Embodied Curriculum Theory and Research in Arts Education: A Dance Scholar's Search for Meaning (Landscapes: the Arts, Aesthetics, and Education Book 17)

This collection of articles by Susan W. Stinson, organized thematically and chronologically by the author, reveals the evolution of the field of arts education in general and dance education in particular, through narrative and critical reflections by this unique scholar and a few co-authors. It also includes contextual insights not available elsewhere. The author's pioneering embodied research work in arts and dance education continues to be relevant to researchers today. The selected chapters and articles were predominantly previously published in a variety of journals, conference proceedings and books between 1985 and the present. Each section is preceded by an introduction and the author has written a post scriptum for each article to offer a commentary or response to the article from the current perspective. Foreword 6 Acknowledgements 8 Previous Publications of Chapters 10 Contents 12 Biographies 14 Co-authors of Chapters 14 Chapter 1: Introduction 16 References 18 Part I: Essays on Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Practice 19 Prelude to Part I 19 Chapter 2: Curriculum and the Morality of Aesthetics (1985) 21 2.1 Meanings of the Moral Dimension 24 2.2 Meanings of the Aesthetic Dimension 26 References 31 Chapter 3: Reflections on Teacher Education in Dance (1991) 33 References 43 Chapter 4: Seeking a Feminist Pedagogy for Children’s Dance (1998, Revised) 44 4.1 Personal and Theoretical Context 45 4.2 Traditional Dance Pedagogy 47 4.3 Critical Pedagogy 50 4.4 Gender Models for Pedagogy: Creative Dance 54 4.5 A Feminist’s Pedagogy for Children’s Dance: In Process 58 4.5.1 Finding One’s Own Voice and Inner Authority 58 4.5.2 Cultivating Awareness of Relationship 59 4.5.3 Responsibility and Power for Change 60 4.6 Some Further Questions 61 4.7 Conclusions 61 References 63 Chapter 5: Choreographing a Life: Reflections on Curriculum Design, Consciousness, and Possibility (2001) 66 5.3 Consciousness, Possibility, and Making Life Harder 74 References 77 Chapter 6: What We Teach Is Who We Are: The Stories of Our Lives (2002) 78 6.1 Vision of Dance 79 6.1.1 Conscious Awareness 79 6.1.2 Form 80 6.2 Vision of Young Children 82 6.2.1 The Capacity for Engagement 82 6.2.2 The Importance of Creativity: “I Made It Myself” 84 6.2.3 The Importance of Competence: “I Did It” 85 6.2.4 Reflections on My Vision of Children 87 6.3 Vision of the World and People in It 87 6.3.1 Individuality 87 6.3.2 Connectedness 88 6.4 Conclusions 90 References 90 Chapter 7: My Body/Myself: Lessons from Dance Education (2004) 92 7.1 Feeling from the Inside to Understand Self and Others 93 7.2 “Being Your Own Teacher” 96 7.3 Bodily Knowledge and Meaning 100 7.4 Conclusions 103 References 105 Chapter 8: The Hidden Curriculum of Gender in Dance Education (2005) 108 8.1 Hidden Curriculum: Exposing the “Taken for Granted” 109 8.2 Gendered Behavior in Dance: “Be a Good Girl and Do What You’re Told” 110 8.3 Teaching Gendered Behavior in Dance 111 8.4 Gender and Appearance: “You Look Like a Dancer” 113 8.5 Conclusions 115 References 117 Chapter 9: Dance in Schools: Valuing the Questions (2006) 119 References 126 Chapter 10: Questioning Our Past and Building a Future: Teacher Education in Dance for the Twenty-­First Century (2010) 127 10.1 Constructivism and Collaboration: From Belief to Practice in Teaching Methods Courses 129 10.2 From Pleasant Discussion to Engagement in Intellectual Discourse 131 10.3 The Content of Dance Education: From Creative Dance to More 132 10.3.1 Technique and Performance Skills 132 10.3.2 Skills of Dance-Making 133 10.3.3 Watching Dance Thoughtfully and Critically 134 10.4 Standards and Assessment 135 10.4.1 Assessment 136 10.5 Conclusions 136 Addendum 137 References 139 Chapter 11: Rethinking Standards and Assessment in Dance Education (2015) 141 11.1 Ethical Issues 142 11.2 What’s Worth Assessing? 