A quick re-cap on transformative learning theory

I have been accumulating everything that I have so far learnt about Transformative learning theory. The image above is a very condensed version, but I have put this onto my wall so that I can consistently keep on studying it. I have done this in order to become as familiar as possible with the theory before I commence my data collection (semi-structured interviews). I am sharing it here as I thought it may be useful for others to see a more visual representation of one element (or discourse) of my inquiry topic; How could different teaching methods/theories affect ballet pedagogy and will they positively optimise young dancer's abilities?

Also, I have 2 new key words to add to the glossary;
1. Critical Transivity - global and critical thinking enabling you to initiate/find change in oneself.
2. Individuation - the process by which individuals in society become differentiated from one another.

Trying my best to expand my academic vocabulary and always on the hunt to understand and incorporate new words... if anyone has any more word suggestions please comment below. Also if you are a teacher and interested in being part of my discussion for my inquiry please let me know in the comments below!

Key words, key message; keep the glossary updated!

On Tuesday we had our first module 3 skype session. We were discussing the vocabulary written about in our handbooks and key academic words that we all should be familiarizing ourselves with throughout the BAPP course. Here are some descriptions to add to the your glossary;

• Artifact - put simply this is a thing/object that is evidence of something's existence. In the new module 1 handbooks they are advised to find the artifacts that represent their practice. For example, for me as a ballet dancer some artifacts relevant to my practice would be; pointe shoes, costumes, show programmes, practice skirts (romantic skirts or classical tutu etc. 
• Triangulation - This is when you compare 3 sources. So in terms to understand for the inquiry this would be comparing sources such as the literature, data collection and personal reflections. Bringing these sources together is called triangulating the data.
• Ethnography -   This is a word which I had been pretty certain that I understood.... until Adesola started to explain and I discovered that my understanding of ethnography was WAY off!... ethnography is when you are present in an event. For example, studying your own practice and witnessing the events first hand is an ethnography, compared to reading about an event which you are in no way involved in. If you are taking a reflexive approach (reflecting on a situating as it happens) an reflexive ethnography means that you are actively considering a situation which you are witnessing. 
• Paradigm - Essentially think of this as broadening a view. Seeing a situation from one perspective but then stopping to consider a different perspective which could lead to a change in understanding or in correct terms, a paradigm shift. 
• Discourse - This is the ongoing discussions surrounding a subject. Adesola used Brexit as an example and all the many discourses surrounding it as a topic (the pound, immigration etc.)

I hope this helps anyone who missed the skype session, it has certainly helped me to understand them further by taking time to explain these again. Also... *note to self*.... keep the glossary updated ready for when you come to write!!

What do you look for in a teacher?

During my research this week I came across an article by Kolb and Kalogeropoulou called In Defence of Ballet: Women, Agency and the Philosophy of Pleasure (2012). This article explores the positives of authoritarian teaching methods and why women (in particular) continue to want to join ballet classes and seek out the pleasure from within the art form and it's tough training.

Reading this article allowed me to start to reflect on what I look for in a teacher. Why do I enjoy ballet class? What do I expect from my teachers? I noted down a list of reflections in my journal;

• Gives corrections in a positive and critical manner
• Radiates an energy and brings the studio atmosphere to life
• Is mindfully 100% present in the studio
• Always searching for a resolution to a problem, does not settle or accept that something 'isn't possible' for someone
• Individual focus...to everyone! Does not prioritise some students over others
• Honesty (carefully worded and considerate of a students feelings)
• Always searching for the positive as well as the yet to be established improvements
• Installs confidence in others
• Motivates students to keep pushing (physically and mentally)
• Is an inspiration to students
• Educates in discipline, self-motivation and positive mindset

Following this (though not particularly wanting to look on the negative side) I thought it important to note down what I definitely do not look for in a teacher. This reflection was not as joyful as the first, but I think it is important for me to have these realisations so that I can consciously decide to not do any of the following when I am teaching; 

• Shows a lack in energy and interest in the class
• Delivers corrections with the basis of negativity
• Removes confidence from students (for example, by telling them that they can not achieve something)
• Prioritises certain students, leaving others feeling rejected and not worthy of attention
• Gives up on motivating students to achieve a correction before the student has had time to process said correction
• Values respect over the well being of students
• Cares more for personal achievements than watching students celebrate personal achievements
• Attacking nature whilst correcting - works by scaring the student by negatively enforcing corrections
• Harshly strict and speaks without first considering the potential consequences (specifically mental) effects that could be imposed on a student.

If anyone has any additional points to either list or disagrees with any of my opinions of what I look for in a teacher, please comment below so that we can discuss! 

