Interdisciplinary working practices: can creative dance improve math?

Abstract

This study is integrated in the field of Dance in Education, focusing on the instrumentalist aspect of art. We focused on creative dance as a catalyst to learn Mathematics’ contents. This interdisciplinary work can enhance the learning, as far as the understanding of Mathematics’ concepts is achieved through the body and revealed by expressive and creative movement. The main purpose of the investigation, quasi-experimental, was to analyze the impact of creative dance in the learning of Mathematics’ concepts in children (7/8 year old) in primary education, in two Portuguese schools. The sample included 8 classes, 117 children in total, of both genders. The intervention has taken place in two groups (experimental group and control group), with four sessions of creative dance in the experimental group. Both groups were assessed on three different occasions (pre-test, post-test and retest). The statistical techniques used for processing the data were the analysis of variance of mixed plans and the Student’s t test for paired samples. The conclusions showed that the students who consolidated the knowledge in the creative dance classes, exhibited significant differences in their learning gains in Mathematics, as compared to the control group.

Keywords:

• Creative dance
• interdisciplinary working
• primary education
• mathematics

Notes

1. The hourly system adopted in Portugal is the 24-h system. The division of the day in two periods corresponds to:

- AM (‘before noon’) is the period starting at midnight (00:00) and ending at 11:59.

- PM  (‘after noon’) is the period starting at noon (12:00) and ending at 23:59.