The Impact of Student-Centered Learning through Use of Peer Feedback in the Dance Technique Classroom

ABSTRACT

This study compares two methods of teaching a dance technique class to determine which yields a greater increase in high school students’ technical skills. The historic, widely accepted method of teaching a dance technique class is through direct, teacher-centered instruction. However, current research, largely on undergraduate college students, suggests that student-centered instruction may be more effective. In this experimental study a group of high school students (n = 23) received standard, direct instruction, while the intervention group (n = 24) received student-centered instruction. All students took pre- and post-performance assessments and were scored on a skill rubric. Analysis of these assessment scores indicated a statistically significant increase in students’ technical abilities in both the direct instruction group and the intervention group, however, the experimental group was not found to be more successful than the control group. The results of this study found that future research on this topic should include teaching students how to give and receive feedback before entering a student-centered curriculum structure.

KEYWORDS:

• Student-centered
• dance education
• dance technique
• collaborative learning
• peer feedback
• higher order thinking

Acknowledgments

This paper was originally composed as a master’s thesis for the University of Cincinnati. Thanks is given to professors Dr. Kevin Stinson for his help and guidance through the literature review aspect of the paper as well as Dr. Linda Plevyak for her acting as co-facilitator of research design. Special thanks are also given to Dr. Philip Alsup of Liberty University for his help with analytical statistics. And also, Stephanie Bonner for not only her editing skills but friendship.