an advantage, both parties will then know what to expect and the interview can be conducted at a convenient time. Also the set of original questions would be vital as it then guarantees a certain amount of response and data to analyse. 

The final reason that I found the interview to be such a success was that it was held directly after my observation of her teaching day. This was a fantastic advantage as she could link back to things that I had seen in practice. The evidence gained in the interview was directly in support of that which I had seen through completing the observation. She was able to provide explanations of certain teaching methods and I didn’t have to just take her word for it being true as I had seen examples of it myself.

This then allowed me to be more confident in the combined data that I had collected.

Observation.

The most valuable tool of professional enquiry that I piloted was the observation. I was able to watch several classes often with the same pupils, and see the different approaches and subjects taught and the way that this was received by the learners and the way in which the tutor maintained control of the lesson. This included very structured classes with set tasks, free classes where they created own work, and classes where they worked as a team to create.

The observation framework I had already planned allowed me to record the amount of students that were engaged throughout the process of each class. This was useful to use as a comparison to my other observations. For example, at the beginning of one class there were a number of disruptive behaviours, and a number of students who were not engaged. This improved throughout the class and at the end of the session all students were engaged and disruptions had stopped. Through collecting this data and comparing it to the notes I had taken I was able to see the reasons for the increased participation, the methods that the teacher had used to bring about these changes in behaviour.

I was also able to see the learning that was happening and the benefits to these children simply by watching one class. The problem solving that was going on, practicing of communication skills, tolerance and understanding of the needs of each other, and the method of teaching an encouragement that were being adopted by the teacher to support this learning. I believe that in the future a set of several observations would allow me to collect considerable data.

If I use the observation method I would definitely use the observation grid again, I would however also leave some spaces to link the changes in behaviour to actions taken by the class leader this would then make things easier when it came to analysing. I would still however take additional notes, as it is valuable to keep and open mind and look at an entire situation rather than simply zone in on one aspect. I know that this will perhaps make my life more difficult as there will more to look at and evaluate, but I think it is important to get a true representation of what is going on. This method allows the combination of the quantitative and qualitative which I would hope would make for more reliable results.

Conclusion

The methods that worked best for answering my questions are obvious; they are the observation and the interview. The observation allows me to look at the human behaviour and responses that I am interested in. I can see how student respond, look for their learning and skills being used and see any outward benefits first hand. It allows me to create quantitative data and qualitative data, how much and when a behaviour occurs and how and why. I think this would make any finding more secure.

In support of the observation I would favour using interviews, particularly of the class leaders after the classes. This then gives the opportunities for them to share a background to their methods, the results that they have seen (if they do) and for me to question and understand anything that may be relevant and of interest. I think the combination of the two gives a clear picture that will help me to answer the questions in my enquiry.

Although I said that I wasn’t particularly in favour of the survey questionnaire I would like to try it again. I would like to create something that I can trial with the participants of the classes I want to use for my enquiry. It will have challenges because of the written communication barriers within learning disabilities and may end up becoming more like a simple interview. But I would like to see the kind of responses I would get from them about their experiences as of course that is the whole basis of my enquiry idea. This is something that I will pilot separately and record my experiences on the blogs later.

6a - Pilot Focus group and Survey

In my job role working with adults with learning disabilities we regularly have team meetings where we discuss everything that is related to each of the individuals we support and also our general working environment. This I considered was a perfect place to pilot my focus group.

Everyone present entered with the expectation that they would be required to share their opinions, on matter which are relevant to their working environment. This usually leads to open and frank discussions on a range of issues.

Organising and taking advantage of this was easy for me, as I was able to ask my manager “gatekeeper” to save me a short amount of time at the end of our meeting for me to ask my questions. Our meeting are also recorded and then typed into documents for staff review so this gave me an unbiased method of recording the interactions.

I related my initial questions to a particular person who we all were aware of who was undergoing a form of creative therapy, in order to get a response on how relevant or helpful the staff perceived this as being. And also to discuss the format and range of creative sessions that are available to the adults we support.

I hoped that this focus group would not only allow me to experiment with this approach but to also monitor the value of my enquiry idea by judging the scope of interest or support for creative session with my colleagues.

I hoped this would be useful as rather than explaining my enquiry intension and them giving me a polite, but not necessarily truthful response, I was simply able to begin a discussion on what appeared to be a general issue within our working environment. 

My final pilot to plan is the survey. This is the one that I feel the least confident with. I think that surveys are often completed under duress, because you have been asked to you click though a few answers and write as little as you can to get the job done. For this reason I created a short survey, in the hope that it may get completed. I included closed questions in order for me to be able to analyse the data, but then also provided bboxes to enable the participant to elaborate on their responses.

