Search Results (22)

Elementary music teachers in the United States face many challenges today, including an increasing cultural divide between teachers and students, worsening student behavior, and excessive exposure to technology in children’s lives. These challenges are magnified due to the hundreds of students elementary music teachers see weekly, the lack of teaching and planning time, and inadequate teaching resources, making it difficult to fully understand the culture and learning needs of every child. However, music educators may find culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) a useful tool for meeting the needs of a diverse student body. Further, when teachers engage in kid culture, the environments and activities that only children have, there is a plethora of music and media to use that children prefer that can help increase engagement and reduce behavioral problems. In this Perspective article, I provide three sample lessons that model instructional strategies that challenge current systems of power and representation in music education and center student agency through singing, chanting, moving, playing, and creating. Using repertoire that students already know and prefer, such as “Old Town Road,” Fortnite dances, and the song “See You Again”, draws from children’s funds of knowledge. Moving away from the Western art music canon and traditional formal education structures (like standard notation) in favor of learning by ear, peer collaboration, and improvisation decolonizes the curriculum. Critical reflexivity occurs when the teacher acts as a learner, constantly adjusting lessons to ensure student agency and addressing ethical issues, such as the intellectual property rights of creators whose work is used in media like Fortnite. By using melodies, songs, and video game movements children already know, music teachers can use the materials and learning processes in kid culture to engage in culturally sustaining pedagogy. I aim to inspire educators and researchers to reflect on sustaining children’s dynamic, cultural practices and better understand how to authentically bring popular music and media into elementary music lessons to provide a more engaging, relevant, and transformative music education. Full article

With advances in artificial intelligence and computer vision, pose recognition-based feedback systems are increasingly being introduced into dance classes to support movement understanding and error correction. However, how learners interpret and adopt such feedback during actual classroom use, and how this process shapes their intention to continue using the system, remains insufficiently understood. This study develops and validates a three-layer “System–Psychological–Experience” model, with learning experience positioned as the key mechanism linking antecedent factors to usage intention. A sequential mixed-methods design was employed. In Phase 1, interviews were conducted with 20 dance majors to identify factors relevant to classroom integration. In Phase 2, structural equation modeling was performed using 398 valid survey responses. In Phase 3, explanatory interviews with five students and five teachers were conducted to further interpret the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that learning experience was the strongest direct predictor of usage intention (β = 0.409, p < 0.001). At the system layer, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use contributed to usage intention mainly by strengthening learning experience. At the psychological layer, system trust and perceived value showed the same indirect pattern through learning experience. Teaching context also played an important role. Teaching compatibility directly enhanced learning experience, while teacher influence both strengthened learning experience and indirectly contributed to usage intention by increasing system trust and perceived value. Overall, the findings suggest that learners’ intention to continue using pose recognition-based feedback systems is closely associated with their overall learning experience in teacher-mediated classroom practice, and the study offers implications for classroom-oriented design. Full article

Recreational dance offers significant psychological well-being potential. However, traditional instruction emphasizes technique while limiting attention to nervous system development and embodied meaning-making. Despite empirical support for polyvagal theory, motor learning science, somatic education, and phenomenology, their systematic integration into unified structures is not clearly established in recreational dance contexts. This protocol integrates nervous system regulation, motor learning, and creative expression within structured Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) modern dance syllabus for recreational adults. It presents a 12-week integrated dance-mindfulness intervention addressing this gap through a three-phase structure grounded in neuroscience and embodied pedagogy. The intervention comprises eight standardized components delivered weekly. The randomized controlled trial evaluates intervention effects using the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), and the Leisure Involvement Scale (LIS). Qualitative assessment via semi-structured phenomenological interviews (Weeks 8 and 12) and weekly journaling captures somatic awareness, nervous system resilience, technical confidence, creative expression, relational and social belonging, and embodied meaning-making. Intervention participants are expected to show significantly greater improvements compared to controls. Results will establish evidence-based practice standards for recreational dance and demonstrate neuroscience integration’s efficacy for psychological wellbeing and embodied meaning-making. Full article

