Inquiry Outline

After realising that I have been slightly lost with the direction of my inquiry, I have taken inspiration from Laura-May Houghton and created a new outline for my inquiry to find some clarification for my continuation.

Inquiry Title

In what ways could a KS2 school teacher use the idea of interdisciplinary learning with Performing Arts during a lesson?

Sub-Questions:

What is interdisciplinary learning and how much is it consciously used by teachers?

What do teachers report as being the effectiveness and restrictions of interdisciplinary learning with Performing Arts? 

Context 

My inquiry will look at the potential value of Performing Arts as someone who has come from a Performing Arts background and making the transition into Primary Education.  I am interested to look at what I can take from my Performing Arts experience and use as a teaching tool in the future and also whether this could be a potential tool which other teachers within KS2 education could also use.

This inquiry exploration could provide me with essential skills to take on to my next career step but also a deeper look into what would and wouldn't work within a new environment.  Although I have taught within education, it has always been from a Performing Arts foundation to ensure that a Dance class is being delivered.  My intentions have always been to teach Dance but on occasions with some interdisciplinary learning embedded, generally at the request of the school.  I sometimes look to the school teachers as a way of inspiration for a theme to incorporate into my Dance lessons but wonder whether because I am not a class teacher whether I am actually providing the interdisciplinary way of learning between Performing Arts and the chosen subject.  Could this be looked at from a teacher's perspective and really provide a different way of teaching and learning?  I would like to find out that if a teacher has the knowledge of Performing Arts and another chosen subject, could this make a successful teaching tool?

I am conscious to look at interdisciplinary learning from the view of the teacher as opposed to the learning from the students.  Therefore my hope is that the use of this tool would essentially benefit the teachers with the possibility of having a positive effect on the learning from the students.

 Aims and Objectives

The overall aim of my inquiry is to help develop my professional practice ready for a change in career.  This is still very much similar to my aims as in my previous direction of inquiry, however my focus is very much on the education sector therefore taking my processes away from private dance schools and using my Performing Arts knowledge as a set of skills to teach within Primary education.  

Literature

The literature I have previously collected is still very relevant to my current inquiry questions but I have now limited the areas this is exploring.  A few new bits of literature I have located, focus more on the idea of interdisciplinary learning so this has given me a good basis of research and theories to explore.

Inquiry Tools 

My use of tools are the same but will be used in a slightly different way.  I will still use a survey which I will share within my SIG and Facebook group, but with a different focus on the questions.  I will conduct an observation in a Primary school within a Dance class and within a lesson.  Within the dance class I will be observing what is being taught by the teacher and identify whether interdisciplinary learning is being used the same will be looked at in a classroom situation but to see if Performing Arts are used anywhere in the lesson as a way of introducing interdisciplinary learning but to also see if there would be any place for this in the lesson plan.

I will then be carrying out an interview with both of these class teachers to gain their thoughts and understanding of Performing Arts alongside interdisciplinary learning.

Ethical Practice

None of my inquiry tools will require the intentional observation of the pupils, neither the communication with pupils.  It will however, take place within Primary Schools and still require permissions from the headteacher and from the class teacher.  Relating to that, the headteacher may wish to provide the parents with some information/consent for this. 


This new outline has given me a better focus to continue on with, so my next step is to finalise my inquiry tool preparations and have clear write-up of literature.