Children performance evaluation rubric in Greek dance. Reliability of scores

ABSTRACT

The analytic rubric, consisting of eight criteria (dance identification, response to the rhythm of the dance, synchronization, step sequence, direction-schema and type of hand holding of the dance, body stance and position, quality characteristics of the movement, and expressiveness) and five performance levels for each (excellent, very good, moderate acceptable, marginally acceptable, not acceptable), aims at objectively and consistently illustrating the way in which one is dancing, regardless of who evaluates it (Pitsi, Digellidis and Philippou 2013). The purpose of the study was to examine the reliability of the dance performance rubric in students aged 10–12 years. Consequently, thirty-six students, in grades 5 and 6 of primary school, with an average 4-year experience at Greek dances, were examined in their ability to identify three Greek dances from their music, to respond to the rhythm of the dance with hand clapping and perform the kinetic form of each dance. The students were videotaped during the performance of the dances and evaluated through their videotaped performances. A re-evaluation was carried out two weeks after the first one so the possibility of repeating the evaluation by memory would be excluded. The raters were two dance experts with great experience. The findings are encouraging as to the reliability of the use of this rubric. The rubric, therefore, will enable dance teachers to get feedback to better design future learning experiences for maximum benefit to their students.

KEYWORDS:

• Rubric
• Greek dance
• dance performance
• reliability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

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

Notes

1. The term ‘sta tria’ refers to the three meter rhythmical and kinetic schema of the particular dance and the term ‘sta dyo’ refers, respectively, to the two meter rhythmical and kinetic schema of the particular dance (Tyrovola 2010).

2. The ‘Siganos’ is danced with variations in handhold, steps and music in all over Crete, except from the prefecture of Chania. In Eastern Crete it is called ‘Manas’ (country of Kritsa) or ‘Xenobassaris’ (county of Ierapetra). Manas and Xenobassaris have the same step sequence, but different handhold and music (Tsouchlarakis 2000; Vardakis 2014).

3. Absolute agreement is the percentage of times two or more raters give the exact same score on ratings of performance (Graham, Milanowski, and Miller 2012).

4. Adjacent agreement is the percentage of times two or more raters give a score within one level of each other on ratings of performance (e.g. count as agreement cases in which rater 1 gives a 4 and rater 2 gives a 5) (Graham, Milanowski, and Miller 2012).

5. Inter-rater agreement is the degree to which two independent raters using the same rating scale assign the same rating to an identical observable situation (Moskal and Leydens 2000).

6. Intra-rater agreement is a score of the consistency in ratings assigned by the same rater at different points in time (Moskal and Leydens 2000).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Aikaterini Tamiolaki

Aikaterini Tamiolaki is BSc (Hons) of Physical Education and Sport Science from the University of Athens in Greece. She has studied Pedagogical and Creative Learning on a Postgraduate level at the Democritus University of Thrace in Greece and received her Master Degree (2020) in Dance Performance Assessment. She gained her Elementary level Certificate in Labanotation-The system of Analysing and Recording Movement at the Ohio State University (2017). She was choreographer of International project of Physical Education «HopSports On-line- Streaming (OLS) Brain Break (BB) Creation Global Project», DPESS Athens (2014). She is a member of International Dance Council (CID) and Scientific Dance Association-Hellas (ELEPEX). Her research interests and publications are on dance pedagogy and dance therapy.

Dimitris Goulimaris

Dimitris Goulimaris is Professor at the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science (TEFAA) of the Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH). Director of the Postgraduate Program «Sports Tourism, Event Organization, Dance» of T.E.F.A.A. of DUTH and head of the postgraduate specialization «Studies in Dance». He is the Coordinator and Collaborating Teaching Staff at the Hellenic Open University in the Thematic Unit «Arts II: Overview of Greek Music and Dance». He is the President of the 2nd Conference on Sports Tourism, Dance & Leisure (www.tinyurl.com/y5staot7). He is also the Editor-in-Chef in the scientific electronic magazine «Science of Dance» (www.elepex.gr).

More information: http://www.phyed.duth.gr/undergraduate/index.php/en/dpers/dep/mdep1

Athina Pitsi

Athina Pitsi received her Bachelor from the department of Physical Education and Sports Science of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and her master’s and Doctoral degree from the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science of Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece. She has worked as a physical education teacher in primary schools in Athens and northern Greece and as a teacher of Greek traditional dance in dance departments of cultural associations. In 2020 she was appointed as a Specialized Teaching Staff at the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science of Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece. She teaches ‘Methodology of Greek traditional dance’, ‘Morphology and technique of Greek traditional dance’, ‘Stage performance of Greek traditional dance’, ‘Dancing as a physical activity’. She has a fairly large number of presentations in international conferences and has published a fairly large number of research papers in national and international refereed scientific journals. Her research interests lie on didactics of traditional dance, οn the application of teaching styles in dance teaching and οn the contribution of motivation to more effective teaching. She has also explored in depth the energy requirements of Greek traditional dance.