Objectives/Background: In this study, we aimed to examine the associations of participation in leisure dance activity with perceived health status, happiness level, and perceptions of leisure, and the relevance of demographic characteristics to these associations. Moreover, we sought to explore ways of revitalizing leisure dance activity. Methods: We used data from the 2022 Korea National Leisure Activity Survey organized by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. The 2022 Korea National Leisure Activity Survey was conducted from September to November 2022. The survey was conducted among 10,046 Koreans aged ≥15 who lived in 17 cities and provinces across the country. The participants were informed about the survey schedule in advance, and interviews were conducted at the participants’ homes using tablet PCs. Random telephone verification was performed on the recovered questionnaires to ensure the accuracy of responses. Questionnaires that passed the first verification were subjected to secondary verification by a computerized program, and questionnaires that did not pass the verification were supplemented and re-examined. The collected data were entered electronically through an encoding process, and only the data that passed the final test were compiled in the multi-stage verification process. The data were analyzed using frequency analysis, chi-squared tests, and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the 1004 participants, 655 (6.5%) participated in leisure dance activity. Women, individuals in their twenties and thirties, college graduates or those with lower-level educational qualifications, and unmarried individuals were more likely to participate in leisure dance activities. In addition, leisure dance activities were found to be likely to increase happiness levels and leisure life satisfaction, and leisure expenses were likely to be low. Conclusions: Schools should provide high-quality dance education and enhance the professionalism of physical education teachers in the management of dance classes. This is because dance-related experiences in childhood can increase the likelihood of engaging in dancing in adulthood. Efforts are also needed to increase men’s awareness of and participation in leisure dance activities and to lower barriers to entry. The convergence of dance, games, and technology can make this possible. Full article

This study examined the effects of using specially designed AI-mediated pronunciation application in enhancing the production of English fricative consonants among Thai English for Specific Purposes (ESP) learners. The research utilized a quasi-experimental design involving intact classes of 74 undergraduate students majoring in Thai Dance and Music Education, divided into control (N = 38) and experimental (N = 36) groups. Grounded in Skill Acquisition Theory, the experimental group received pronunciation training via a custom-designed AI application leveraging automatic speech recognition (ASR), offering ESP contextualized practices, real-time, and individualized feedback. In contrast, the control group underwent traditional teacher-led articulatory and teacher-assisted feedback. Pre- and post-test evaluations measured pronunciation for nine target fricatives in ESP-relevant contexts. The statistical analyses revealed significant improvements in both groups, with the AI-mediated group demonstrating substantially greater gains, particularly on challenging sounds absent in Thai, such as /θ/, /ð/, /z/, /ʃ/, and /h/. The findings underscore the potential of AI-driven interventions to address language-specific phonological challenges through personalized, immediate feedback and adaptive practices. The study provides empirical evidence for integrating advanced technology into ESP pronunciation pedagogy, informing future curriculum design for EFL contexts. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed, emphasizing tailored technological solutions for language learners with specific phonological profiles. Full article

The urgent need to transform initial teacher education (ITE) in Australia has reached a critical juncture, as the Quality Initial Teacher Education (QITE) Review reveals concerning attrition rates with nearly 40% of ITE students sleaving within six years and approximately one in five beginning teachers exiting within their first three years. Traditional approaches to teacher preparation are failing to adequately equip educators for contemporary classrooms, particularly in developing the cultural responsiveness needed to serve Australia’s diverse student populations. This paper presents a case for reconceptualising ITE through pedagogical features that underpin dance education as a transformative vehicle for reform. In this context, dance education is defined as structured movement-based learning that integrates physical expression, cognitive development, cultural understanding, and pedagogical skills through embodied practices. Through a critical discourse analysis of recent Australian policy documents including the Teacher Education Expert Panel (TEEP) Report and Quality Initial Teacher Education (QITE) Review, alongside systematic examination of international empirical research on dance education, this study reveals how dance education’s inherent integration of physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and cultural learning uniquely addresses persistent challenges in teacher education. This article suggests that embedding dance education principles throughout ITE programs could revolutionise teacher preparation by providing embodied understanding of learning processes while developing practical teaching skills. This innovative approach holds particular promise in developing teachers who are not only technically skilled but also emotionally intelligent and culturally responsive, with implications extending beyond Australia to teacher preparation programs internationally. Full article