Reference:

- Kolb, A. and Kalogeropoulou, S. (2012). In Defence of Ballet: Women, Agency and the Philosophy of Pleasure. Dance Research, [online] 30(2), pp.107-125. Available at: https://www-euppublishing-com.ezproxy.mdx.ac.uk/doi/full/10.3366/drs.2012.0042 [Accessed 5 Feb. 2019]. 

Module 3; the beginning..

Over the Christmas break I have had opportunity to reflect on my inquiry topic and what I hope to gain from it. I will continue my reflections here for those that are interested!..

As a professional ballet dancer who when in between performing contracts works at local dance and performing arts schools as a teacher, I decided that the hole in my knowledge lies within teaching methodology. I trained at vocational schools where my education was based solely on furthering myself in a career as a performer. I have never had formal training as a teacher (although I can claim that my technical knowledge of dance is vast but not complete). I would like to learn more about teaching and learning theories that lead to bringing the best out of students. Therefore my inquiry question is "How could different teaching methods/theories affect ballet pedagogy and will they positively optimise young dancer's abilities?"

As a student I was often taught under a strict authoritarian method, where I was just expected to listen and apply corrections, never being encouraged to question or reflect on how I personally could better myself. I was dependent on the teacher to tell me what to do and how to do it. Reflecting on this in module 1 I realised that this could have affected me personally long term as I entered my career. Starting out in the industry I was scared to speak up, scared to put myself out there, lacking in confidence in my own abilities and unknowing in how to continue to better myself without a teachers presence. I wander if this is down to the way I was taught and how classes were conducted at school?

It was this reflection that led me to consider different learning theories.

Since turning in my inquiry proposal plan, new challenges have developed in my professional practice. I have taken on some new classes at new schools which to say the least haven't been the easiest to adapt to. I have been very conscious to try to not involve too much authoritarian method in my teaching practice however these more challenging classes have led me to some interesting questions; is authoritarian teaching what parents of non-vocational students expect from ballet classes? After all, ballet training doesn't just teach technique, it is also an education in manners and respect. Is this important to the training and could it take away from the education if I were to use a different methodology? And should I be more specific in this inquiry as to researching the teaching methods in vocational or non-vocational training? Should the methods used be different depending on what kind of school you attend? And out of all of this - how do I focus my search in order to find the best benefits to my practice?

I will keep you updated as my reflections and findings unfold throughout this inquiry. But please in the meantime, comment below if you have any thoughts or opinions (or questions) for me to consider. It would be of great help and hugely appreciated! 

Module 2; Creating the structure!

This morning I had an incredibly helpful 1:1 tutorial with Adesola. We discussed my inquiry topic idea, ethics and structuring my time for module 3. 

I had been worrying that I couldn't find any literature contradicting my thoughts of how a ballet dancer's voice is silenced during ballet training. Adesola corrected me in thinking that there wasn't anything out there - I just haven't found the right way to search for it yet. But this could take years, and this course and inquiry isn't about trying to prove a point. It is about trying to fill in the gaps. I have been formally trained as a technical dancer, not as a teacher. Therefore this inquiry for me is to try to fill some of gaps in my knowledge to help further my practice in teaching. 

So instead of worrying about finding literature that goes against my opinions of the subject, I am instead going to continue to focus on the different teaching techniques and explore the literature around them - including the outcomes that other scholars have discovered. 

In my last post I discussed my new 'sharing rule' in class. Adesola pointed out to me that I don't actually know for sure yet how this will effect the class as right now I still haven't done enough research into the results of using this peer review technique. Therefore in a way I am experimenting on the class (which sounds utterly awful and is far from my intention of bringing the class together in a focused, positive and uplifting environment.) But this has made me aware that I do need to research further into different teaching techniques and the outcome effects that they have on the students (before I introduce them to my classroom). 

This brings me on to deciding to interview teachers and their own opinions on the best ways to conduct a class in order to bring the best out of their students. Learning is a very individual thing and everyone learns differently. But to find a way that makes everyone feel included in a classroom situation would be an ultimate aim now for me. And to do this I need 

Module 2 is about creating a structure (or a road to travel down) for module 3. During module 3 we may stray away as we uncover new ideas, but the structure will be there to pull us back to the main road so that we can continue to travel towards the aim we set out with. So my next plan is to start to structure out my time - first for the rest of this module and then for module 3, so that I have more of a plan to go forward with. 

So onward with planning the rest of this module, writing my first draft of my proposal and completing the MORE form.