143 11.3 From Standards to Assessment 148 References 151 Part II: Research Methodology and Voices of Young People 153 Prelude to Part II 153 Chapter 12: Research as Art: New Directions for Dance Educators (1985) 155 References 166 Chapter 13: Body of Knowledge (1995) 167 13.1 Process and Product: Research as Choreography 171 13.2 Selecting a Topic: A Matter of Passion 171 13.3 Data Gathering: Kinesthetic Perception 172 13.4 Theory Building: Knowing in My Bones 174 13.5 Crafting the Choreography of Research 175 13.6 Conclusions 176 References 178 Chapter 14: Teaching Research and Writing to Dance Artists and Educators (2009) 180 14.1 About Our Students 181 14.2 About Our Course 182 14.2.1 Dance 610 (Dils) 182 14.2.2 Dance 611 (Stinson) 183 14.3 Embodiment and the Research Process/Embodiment and Learning (Dils) 183 14.3.1 Embodiment and the Research Process 185 14.3.2 Embodiment: The Researcher as Learner 186 14.4 From Critical to Critical/Reflective Thinking (Stinson) 187 14.4.1 A Developmental Progression in Reflective Thinking 189 14.4.1.1 The “Moves That Matter” in Academic Writing 190 14.4.1.2 Self Evaluation According to Established Criteria 191 14.4.1.3 Using Examples of Scholarly Work Written by Peers 192 14.4.1.4 Assignments Requiring “Peer Support” 193 14.4.2 No Graduate Student Left Behind? 193 14.5 Further Areas of Exploration 194 References 196 Dance Works Referenced 197 Chapter 15: Searching for Evidence: Continuing Issues in Dance Education Research (2015) 198 15.1 Report Analysis: Advocacy and Research 199 15.2 Discussion 203 15.3 Facts or Values: Research Questions and Methodologies 205 15.4 Conclusions 207 References 209 Chapter 16: Voices of Young Women Dance Students: An Interpretive Study of Meaning in Dance (1990) 210 16.1 Methodology 212 16.1.1 Assumptions 212 16.1.2 Subjects 213 16.1.3 Procedures 214 16.1.4 Clarification of Purposes and Limitations 215 16.2 Analysis 217 16.2.1 The Dancer and Dancing 217 16.2.2 Making the Transition from Childhood 220 16.3 Discussion 223 16.4 Conclusions and Implications 224 Appendix: Sample Interview Questions 227 Initial Interview 227 Second Interview (Following a Class Observed by the Interviewer) 228 References 229 Chapter 17: Meaning and Value: Reflections on What Students Say About School (1993) 230 17.1 Methodology and Procedures 231 17.2 How Students Experience School 233 17.3 Contrast Between Dance and School 235 17.3.1 The Caring Teacher 236 17.3.2 Peer Relationships 238 17.3.3 Dance as a Positive Experience 239 17.4 Learning 241 17.5 Assigning Value and Significance 244 17.6 Discussion 246 17.6.1 Relationship 246 17.6.2 The Construction of Meaning and Value 248 17.7 Conclusions 249 Appendix 250 Sample Questions Used to Structure Student Interviews 250 References 251 Chapter 18: A Question of Fun: Adolescent Engagement in Dance Education (1997) 253 18.1 Procedures and Methodology 254 18.1.1 Procedures 254 18.1.2 Methodology 256 18.2 Analysis of Findings 258 18.2.1 The Meaning of Fun 258 18.2.2 Fun as Social Interaction 259 18.2.3 The Fun of “Making Up Stuff” 260 18.2.4 The Fun of Moving Around 260 18.2.5 The Dance Teacher in Relation to Fun 261 