Finding that all important question!!!

A big struggle of mine lately is trying to think of a question which best fits with my inquiry!! 

In terms of my inquiry I have being looking at the idea of imagery as a learning style. Within this I have been looking at;

• What imagery is?
• Imagery in sport
• How imagery in dance has added aspects to it and how there is not a lot of previous research done as it is a somewhat new development
• The idea that we have always used imagery in dance and how it helps us with learning
• Why imagery is used a lot with pre-school children and why it works well to aid their learning
• If imagery is useful for the technical aspects of dance
• If imagery can be used on solely by itself or is it best used along with other learning styles i.e. visual, kinesthetic,
• How professional dancers use imagery 

As I have kept my area so broad I am really struggling to create the all important question. I feel that reading wise I have so much more to read about, which makes the idea of finding a question even more daunting!!

I would love to hear your thoughts!!!

Interviews: Formulating a plan of action

For me, conducting an interview is something I have never done before. However, it is something I believe will be a great tool for my inquiry. From reader 6, Bell explained the advantages of an interview and how you "can follow up on ideas, ask the "why questions"directly to people who have knowledge, experience and perceptions about your topic" I am really interested to see what people's views are on my inquiry topic. 

For me, I think I will have to be careful and ensure bias does not enter into any of my interviews. It is difficult when you are having an informal interview with someone not to share your opinion, possibly because I love to talk!!

When thinking about who to interview, I decided it may be best to look at both teachers and professional performers. I want to speak to both as I feel learning involves two people the teacher and the student, some of these students will carry on their training to become professionals. But in my opinion we never stop learning. 

My questions for the teacher will definitely differ to the questions for the performer. 

I have also decided I would like to look at different styles of dance. I would like to interview a ballet teacher, who is teaching a syllabus and needs to teach students technical movements and how he/she communicates this technique to their students. What learning styles work best for them. I would then like to interview a teacher who teaches a creative movement class, possibly in the area of contemporary to see if their views differ and if other tools work for them. 

In terms of a professional. I have devised a set of questions based around performance and how they improve from each show they do. What mental routine they go through backstage, and if they think and imagine what they are going to do when they enter the stage. I also want to see if as a performer do they realise what works for them when they take a class in terms of learning? This is a vague outline of my interview questions but I find using my SIG to answer my proposed interview questions is very useful and helpful.

During the interview process, I want to follow a semi-structured approach, which will hopefully allow the person to think more about the matter and to possibly evoke new ideas which may lead to further discussion. However, I am not opposed to using a couple of closed questions if the interview needs to become more specific and relatable to the subject.

Finally, where possible I would like to conduct my teaching interviews face to face. In terms of my interviews with performers, this may need to be done over the telephone or skype due to schedules and distance.  

Case Study 3 And Professional Ethics

I found Case Study three interesting and relatable to my practice. I thought about the ethical issues that arose and whether the teaching methods were ethical in any form.
My first thought developed when the owner of the school stated that, what the teachers do in their class is their business and to my understanding safe dance practice did not concern him. He thought of this as a business only and more business equals more money.
This to me is a business way of thinking and to look at it objectively with no bias, many others may say, once the teachers renting have the correct insurance and DBS checks that is all that matters. However, similar to a blog I recently wrote, in order to maintain high standards and to ensure his studios have a good reputation, I believe he should be checking that the teachers have carried out the correct training qualifications and are knowledgeable in the subject they are teaching.
Also, he should want to create a professional and respectful rapport between himself and the teachers renting the studios. If he gives the impression that he doesn't care,  then why should the teachers care about respecting the property or the owner himself. This may have a knock on effect in terms of hygiene standards and leaving the studios as they are.
The next ethical issue that arose was how one teacher did not carry out a sufficient warm up or any cool down for the students. This again is relatable to the issue of teachers not having sufficient teaching qualifications or knowledge of safe dance practice. As a teacher I am aware how precious time is during a class. especially when trying to prepare children for exams or completing show work. However, a warm up is so important for children of all ages for so many reason and it also creates a good habit for children as they will then know how to warm themselves up if necessary.
The next ethical issue, another teacher upset one of his pupils by belittling them. To belittle a child does them absolutely no good. He stated that it was "preparing her for the real world" Confidence in young children should only be encouraged and is the teacher's job to try and boost confidence.