My ‘sharing rule’

For my inquiry, an idea I have been looking into is ballet pedagogy and how it effects a dancer’s personal identity; particularly focussing on how it silences a dancer’s voice. Speaking to a friend last night who I went to school with, without any prompting from me, she bought up how she now struggles in ‘regular’ jobs; if she doesn’t have an authority figure instructing her on what to do, she feels at a loss for what she should be doing. She is working in a primary school as a teacher’s assistant and has been struggling to keep herself busy when not instructed. She also feels nervous and shy whenever a person with higher authority does talk to her, as if she doesn’t feel worthy or appropriate to speak up her ideas. She puts this down to her upbringing in ballet. 

In the ballet studio we are instructed the whole time and we are taught to obey our teachers without hesitation. Not to say that this isn’t always a bad thing, as we have grown up with respect, manners and some would say the best hardworking mentalities and drive for perfection in whatever we set ourselves to achieve. However do we now struggle to speak up from being taught as forever inferior to the person with authority in the room? At vocational ballet schools you had to abide by the rules of the studio, or risk being assessed out therefore ending or at very least stunting your career pursuit. Don’t get me wrong, I adored every second of my ballet training, however since entering the working world, I have at times struggled to network myself or speak up to get myself noticed as it just hasn’t ever been a part of my upbringing. 

So, I have been looking at how I can make a change in the studio for my students that I teach. This half term I have begun to enforce a new ‘sharing’ rule. I separate the class into groups and then as one group dances, the other sits with me to watch and then we share with each other what was good and where they could improve. If a student, for example, recommends that another’s pirouette is falling to one side during their turn, we discuss how they can correct this and what they can look out for in themselves in the future. I have noticed the classroom become much more lively and concentrated. They feel more involved and I have noticed physical improvements in all as well as in their confidence when they dance for each other. I recommend other teachers give this ‘sharing rule’ a go ...and if you do, please let me know the outcome and what you notice in your students! 

Also if anyone has had similar experiences or indeed the complete opposite to myself and my friend at vocational ballet schools, please comment below so that we can discuss! Any ideas for further research, teaching tips etc are greatly appreciated. 

Transmission, transactional and transformative learning

One of my initial ideas for my inquiry and one that plays on my mind daily is the silencing of a ballet dancer’s voice during training and how this effects us as professionals and human beings. Since graduating I have experienced working in professional ballet companies as well as in the fitness industry and during this time I have discovered how much I have grown to shy away from speaking up. During my training as a ballet dancer I was always taught to only speak when absolutely necessary and even then I would, I’d often be shot down for speaking up. Essentially I have grown up with the understanding that I must be told what to do and never question this. And now this has affected me going into my adult life, I have had to work hard to push past these boundaries of silence in order to put myself out there so that I can forward my career. For it is the 21st century, and my voice should never feel the need to be silenced.

Maybe I am the only one that feels this way, or maybe others are experiencing the same as me, but this is something I would like to find out. And then looking ahead to my career, work out how I can push past these boundaries and also how I can make a change in the studio for my students that I teach.

During my research into this idea I have been looking into teaching theories, 3 of which stand out;
- Transmission
- Transactional
- Transformative
I believe I experienced predominantly transmissional teaching (where knowledge is transmitted directly from teacher to student in a predetermined order). Transactional teaching was also a necessity where we would be encouraged to draw on our own past knowledge with current experiences in order to further our learning. But my intrigue is whether I can start to incorporate some more transformative teaching methods and whether or not this will have positive affects on the student and the ballet industry.

Transformative teaching was developed by Jack Mezirow. It provides opportunity for critical thinking and acting on new perspectives. Students are encouraged to question what they see as correct in order to become more open minded and break down barriers which may be holding them back from fully developing their capabilities and talents.

But could this work in the ballet studio? Ballet technique is essentially quite black and white, but could this help with how individuals can personally achieve the technique in their own way? And more than that, could it help us retain our individuality and allow us to be confident and speak up to promote ourselves and our beliefs?

References
https://www.learning-theories.com/transformative-learning-theory-mezirow.html 24/10/18;

Mezirow, J. (2009). Transformative learning theory. In J. Mezirow, and E. W. Taylor (Eds), Transformative Learning in Practise: Insights from Community.

Christie, M., Carey, M., Robertson, A., & Grainger, P. (2015). Putting transformative learning theory into practice. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 55(1), 10-30

Howie, P. & Bagnall, R. (2013). A beautiful metaphor: Transformative learning theory. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 32(6), 816-836

Johnson, A. (2015). Three views of teaching: transmission, transaction and transformation. [Blog] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/three-views-teaching-transmission-transaction-andrew-johnson [Accessed 24 Oct. 2018].