An evaluation study on the embedding of reflective practice in the further education programme KigaDance for nursery teachers

ABSTRACT

This article deals with the connection between theory and practice in the context of a further education programme (FEP) (KigaDance) for nursery teachers based on contemporary dance education. The evaluation of the FEP had a programme-forming objective within the meaning of a formative evaluation. The applied method included data collection based on non-participant observation of the teaching units over a period of 15 months along with interviews and questionnaires. The participants were 12 nursery teachers (11 female and one male) between the ages of 18 and 48 years. During the evaluation process, several questions regarding the appropriate combination of the theoretical and practical phases emerged. Four categories (e.g. the category ‘need for didactic reduction’) were identified through qualitative content analysis, all of which highlight the challenges inherent in linking theoretical and practical learning content within the FEP. Taken together the data indicates that reflective phases, which take place at the end of each unit, turned out to be most effective and meaningful for the participants.

KEYWORDS:

• Dance education
• further education
• nursery teacher
• dance literacy
• reflective practice

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank the Crespo Foundation based in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) and the leader of the further education programme KitaTanz (KigaDance) Nira Priore Nouak for supporting this study.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

Notes

1. For a detailed description of this well-known and widely accepted analysis technique, see Mayring (2010).

2. For this publication all interview extracts were translated from German to English.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Claudia Steinberg

Prof. Dr. Claudia Steinberg (née Behrens) is the head of the Institute of Dance and Movement Culture at the German Sport University Cologne, Germany. She studied sports science with a focus on leisure and creativity studies. Her research is focused on empirical research in dance education, developing domain-specific research instruments in dance, classroom research and the consequences of digitization in the field of arts education and movement. She has published several articles on teaching dance and dance education research.

Helena Rudi

Helena Rudi holds a master’s degree in physical education, philosophy and geography and currently works as a lecturer and researcher in dance education at the University of Mainz, Germany. She finished her PhD in sports science in the field of aesthetic education and dance at the University of Mainz. Her research interest is also in different aspects of teaching processes in the context of physical education, sports and dance.