The physical inactivity of adolescents and their sedentary lifestyle with profuse usage of screens has been a growing issue for the last few years. In contrast, there is some evidence that videogame-based exercising improves cognitive abilities and psychological well-being during growth and maturation. Therefore, there is a need for the wider exploration of innovation tools in physical education (PE) and extracurricular activities for schoolchildren. The aim of this study was to determine the change in psychological well-being and cognitive skills of adolescents when exercising is supplemented with videogame-based activity. The short-term physical activity (PA) program, initiated by in-service PE teachers (n = 3), involved 13–15-year-old adolescents (n = 63, of them 20 were boys) from one of biggest cities in Lithuania. The research subjects were participants of extracurricular exercise groups on a regular basis, attending their respective three-times-a-week sessions for 1 month. The first intervention group engaged in a 60 min functional training program (FT group, n = 31). The second group had 30 min of FT followed by 30 min of video-based dance class (FT + Just Dance group, n = 32). The Trail-Making test (part A and B), the Visual Digit Span test, and the Stroop test were performed to investigate students’ cognitive abilities. In addition, the WHO-5 questionnaire was used to analyse the respondents’ psychological well-being. When comparing pre- and post-intervention results, no changes were observed in the psychological state, visual–executive skills, and short-term visual memory in both groups. Reaction time improved significantly in both groups (p < 0.05). The working memory significantly improved in the FT + Just Dance group (p < 0.05). The implementation of videogame-based training, Just Dance, improved adolescents’ working memory, but had no effect on subjectively perceived psychological well-being. Full article

Background/Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, children in Japan were restricted from sports and outdoor activities. Regular physical activity is essential for healthy growth and development in children, with recommendations advocating for activities such as strength training. However, the long-term effects of the restrictions have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an “exercise class”, specifically a dance program, designed to improve motor function in elementary school children affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which may have compromised their motor function. Methods: The dance program was developed by a sports science teacher, a professional dancer, and a physical therapist, and it was evaluated in a community-based participatory study. Trained dance instructors conducted one-hour dance sessions in a medical center, held once a week for two months from June to August 2023. A physical therapist and dance instructors led the elementary school children. Outcome measures included grip strength, lower extremity muscle strength, back muscle strength, dynamic balance function during movement, physical activity time, and body fat percentages. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. Results: Twenty-four children aged 6–9 years participated in the exercise class over a two-month period. Improvement was observed in grip strength, lower extremity muscle strength, and dynamic balance function during movement. However, physical activity time, body fat percentages, and back muscle strength did not change. Conclusions: The results indicated a significant improvement in motor skills. Dance is an inexpensive program that elementary school children can enjoy while improving their motor skills. Full article

Flamenco is a traditional way of expressing values and knowledge from one generation to the next as part of informal education and is now a consolidated artistic genre in Andalusia. A legal framework was created to protect and promote flamenco as a unique element of Andalusian culture, and to incorporate flamenco studies into the official school curriculum. There is nothing written on what constitutes flamenco content or how it should be taught. We conducted a small phenomenological ethnographic study of women who teach a specific style of flamenco dance which is important in the field of teaching, namely the Escuela Sevillana, and we aimed to understand how they constructed the pedagogical content knowledge that enabled them to teach it in the public and private spaces where it is taught. The study design was qualitative and interpretive. The study population comprised all women teaching this style of flamenco dance. Data collection was through in-depth interviews, with a bibliographical review of relevant material for context. The results focus on interpreting and understanding the reality studied, and describing in detail how these dance teachers constructed the pedagogical content knowledge in order to teach it effectively. We draw the conclusions that there are various stages of teaching professionalisation, and experience-based learning is important for consolidation as a teacher. Full article