I considered creating an online survey, I joined survey monkey and began to create. I then considered the people that I wanted to target with my survey, and that was key workers who support adults with learning disabilities. These people do not spend their time sat at desk on computers they are out and about in the community supporting individuals. I decided it would make more sense to provide a paper copy, that they could complete during a shift and then return to me.

I wanted to ask questions about how the individuals they know experience creative arts and the impact that they feel this has on them. The survey questionnaire can be found here.

Pilot Survey

6a - Planning Pilot Observation and Interview

The idea of piloting research methods came at a good time for me. I have been able to plan some work experience in a local school that deals with behavioural difficulties,  students returning after suspension, non attendees (students that are regularly truant) those with mild learning disabilities and students with behavioural difficulties that disrupt classes.

Although this is not the direct line of my enquiry, as it is a different age group and ability type. I can look at the different teaching methods used to deal with groups of students that are not easy to teach, or that perhaps have varying needs between them. I plan to conduct my pilot observation, on the creative classes that are held that day, and also an interview the teacher that is in control of the lesson plans and teaching of these students on the most regular basis.

As indicated in the reader observations are able to collect two types of data, qualitative (how and why) and quantitative (how much and when) I wanted to tailor my pilot to be able to experiment with both. I drew up an observation table to record the incidence of specific behaviours that I feel determine whether the lesson is a success in its approach,

	Beginning of class (First 15mins)	Middle of class (15 – 45 mins)	End of class (Last 15 mins)
Number of willing participants
Number of disruptive behaviours that halt class
Number of participants becoming in active
Number of participants encouraged to re-engage

I then wanted to begin to understand the reasons behind the quantitative by looking at the reason why perhaps these things had occurred, the qualitative data. This includes looking at the body language of the students, whether they were enjoying the class, were enthused and concentrating and which particular activities of teaching actions were contributing to this. This I plan to record as notes of particular points of interest or relevant events.

The interview I have agreed to conduct at the end of the teaching day. It will be conducted in the teacher’s office, on home ground, which I feel is important in the participant being relaxed. I have a few questions already planned to guide my interview, but then will leave things open ended so that further discussion and questioning was able to be developed.

The initial questions were.

1. What approach do you feel best suits the students who require extra support with learning and behaviour? Structured, semi structure or free and creative?
2. How do you build a relationship with student who have already shown that they do not like learning or who find learning difficult?
3. What are the reasons other than learning disabilities do you feel are the main cause of lack of participation.
4. How do you deal with disruption in class do you feel it is better to be strict or more relaxed?
5. What do you feel are the real benefit of creative arts classes for those with behavioural or learning difficulties? 
   

5d - My enquiry and ethical considerations.

I have been thinking about, struggling with and refining the idea for my enquiry for some time. After talking to Rosemary, it was suggested that I need to refine it further, to decide on a particular type of student, age range, ability, genre and location to make it possible to complete my enquiry and make it meaningful within the time scale that we will have.

I have therefore chosen a specific student group of adult learners aged between 18 and 45 who have mild to moderate learning disabilities. The location of the enquiry will be a range of services and classes which are inclusive of adults with learning disabilities within my local area and at which I provide support as part of my employment with a care organisation. I am interested in the benefits achieved for adult learners with disabilities and how these can be maximised by different teaching styles.

I have defined the area of enquiry below;

An enquiry into whether different teaching methods produce different benefits for adult students with learning difficulties. I’m interested in comparing approaches such as performance workshops, improvisation workshops, traditional ballet syllabus classes, and dance exercise classes and whether one approach is more adaptable for producing the greatest amount of benefit for the widest range of students. I am interested in understanding how to approach my own teaching when faced with the challenging situation of suiting a combination of students.

Ethical Considerations

In considering my enquiry, I had considered that I might provide a new service for a limited time, a specific dance group in order to manipulate the teaching method and to ascertain the benefits that were achieved by each. I quickly realised that this would be an unethical approach to take. Within learning disabilities there can be some apprehension to change, in providing something and then continually changing it this would aggravate this reaction causing harm to the participants. Additionally providing a service that would be enjoyed and then to take this away when the enquiry was completed would also be unfair, as the student would have a sense of loss, this again can cause distress.

For this reason in choosing to observe and consider a range of activities that are already attended, I have no need to manipulate anything. I can simply take advantage of the fact that a range of approaches are already used and monitor the benefits in this way.

This approach will also have research benefits as I am only usually present as a support member of staff, I have no control over lesson planning or approach, I simply follow the guidance of the lead teacher. This then means that I will have no way of manipulating any results, or pushing a particular method in order to get results, this should hopefully keep things unbiased.

In gathering my data and recording it then I will obviously have to maintain levels of confidentiality. I am dealing with vulnerable people, and the nature of their learning disabilities may be relevant and this of course is very personal and must be confidential. I would therefore not use names of any participants, and would keep all date gathered stored confidentially, and password protected on my computer.  

