Critical Reflection on Professional Practitioner Inquiry
This module has improved my independent thinking and learning. I've enjoyed the process of reaching my final inquiry choice.
My initial ideas in task 4a were questions with special interest in general and dance teaching. I began with the topic of respect in teaching which emerged from my engagement with my SIG; task 4b and I really had intended on looking into it more because I've found that I've struggled to gain respect in the past. But after some deep thinking I started to steer clear of general teaching because I had to consider my future more appropriately. I aim to do my PGCE and I realised that a lot of the questions I'd developed could be answered during that time.
In my task 4a-4c I started to think about my future dance school from my discussion with my mother (a very experienced teacher) over my dance teaching question based on running a dance school without employing a dance syllabus. This influenced me to go all out on the topic; 'How to have a successful dance school?' and did my literature research based on this. (see my first Task 4d) With the very valuable help from discussions within my SIG via facebook (see task 4b 2) and Alan Durrant's feedback, I started to get my act together and appreciate the reckless decision I'd made. It was too broad.
I began to think more about my current place of work and the issues I have right now, as I believed these would give more supportive reasons for the importance of my inquiry. Thus, I came up with focusing on weaknesses that my younger students have; confidence, imagination, physical strength and stamina. So I redid task 4d and researched articles relating to confidence and imagination in the limited time that I had left.
My developed ethical considerations for my inquiry topic were influenced by Reader 5 on Professional ethics. The three theoretical approaches; Deontology, Consequentialism and Virtue ethics helped me to think about my own views and approaches. Although my current approach to my inquiry is to use a mixture of the three approaches, previously during task 5c I initially thought that being a christian was Consequentialism alongside Virtue ethics [see paragraph 8.] I hadn't considered the ethical dilemma with consequentialism for getting the best out of my project by any means, right or wrong. This would be unfair of me as a professional researcher and a christian to put myself first before the participants, plus I believe my inquiry questions and proposed topic gives me no reason to lie. In Good Qualities of a Researcher it gives the good attributes/qualities to have during a research project [paragraph 10] which has influenced my approach greatly.
Within my project there are aspects that require me to think beyond the research and consider what impacts could occur. I joined a discussion in my SIG on facebook about things to take care on within the project, referring to ethics, and I came up with a statement on different tools that I planned on using at the time in task 5d. Since then, I've conducted a pilot questionnaire and interview which confirmed the importance of my proposed inquiry and the right methodology to use. [see task 6b]
The final part of this process was to consider my Award Title. This was decided after I'd handed in my draft to Alan of which I was advised to reduce the aspects of my chosen inquiry to just one to be able to conduct a deeper research. So now my Inquiry proposal is 'How do children (age range; four to seven) improve confidence through dance?'
Not only have my SIG within the course been at my aide, but also my SIG outside such as my family who are all teachers and my boss. [see task 4a-4c for proof of this engagement].
Literature links:
http://www.brentstreet.com.au/Programs/Petite/boost-kids-confidence
http://www.danceadvantage.net/positively-focused/
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/more/pshe/contents_developingconfidence.htm
http://confident1.com/how-to-build-self-confidence-through-activity
http://education.jiva.com/Lack-Of-Confidence.asp
http://www.sheknows.co.uk/parenting/articles/817143/why-dancing-is-good-for-your-child-s-confidence
Support on research:
http://qrj.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/07/22/1468794113495039.full.pdf+html <[page 3]
http://www.bps.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/code_of_human_research_ethics.pdf
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