Dancers are considered aesthetic athletes due to the great emphasis directed towards maintaining svelte figures with the aim of enhancing the aesthetic of performance. Ballerinas are consistently found 10–12% below their ideal body weight and are susceptible to the female athlete triad. Still, while the dietary intake of several sports populations has been extensively studied worldwide, in the dance arts data are limited. The aim of this study was to assess the dietary intake of adult female dancers on a small Mediterranean island. All dance schools in Gozo (n = 7) were invited to participate via email. A 4 day food and beverage diary recorded between Thursday and Sunday was used to assess the dietary intake of eligible students and teachers of dance schools. A self-reported questionnaire was used to assess demographic data and exercise energy expenditure, adapted from the ‘International Physical Activity Questionnaire’. Participants’ energy and macronutrient intakes were compared to the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) using the one sample t-test. The paired samples t-test was used to determine any significant differences in dietary intake between weekdays and the weekend. Of a potential 25 eligible participants, 14 engaged in the study yielding a 56% response rate. The majority of participants were recreational dancers (n = 11). The mean energy intake was 1306 kcal/day with 34.7% derived from fat. The mean carbohydrate and protein intakes were 2.4 g/kg bodyweight and 1.1 g/kg bodyweight, respectively. The mean total energy expenditure was 2034 kcal/day. The daily mean energy, carbohydrate and protein intakes were lower than the RDA, while mean fat intake was higher. There was no evidence of a significant difference in dietary intake between weekdays and the weekend (p = 0.309 carbohydrates, p = 0.596 fat, p = 0.956 protein). Professional dancers failed to meet energy, carbohydrates and protein recommendations for athletic populations, whereas, recreational dancers were likely to consume sufficient energy, carbohydrate and protein intakes. Dietary fat recommendations were met by half of the participants and exceeded by the rest. This study was the first to assess the dietary intake of a dance population in the Maltese Islands. Further research in a larger cohort of local dancers is merited. Full article

Every nation has its unique intangible culture that is passed down from generation to generation thanks to what is still alive. Czechia has a rich intangible cultural heritage, e.g., Mardi Gras, Verbuňk dance, blueprints, Christmas-themed beaded decorations, puppetry, etc., which are all on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists. However, it also has other traditions, ceremonies, legends, folk tales, and weather lore related to weather forecasting in relation to agriculture. The most popular weather lore is related to the feasts of saints, as the feast’s dates have remained unchanged for a very long time in the calendar. The aim of this study is to bring Czech weather lore, which, even today, in the age of numerical models, has a certain meaning, closer to readers. Some weather lore has been forgotten over time, but most of it still remains in Czech folk traditions, which continue to be spread orally or in written form. We wondered whether young people knew weather lore as part of their cultural heritage. The results of a survey based on a sample of 220 respondents, including students at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and future teachers at primary schools, led to the conclusion that weather lore is well-known among the young Czech generation as well. Full article

Background: Dancing is an engaging physical activity for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We conducted a process evaluation for a PD trial on online dancing. Methods: “ParkinDANCE Online” was co-produced by people with PD, healthcare professionals, dance instructors, and a PD organisation. The evaluation mapped the following inputs: (i) stakeholder steering group to oversee program design, processes, and outcomes; (ii) co-design of online classes, based on a research evidence synthesis, expert advice, and stakeholder recommendations; (iii) trial fidelity. The key activities were (i) the co-design of classes and instruction manuals, (ii) the education of dance teachers, (iii) fidelity checking, (iv) online surveys, (v) and post-trial focus groups and interviews with participants. The outputs pertained to: (i) recruitment, (ii) retention, (iii) adverse events, (iv) fidelity, (v) protocol variations, and (vi) participant feedback. Results: Twelve people with PD, four dance instructors and two physiotherapists, participated in a 6-week online dance program. There was no attrition, nor were there any adverse events. Program fidelity was strong with few protocol variations. Classes were delivered as planned, with 100% attendance. Dancers valued skills mastery. Dance teachers found digital delivery to be engaging and practical. The safety of online testing was facilitated by careful screening and a home safety checklist. Conclusions: It is feasible to deliver online dancing to people with early PD. Full article

