Here we go - The Final Hurdle!

I can’t believe how fast the final module has come around. It was lovely to have some time off, clear my mind and tweek a few things on my assignment but now I am ready to start my inquiry and make it the best it can be!

I have a meeting with my SIG Group tonight which will allow us to talk through the material given to us already – my brain feels like it’s going to explode already!

I have already carried out meetings with professionals in the area of my inquiry so will be blogging about my findings shortly but for now wish me luck and I’ll see you on the other side.

Task 4D - Literature 2

The second piece of literature I found was an article published in the Guardian. It dates back in 2012, however I still feel it is relevant to my inquiry.

Some questions that have arisen whilst developing my inquiry have been, “Do performers go into teaching as a last resort or because they have a passion for it?” “What makes a good teacher?” Having discussed this point with a few of my colleagues it has become apparent that passion for your subject or teaching is essential to make your lessons both enjoyable and engaging.

I found this article extremely interesting as I felt it touched on some important issues I wish to explore further in my inquiry. She states, “For me, it's the passion for your subject and interest in the success of your students that matters more than how all the acronyms add up. This is what will make you a good teacher. There's still room for individuals but you have to have the confidence and passion for your subject to make it work.” I completely agree with this statement as I believe that the love for what you are doing will bring the subject to life.

Later in the article, the writer states that many people drop out of teaching after only a few years due to the high workload and demands upon them. The article concludes by providing some words of advice to anyone wishing to pursue a career in teaching.

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/aug/12/why-i-became-a-teacher

Task 4D - Literature 1

Literature 1 – Making sense of Drama, A guide to classroom practice by Jonothan Neelands.

As my idea for my inquiry is the transition from practitioner to teacher I thought I’d look into articles or books that related to this topic. Whilst conducting research in my local library I came across, “Making sense of drama, a guide to classroom practice” by Jonothan Neelands. It was first published in 1984 by Heinemann Educational Books Ltd.

This book is designed to give teachers from all subject areas an insight and confidence to explore the possibilities of drama in the classroom. It helps practitioners to plan and evaluate drama lessons as well as exploring the relationship between classroom drama and performances.

I thought that this book was an interesting find and would be useful when I carry out my inquiry because I want to pursue a career in the education world, whether that be in primary or secondary teaching. As I have mentioned previously, I currently teach a Saturday drama class at a dance school but this book highlights the attitude of a teacher in an educational setting.

A direct quote from the book is, “Drama (in the educational context) is not as concerned with the transmission of theatre-skills as it is with the construction of imagined experience. Imagined experience (controlled by the conventions of game and theatre) is seen as being particularly efficient context for children to try out and experiment with new ideas, concepts, values, roles and language in action (i.e. in the situational context in which they would naturally occur). Drama is to do with the child experiencing rather than with the child performing.” This also relates to my inquiry as I wanted to explore if a performer had any skills that could be transferred to a teacher role. It states that though the skills are important it isn’t as important as imagination.

Task 6B - Tools of Inquiry

Reader 6 introduces us to the available tools that may help us when we actually carry out the inquiry in module 3. Throughout module 2, I found it very important to remember that I am collecting evidence not ‘proving’ a theory.

There are 4 main research methods: interviews, observations including participant observation, focus groups and surveys. I intend to experiment with all 4 options, record my findings and use this information to determine which method is the most effective for my specific inquiry.

Within my inquiry, I will always have to consider the need for confidentiality. I believe that pupils and teachers are more likely to provide frank and honest answers when they know that their responses are anonymous. I will assure them that, even if any interviews are recorded, they will only be referred to as “Teacher A” or “Pupil B” for example, should their comments be included in my submitted documentation. It is also important to remain non-biased, you should not let your feelings affect any data and, when interviewing, the questions must not be “leading”. The reader also recommends the collection of data from different sources and viewpoints to ensure a well-balanced inquiry.

Method 1 – Observations

This is simply watching, recording and analysing events of interest. This is considered to be the most time consuming as it involves attending a class, taking notes and then completing further analysis. However, the results obtained provide the most information and gives a real representation of what happens. Ethics, permission and confidentiality are all vitally important when conducting observations. Videoing, writing notes even taping are all acceptable ways to fully record your observation but you must ensure that the correct forms are filled out to ensure confidentiality. Ensure you have obtained consent from any higher authority such as, the head teacher or manager, before conducting your observation.

