The position of dance in physical education

Abstract

Dance has been a part of the physical education (PE) curriculum in several countries for a long time. In spite of this, studies demonstrate that the position of dance in the subject of PE is contested and that little time is devoted to dance. The overall aim of this article is to examine the position of dance as a pedagogical discourse in Swedish steering documents over time. The empirical material consists of five Swedish curricula for PE over a period of 50 years . Discourse analysis is used to identify organised systems of meaning, including privileged and prioritised values. Our theoretical frame of reference draws on Bernstein's concept of codes. Three different knowledge areas within dance are found in the text material: 'dance as cultural preserver', 'dance as bodily exercise' and 'dance as expression'. Three pedagogical discourses emerge from these knowledge areas: an identity formation discourse, a public health discourse and an aesthetic discourse. The identity formation discourse in earlier curricula focuses on the perpetuation of Swedish and Nordic cultural traditions, while in later curricula, it emphasises the construction of a broader multicultural identity formation related to the understanding of different cultures. The public health discourse constitutes a prioritised understanding of dance as physical training related to a healthy lifestyle. The aesthetic discourse, which has the weakest position over time, represents the valuing of embodied experiences and feelings expressed through movements. This discourse is closely linked to the construction of gender. Over time, a new performance code came to surpass the former competence code in the steering documents. The performance code positions dance in PE as mainly a physical activity with little artistic or aesthetic value. The pedagogical discourse of dance remains within a highly disciplinary framework of social control.

Physical education teachers’ perceptions of factors that inhibit and facilitate the enactment of curriculum change in a high-stakes exam climate

“…In addition, 62% (N = 53) of schools offered dance in an extra curricular programme either during lunch times or in an after-school club. To identify the types of experiences that pupils were experiencing in dance was important, as Mattsson and Lundvall (2015) identify that dance can serve different functions and transmit associated knowledge. The results from the questionnaire indicated that the styles of dance experienced by pupils were wide and varied, including Hip hop, Street, Jump, Bollywood, Scottish Country dance, Jazz, Interpretive, Ethnic, Contemporary, Breakdance, Ballroom, Ballet and Tap.…”

“…To provide a background for the current study, the paper will initially consider the significance of teacher agency within the contextual dimensions of the school as an important factor in enabling teachers to include dance in the curriculum. Subsequently, a variety of dance styles and their educational value will be considered by using Mattsson and Lundvall's (2015) pedagogical discourses as a framework for analysis.…”

“…This helps to develop the child's aesthetic and artistic appreciation (McFee, 1994) as pupils learn to value dance as a work of art, learning to interpret the movements and understand the emotions conveyeddeveloping their physical literacy. In Sweden, the public health discourse was foregrounded with the result that its aesthetic counterpart was marginalised (Mattsson & Lundvall, 2015). The challenge for teachers in Scotland, therefore, is to deliver effective dance courses that contribute to both PE and EA through drawing on the complete range of experiences and depth of understandings that the activity can generate.…”

Dans i kroppsøvingsfaget – mer enn gode intensjoner?

“…Begrunnelsen for dette skillet fremgår ikke i planverket, men i et kjønnsperspektiv sier det mye om oppfatning av dans og speiler kjønnsdimensjonen ved dans i kroppsøving som et vedvarende tema. Kjønnsdimensjonen kommer i dag til syne både ved at flere jenter enn gutter ønsker mer dans, og at kvinnelige kroppsøving-slaerere bruker mer tid på dans enn mannlige (Nordaker, 2009;Mattsson & Lundvall, 2015).…”

“…Selv om kartleggingen etter L97 antydet at dans var i ferd med å styrke sin posisjon som del av praksisen i kroppsøvingsfaget, og at undersøkelsen viser variasjon i inkludering av og kompetanse i dans, virker dans generelt fortsatt å stå svakt blant kroppsøvingslaerere i Norge (Jacobsen, 2003;Jacobsen et.al., 2006). Norge virker på dette punkt ikke å skille seg vesentlig fra utfordringer med dans i kroppsøving internasjonalt (Sanderson, 1996;Mattsson & Lundvall, 2015). I det følgende vil vi gjennomgå laereplanen som utgangspunkt for å se naermere på Nordakers (2009) ytring om at den representerer et tilbakeskritt for de gode intensjonene med dans i kroppsøving.…”