Social interaction and group work in corporal expression activities

ABSTRACT

This article identifies the elements of social interaction that have a positive or negative influence on group work for participation in corporal expression activities. The study sample comprised 30 students from the Primary School Teaching Degree at Zaragoza University in Spain. There were 13 men and 17 women with an average age of 23.26 ± 1.22. Each student kept a teaching practice diary with comments on the 13 practical sessions on corporal expression which were part of the expressive-artistic physical activity module; a content analysis of the diaries was carried out. The Nvivo 11 program was utilised for statistical support. The results demonstrated that: (a) Social interaction facilitates the processes involved in group work activities; (b) Consensus, familiarity and the general agreement that all students were prepared to perform in front of the others were the most frequently mentioned elements that had a positive influence on the group work activities. The results of this study are relevant as they give us a better understanding of the elements of social interaction that have a positive or negative influence on group work. This knowledge can be used to develop pedagogic strategies and resources that stimulate and foment creativity.

KEYWORDS:

• Dance
• corporal expression
• social interaction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Inma Canales-Lacruz

Dr- Inma Canales-Lacruz: Phd in Faculty of Education in University of Zaragoza (Spain) in Primary Teaching Degree in the Artistic-expressive Physical  Activities subject and in Research Master. Graduate in physical education in University of Barcelona (Spain). Graduate in History in University of Zaragoza (Spain). Mainly researches from the phenomenological perspectiva in the field of artistic-expressive physical activities and group creation process.

Gloria Rovira

Dr. Gloria Rovira: PhD from the University of Lleida (Spain). Lecturer at EUSES University of Girona (Spain) in the subjects of Dance and Body Expression and Physical Exercise for Holistic Well-being. Mainly researches from the phenomenological perspective in the field of dance, creative processes and mindfulness practice.