18.2.6 Learning as Fun 261 18.2.7 Not Fun 262 18.3 Fun and More 264 18.3.1 Stress Release 264 18.3.2 Focus and Concentration 265 18.3.3 Self 265 18.3.4 Freedom 266 18.3.5 Transcendence 267 18.4 Discussion 267 18.5 Conclusions 272 Appendix 1 275 Sample Questions from Interview 275 Appendix 2 276 Students Interviewed, by Grade Level, Race, and Gender 276 References 277 Chapter 19: “It’s Work, Work, Work, Work”: Young People’s Experiences of Effort and Engagement in Dance (2007) 278 19.1 Background to the Study 279 19.2 Methodological Issues 280 19.3 Student Experiences of Working and Not Working in Dance 281 19.3.1 Obstacles to Hard Work 281 19.3.2 Experiences of High Engagement 284 19.3.3 It’s Not that Simple 293 19.4 Discussion 295 19.5 Summary and Reflections 297 Appendix 299 References 302 Part III: Finale 305 Prelude to Part III 305 Chapter 20: Dance/Teaching/Research: The Practice of Living (2015) 306 20.1 Lessons from Dance 307 20.1.1 Dance as a State of Consciousness 308 20.1.2 Dance as Creating 309 20.1.3 Dance as Interpretation 309 20.2 Lessons from Teaching 310 20.2.1 Teaching as Moral Praxis 311 20.3 Research as the Practice of Dance, Teaching, and Living 311 20.3.1 Research as a State of Conscious Awareness 312 20.3.2 Research as Disciplined Practice: Making Time for What Matters 313 20.3.3 The Rhythm of Research 313 20.3.4 Body Knowing 314 20.3.5 Cultivating Companions 315 20.3.6 Research as the Practice of Persistence and Courage 315 20.3.7 And Then? 316 References 316 Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Introduction....Pages 1-3 Front Matter....Pages 5-6 Curriculum and the Morality of Aesthetics (1985)....Pages 7-18 Reflections on Teacher Education in Dance (1991)....Pages 19-29 Seeking a Feminist Pedagogy for Children’s Dance (1998, Revised)....Pages 31-52 Choreographing a Life: Reflections on Curriculum Design, Consciousness, and Possibility (2001)....Pages 53-64 What We Teach Is Who We Are: The Stories of Our Lives (2002)....Pages 65-78 My Body/Myself: Lessons from Dance Education (2004)....Pages 79-94 The Hidden Curriculum of Gender in Dance Education (2005)....Pages 95-105 Dance in Schools: Valuing the Questions (2006)....Pages 107-114 Questioning Our Past and Building a Future: Teacher Education in Dance for the Twenty-First Century (2010)....Pages 115-128 Rethinking Standards and Assessment in Dance Education (2015)....Pages 129-140 Front Matter....Pages 141-142 Research as Art: New Directions for Dance Educators (1985)....Pages 143-154 Body of Knowledge (1995)....Pages 155-167 Teaching Research and Writing to Dance Artists and Educators (2009)....Pages 169-186 Searching for Evidence: Continuing Issues in Dance Education Research (2015)....Pages 187-198 Voices of Young Women Dance Students: An Interpretive Study of Meaning in Dance (1990)....Pages 199-218 Meaning and Value: Reflections on What Students Say About School (1993)....Pages 219-241 A Question of Fun: Adolescent Engagement in Dance Education (1997)....Pages 243-267 “It’s Work, Work, Work, Work”: Young People’s Experiences of Effort and Engagement in Dance (2007)....Pages 269-295 Front Matter....Pages 297-297 Dance/Teaching/Research: The Practice of Living (2015)....Pages 299-310 Annotation This collection of articles by Susan W. Stinson, organized thematically and chronologically by the author, reveals the evolution of the field of arts education in general and dance education in particular, through narrative and critical reflections by this unique scholar and a few co-authors. It also includes contextual insights not available elsewhere