Five years of integrating science and dance: a qualitative inquiry of constructivist elementary school teachers

ABSTRACT

What can we learn from K-5 science teachers who have integrated science and creative dance for a five-year period? In this paper, the preliminary findings of the qualitative research conducted by a constructivist elementary charter school principal, a university dance professor, and an educational researcher is presented.This research highlights the experiences of science teachers who were given professional development in science/creative dance integration each semester and implemented arts integration strategies in the science classroom. To conclude the five-year period, the six teachers completed a questionnaire and participated in a videotaped interview to document their reflections on the project, Dance of Science Project (DoS), which serves as the primary data source for this paper. An interpretive methodology is used as a framework for interpreting the interviews of the teachers. Of interest is how teachers developed arts integration practices on their own in the classroom without being in partnership with a dance educator, and how arts integration in the science class supported their constructivist teaching practices which include elements of co-operation, autonomy, experimentation, play, and interest. In addition, the article discusses how creative dance aligns with the elements of constructivism.

KEYWORDS:

• Creative dance
• arts integration
• constructivist teaching
• elementary science

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rebecca Valls

Rebecca Valls, MFA is an Associate Professor in the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of Houston where she teaches dance pedagogy, dance history, modern dance technique, and arts integration for elementary schools. As an independent choreographer, her dances have been performed in major cities across the U.S. She is an artist in the schools and conducts professional development workshops on the integration of dance and academic curriculum. Her research explores how children build reasoning of academic content through creative dance and dance-making. She received her MFA in Choreography form Sarah Lawrence College in New York.

Carolyn Black

Carolyn Black, Ph.D. is the founding Principal of the University of Houston Charter School (UHCS), a constructivist elementary school promoting student reasoning and community building. Her main focus is implementing strategies based on Jean Piaget’s theory and research. Innovative strategies and collaboration within the University led to this research project involving UHCS students and faculty. Carolyn is Past President of the Association for Constructivist Teaching and has been an early childhood education faculty member at the University of Houston-Clear Lake and child development faculty at the University of Arkansas and San Jacinto College.

Mimi Miyoung Lee

Mimi Miyoung Lee, PhD. is Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Houston. She received her Ph.D. in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University at Bloomington. Her research interests include critical ethnography, global and multicultural education, teacher training for diversity, sociological examination of online communities and MOOCs & Open Education. She may be contacted at [email protected]