Teachers of the classes would also be protected by confidentiality, and would have the right to consent to the observations, surveys, interviews, or which ever method used. They would be fully informed about what I was enquiring about and why. They would also be given the opportunity to review the results of the enquiry after it has been completed. Again no names would need to be provided so that no one individual is identifiable if they wish not to be. I would also treat their responses with care and consideration, and only report what is relevant to the enquiry in a way that is a true representation of the opinion, not taking anything out of context.

My final consideration is again for the participants of the classes, I wonder about informed consent. I feel that perhaps informing them of the enquiry and what I am observing may change the results, at the moment being present at their classes is not uncommon and their behaviour is quite natural. If they know there is an alternative reason then I wonder if this may make them behave differently, or even potentially create anxiety or apprehension, or on the other end of the scale playing up to an audience creating behavioural difficulties.

It seems that when possible informed consent must be sought, this is the ethical thing to do, and would be my preferred method; however it does worry me that it will effect my results. I also know that it will take some time to explain to all participants what it is I am doing, as understanding can be limited at times and additional methods such as pictures and widget symbols may needed to be used for consent forms, this could create further problems with time scales for observations.

In summery my main ethical considerations will be for the participant of the study, keeping them safe and comfortable, not only through health and safety consideration but additionally emotional comfort must be of maximum importance. I don’t want to cause any harm or distress, this includes keeping confidentiality.

This is also true of the teachers of the classes; I don’t want to cause any distress or discomfort in conducting my enquiry. There should be no pressure to participate and any opinions and responses should be dealt with care and confidentiality.

I also want my research to be reliable and, research ethics should mean that my results are true, unbiased and worthwhile.

5c - My employment related to Ethical Framework

A lot of the codes of practice within my working environment are related to taking responsibility for the well being of those with whom I work. These are things such as health and safety, safe guarding, protecting again discrimination, confidentiality. A lot of these things have legal frameworks and legislation that requires us as employees to be trained in and competent at working at this level. This then means that we are governed by rules. In order to protect and look after those we are responsible for we follow a set of rules; this is related to the Deontologist approach to ethics. 

Immanuel Kant who developed Deontologist theory of ethics believe that to act in a morally responsible way then we must act from a sense of duty, in a way that has no negative moral impact. It is rules based and is determined by good will, the motive behind the actions determines whether it is morally right. A motive to protect others, by the implementing and following of rules in my working environment follows these factors.

Of course there is also another motivation for the companies I work for in implementing these codes of practice that determine how their employees work. And that is the need to protect themselves from any bad press or even potentially prosecution. There is pressure created by external factors such as legislation, however in the field of care and education I would assume that organisational ethics play a role here. The benefit of teaching and care are for the participants, and therefore such organisations have a moral base for their business as the whole aim is for improvement and enjoyment of those that participate. Both companies I work for would be deemed ethical organisation and follow the four basic elements that can be used to define this

1)     Providing code of ethics and standards

2)     Ethics training

3)     Advice on ethical situations

4)     Systems for confidential reporting.

Of course there would be little point in publicising and producing rules for employees to follow if the employees themselves didn’t have an ethical and moral standpoint of there own. There are always examples of where this doesn’t work and abuse of power does take place, but monitoring, legislation and prosecution hopefully keeps this to a minimum. Documents such as CRB checks go some way to protecting vulnerable people and ensuring those with an applicable moral code are allowed to work in such environments.

I would seem to me that anyone who works in education, care or with young/ vulnerable people must have a certain character, moral or ethical code that would attract them to this area of work. The theory of Virtue Ethics

“emphasises the character of the moral agent rather than the rules or

consequences and what actions taken reveal about ones character”

(BAPP Reader 5 – professional Ethics)

Not in all cases, but presumably in a lot the reason for working in education or care would be the desire to make a difference, to help others and to do something perceived as worthwhile. These character traits are then directly linked to the line of employment chosen and the way in which we would then go about our work. I believe that the reasons that I work in the way I do and in the area I do is because of virtue ethics, my character and upbringing have lead me to believe that it is worth while, and inline with my personal goals and beliefs and that then determines my actions.

The only theory in the reader that I feel is not particularly represented in my area of employment is Consequentialism –

“the greatest happiness for the greatest number”

(BAPP Reader 5 – professional Ethics)

With the guidance in my workplaces of, individualism, respect, personal choice, and equality it would seem difficult to put this in place if the needs of some are marginalized for the benefit of the many, in fact this is something that is directly avoided. Of course there will be times when not everyone is 100% happy with decisions and that compromises will have to be made, but on large and important issues that have personal wellbeing at their heart then I think this is something to be avoided. I think that within creative industries this is something that can be more avoided as there is a greater opportunity to be flexible in our approach.

