Browsing by Author "Leppänen, Taneli"

Objectives. The purpose of this study is to find out what opportunities dance teachers in primary school see in dance education, as well as what goals they have had in their teaching. The purpose of the study is also to describe the experiences of dance teachers in their work. Methods. For the study, six people who taught dance in primary school were interviewed. The interview had features typical of both the thematic interview and the narrative interview. The material was spelled out and analyzed by means of content analysis. Results and conclusions. The interviewees considered the possibilities of dance diverse. Dance was thought to be a tool for developing self-awareness and self-image, as well as developing skills that support schooling, such as concentration and calming down. Dance was thought to promote movement skills, as well as develop expression skills and emotional skills. The teaching goals that emerged most clearly from the material were to develop movement skills, practice social skills and being in a group, increase body awareness, presence and self-understanding, and become acquainted with dance and increase dance knowledge. The teachers ’stories showed that they find the teaching of dance rewarding and meaningful. They also felt that the students liked the dance and the dancing had been accompanied by a sense of togetherness. According to the interviewees, being in contact with other students when dancing was nice for some students and challenging for some. Interviewees found it sometimes challenging to manage the group and involving students in dance.