Method 2 – Interviews

This method does what it says on the tin –you collect what people say and use it as evidence. Interviews can be conducted out in many different formats, one to one, face to face, on the telephone, via an exchange of emails, in small groups using pre prepared questions or merely having a “starter” question and seeing where the conversation goes from there. You need to consider how you phrase your questions. Closed questions are fine when you just need to establish a quick response but for the purpose of this exercise about  I would prefer to use open ended questions as they give the participant more opportunity to expand their views. They can also open up avenues to more questions that you might not have considered. It is important not to lead the participant to give the answer you think but allow them to answer freely, use starters like, ‘In your experience’.

Method 3 – Focus Groups

Focus groups are more about the interaction between the participants. Bell comments “focus groups are more likely to include members who either have similar characteristics or experience… or are known to have a professional concern about and knowledge of the issues involved.” (2005, p. 162) Due to having more people asking participants to identify themselves might help when recording information and accuracy. You need to be careful to keep the group on track as the conversation can very quickly go off at a tangent.. Strong personalities can also influence the group and make the outcome less informative A seating plan can prove quite effective in that scenario but, in any event make sure that everybody gets the opportunity to air their views and it is not monopolised by a noisy few.

Gatekeeper – head teacher or manager

Method 4 – Surveys and Questionnaires

The main purpose of these are to gather data from a large amount of people. You need to think about the sequence of questions, the wording, whether the questions make sense and are visually well presented. Each question should be relevant to your inquiry.  A letter explaining the purpose of the questionnaire and thanking all participants should be attached when sending the document in the post.

Development of inquiry questions

After chatting with my SIG I chose to link together some of my questions because I felt that there was an element of overlapping and the answers provided addressed more than one question. Consequently the revised questions are:

·         Is there a difference between teaching an academic subject and an arts subject? Please clarify your answer?

·         What skills are needed to become a good teacher? Are there any skills that a performer may possess that are transferable?

·         If recruiting a drama teacher, would you prefer to hire an ex performer with no teaching qualifications or a teacher with a degree but no performing experience?

·         Do performers go into teaching as a last resort or because they have a passion for it?

·         Do you think that performers should give up performing when they become teaching? Do you think it should be kept separate from their practice?

Any help will always be appreciated! Let me know if you think of anything I have missed that you feel may be of benefit.

Task 4C - First draft of questions

The initial question that popped into my mind when considering the transition from practitioner to teacher was,

 “Does being a talented performer necessarily make you a good teacher?”

With this in mind I thought about my existing skills and those that I would need to develop, what makes a good teacher, what makes a bad teacher and my vision of the type of teacher I aspire to be.

Most of the questions that I raised were very wide ranging with too many potential responses so I decided that I needed to be more specific and hone down the field of inquiry to provide a database that would be more useful when conducting the research during Module 3.

These are the first set of questions to which I will seek feedback from my SIG group and colleagues. Based upon the feedback I receive I will then adapt them to ensure that I cover all necessary areas and phrase the questions so there is no ambiguity when consulting the final focus group.

·         Which route did you follow to become a teacher? Traditional – B(Ed), PGCE. Alternative – Schools Direct, Teach First, Other.

·         Did you enjoy this route?

·         What made you decide to teach?

·         What makes a good drama teacher?

·         Is there a difference between teaching an academic subject and teaching an arts subject? How?

·         Does having a degree mean you are more qualified for the job?

·         What is more desirable, experience or a degree?

·         Does having more experience within the performance industry mean you will be more respected as an arts teacher?

·         Do all performers go into teaching?

·         Should performers give up performing when they start teaching? Why?

·         What preparation would you ideally have done in order to prepare for the transition? Any advice to those wishing to do so?

Ethics with my Inquiry

I intend to speak to current performers and teachers who have already transitioned into the education industry. I will need to be aware of confidentiality as well as obtaining any parental permission to observe lessons and record notes.

I also feel that arts teachers aren’t ‘traditional teachers’. They need to create a space where pupils can express themselves freely and have creative ownership over their work. This can sometimes disrupt the student/teacher dynamic e.g. always maintaining a professional relationship and teachers ensure their personal information is kept private.  

I will also need to discuss with my current colleagues and SIG for other areas or ethics that I may need to consider.