Maintaining the health of the musculoskeletal system in movement-associated professions, such as dance teachers, is of great importance for a long-lasting professional practice. The aim of this study was to record work-related musculoskeletal disorders and the causes of these disorders for dance teachers in Germany. Using a retrospective cross-sectional survey, data on the occurrence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were collected from n = 229 dance teachers (n = 181 women) aged 22 to 77 years using an online questionnaire. In addition, differences between sexes and among dance styles were also analysed. The 12-month prevalence was 60.7% (95% CI: 54.0–67.1%), and on average, there were 2.58 disorders per dance teacher per year (95% CI: 2.17–2.99). Work-related musculoskeletal disorders affected male and female dance teachers equally (φ = 0.11, p = 0.088 resp. r = 0.080, p = 0.228). Disorders were mainly registered in the lumbar spine (14.9%) and ankle (12.5%). The joint structures (29.9%) and the musculature (20.9%) were most frequently affected. Specific movements (18.7%) as well as fatigue and overload (15.2%) were mentioned as the most frequent causes irrespective of dance style. Dance teachers were not significantly differently affected for musculoskeletal disorders than the general working German population. Future studies should consider a prospective evaluation of such disorders and develop prevention strategies with consideration of sex- and dance style-specific circumstances. Full article

Music and movement activities have been found to be beneficial for learning in childhood. The current study was part of the Arts@School project examining the effect of classroom-integrated arts-based interventions (music, movement, music-movement) on various student outcomes. The outcome of interest in the current report is the ability to recognize social interaction, which is one aspect of social cognition, an important but often ignored factor contributing to well-being and learning. The ability to recognize social interaction was studied using a test with two human figures either interacting with each other or moving separately. Children aged 10–11 completed the test pre and post intervention. The intervention groups and an inactive control group were four classes in a school. The interventions were delivered by teachers. The music intervention included listening, singing, and joint music making. The movement intervention was based on a creative dance approach and contained developmental movement patterns. The music-movement intervention focused on bodily experiences arising through activities combining music and movement. All intervention groups improved at the test, whereas the difference between the pre and post measurement did not reach significance in controls. This trend suggests that music and movement interventions integrated in the school learning environment may support children’s ability to interpret body motion, an important aspect of social interaction. Full article

(1) Background: Blended learning (BL) models have attracted the attention of university teachers and students worldwide in recent years. However, systematic reviews related to the effectiveness of BL in university physical education are lacking. (2) Purpose: Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of BL in physical education among university students. (3) Methods: Searches were conducted in the following five databases: Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, EBSCOhost (SPORTDiscus), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and 18 articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected. The PEDro scale was used to assess the methodological quality of the selected studies and the quality of this study was fair (range 4–5). (4) Results: All reported sports included basketball (n = 6), badminton (n = 3), dance (n = 3), volleyball (n = 1), yoga (n = 1), aerobics (n = 1), Taiji (n = 1), swimming (n = 1), and tennis (n = 1). Seventeen studies described the effect of BL on students’ motor skills, and the results showed that BL had a greater effect on basic skills, but the improvement was not significant for combination techniques. There were three studies related to physical fitness. Studies have observed significant effects on lung capacity (n = 1), sit and reach (n = 1), pull-ups (n = 1), 1000 m (n = 3), and 800 m (n = 1). However, there was no significant difference in body weight (n = 1) or standing long jump (n = 1). In addition, two articles examined the impact of BL on sitting up, but the findings were the opposite. Six studies reported on exercise attitude and the results demonstrated that BL can significantly improve students’ learning attitude, target attitude, behavioral cognition, and emotional experience. However, the two articles produced different results in behavioral habits. Other results, such as satisfaction and interest in learning, were also popular topics regarding BL and were found to have improved significantly. Full article