Tuesday 7 May 2013

Literature Review 2: Motivational Climates: What They Are, and Why They Matter

http://www.iadms.org/associations/2991/files/info/Bulletin_for_Teachers_3-2_pp5-7_Miulli.pdf

This article promotes the use of a task-involving climate in the dance class.

It cites as evidence four credible research studies comparing ego-involving and task-involving climates. 

The evidence was overwhelmingly in favour of a task-involving climate.  I did find this surprising, I could see task-involving being beneficial in an everyday general dance class, but I  felt that the more serious the student, the more an ego-involving climate might work for them. These students strive for perfection, comparing and competing with peers for coveted scholarship places, basically preparing them for life as a professional dancer. 

The article gave the reader a general view of the subject with the use of a table outlining the differences in task and ego involving climates:

Task–involving climates focus on the students self-improvement, learning, co-operation and individual effort.

Ego-involving climate focuses on objective success and competition, accompanied by punishment for mistakes, rivalry, social comparison and favoritism.

Research proved that where students felt they were in an ego-involving climate they were more likely to worry about their performance, had a harder time concentrating on their dancing, dwelt on their mistakes, felt less competent in the dance setting and were less creative than when taught in a task-involving climate.

It therefore, challenged teachers to promote task-involving climates in the dance classes by giving:

·         Equal attention, support and recognition to all dancers, not just the star students;
·         Setting students individual milestones;
·         Developing a passion in the student for the entire learning process not just the end result;
·         Encouraging self-improvement in the student rather than simply being the best;
·         Rewarding effort, not success.

The rewards are the development of a calm dance class where students feel in control, and dancers who are more autonomous, healthy and creative.

Betty xx

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