Purpose
The study investigates and discusses how Swedish kindergarten teachers work with and understand dance teaching, and compares the findings with the requirements stipulated in the curricula for teaching in aesthetic expressions.
Result
The results show that kindergarten teachers place a strong focus on the children and allow them to influence the dance instruction. The kindergarten teachers are flexible, they adapt to the needs of each individual child, they view the children as competent co-creators and they collaborate with colleagues to inspire each other. However, the kindergarten teachers rarely describe their own bodily involvement when dancing is taught in their kindergarten. They have difficulty imagining specific dance skills, and many also state that choreography seems intimidating to them. In the study, the lack of personal bodily knowledge and choreographic tools is seen in relation to the children’s opportunities to develop dance skills.
Design
The study is qualitative and is based on semi-structured group interviews and single interviews with kindergarten teachers in 17 different kindergartens in Sweden. The questions focused on experiences and attitudes towards dance, spontaneous dance activities among kindergarten children, teacher-led dance in kindergarten, as well as documentation of dance activities, the highlighting of dance in local plans, and communication with parents regarding dance work. The interviews were conducted in 2019 and later analysed using a thematic narrative approach.
References
Pastorek Gripson, M., Lindqvist, A., & Østern, T. P. (2022). ‘We put on the music and then the children dance’ - Swedish preschool teachers’ dance educational experiences. Research in Dance Education, 23(3), 337–359.
Online year: 2021
Issue year: 2022
Review year: 2022