Creativity in Education.

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity

Filmed Feb 2006 • Posted Jun 2006 • TED2006

Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity. 

This video is quite old, from 2006. But I think it is a really amusing and interesting watch about how creativity and creative subjects are marginalised in education and why it shouldn't be. Well worth a watch for those of us who are interested in performing arts education.

5b - Ethics continued - Ethics, Codes of Practice and Policies

I will split my ethics research into two as I work for two separate organisations. I will begin firstly with my ballet teaching; I found that there were two documents for the organisation under which I teach, they were labels under “Child Protection Policy” and “Child Protection Codes of Practice” but contain all of the codes for teaching that are dictated by the organisation.

The child protection policy contained the following policy statement,

“The British Association of Teachers of Dancing accepts a moral and legal responsibility to provide a duty of care for young people involved in Dancesport, to safeguard their well-being and to protect them from abuse.

It respects and promotes the rights, wishes and feelings of young people.

It will recruit, train and supervise its adult members/officers/volunteers/officials who may be involved with young people’s Dancesport activities to help them adopt best practices that safeguard and protect young persons from abuse, and themselves from false allegations.

It will require members, officials, and volunteers, to adopt and abide by its Child Protection Policy. It will respond to any allegations and, where necessary, implement appropriate disciplinary and appeals procedures.”

The “Codes of practice” then goes into detail of how the child protection policy should be put into place. The document is 28 pages in total. It details

o        Good practice, in terms of protecting both the child from instances of abuse and the teacher from possible allegation by maintaining professional standards

o        It is the responsibility of everyone to report any concerns, including suspicions of abuse or bullying which may be occurring outside the environment in which there is contact with young person.

o        Procedure to follow in incidence of poor practice and what this entails.

o        Signs and signals of bullying and abuse and how to deal with this

o        Action to take if teacher as suspicious, who to report to, how and when.

o        Issues of confidentiality

o        How allegations and suspension will be dealt with if a employee is suspected of poor practice

o        The responsibilities of the teacher/ employee in recording incidents and keeping reports.

All of the policies above have their roots in ethical principles, the organisation is taking ownership of moral obligations to protect the children for whom they work in order to provide a safe environment for them to learn and enjoy learning, and to be aware of any other indication that may effect the child’s well being. I would like to think that most individuals would see this part of a moral code and something that they would strive to do as part of their work. This policy and code of practice is solely concerned with the protection of the children with whom we work, and our responsibility to keep them safe.

The second organisation I work for is a charity within adult social care. They have a mission statement that I think sums up quite well what they are about and goes some way to explaining the ethics behind the charity’s work,

“ROC exists to help as many people as possible, throughout the UK, who have learning or similar disabilities to be who they want to be.

ROC believes all people with a learning disability should have the chance and the support to be able to do what they want to do. ROC will work towards making this happen.

ROC will do this by valuing and supporting all people who use our services, and those who support them.”

Because ROC is a social care provider there is lots of policy that dictate how the staff are to conduct themselves within working situations. Because we deal with vulnerable adults there are policies and mandatory training in

o        Safeguarding of vulnerable adults

o        Record keeping and confidentiality

o        Health and safety

o        Fire safety

o        Mental Capacity

o        Challenging behaviour

o        Professional boundaries   

o        Understanding particular learning disabilities

o        Person centred approaches (working in a way that the individual decides what is important)

The policies as a whole are large, but the general theme is to take personal responsibility for looking after the physical and mental well being of the people that we work with, in a appropriate way that see’s each person as individual with rights, feelings, aspirations, goals and values of there own. We should be professional, not impart any of our own beliefs and feelings onto our clients to influence their thoughts or opinions to be anything other then their own. And to work in all possible ways to support them to achieve the goals that they want to. Of course there are also legal responsibilities in terms of what we provide for our clients, issues of confidentiality, appropriate support and behaviour are also present in the policies, and codes of practice

In workshop environments this involves keeping them safe, with good health safety and fire precautions. Being aware of individual needs and how they like to be supported. Providing an atmosphere of acceptance, integration and support that allows people to express themselves without fear of judgement or harm.

In looking further into the codes of practice and policies that are present within both of the organisations that I work for it is clear to see that it is vast and complicated in some instances, there are also some aspects that are more about protecting ourselves as professionals, by following correct procedure as there are in protecting those that we work for. Just considering personal ethics is not enough. Although I think that the policies and procedures I have detailed here do have sound ethical foundations that I think most people wouldn’t disagree with, it may contain subject matter that we may not have consider when first considering our own moral conduct at work. I feel it is of vital importance that we are all mindful of our responsibilities, not only to safeguard those that we work with, but also in protecting ourselves by providing appropriate support and management of our working environments.