PURPOSIVE DANCE AND MOTIVATING STUDENTS IN

CALIFORNIA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS

 

 

 

 

 

A Thesis

Presented to

The Faculty of the Department of Television, Radio, Film, and Theatre

San Jose State University

 

 

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts

 

 

by

Kathleen Wehr

May 2009

 

 

 

 

ABSTRACT

 

            This thesis addresses the role of dance in California’s standardized public school system.  It examines which dance activities pique students’ interest the most.  It defines purposive dance movement and targets dance activities aligned with specific state standards in the Physical Education Framework.  An experiment was conducted in a 5th grade and 9th-12th grade Physical Education class, using Wii Fit™, Dance Dance Revolution™, traditional ballroom dance, and hip hop dance. 

 

            This study reveals that California’s Physical Education Framework allows for these types of dance activities at the primary grades but not at the secondary grades.  The results of the experiment indicate that students are more interested in purposive dance movement activities that involve human instructors as opposed to the machine-based dance activities.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Chapter 1:  Why Dance? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

 

Chapter 2:  Freedom, Interest, and Enjoyment: Motivational

                               Factors of Purposive Dance Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

 

Chapter 3:  Purposive Dance Movement and Freedom, Interest,

                               and Enjoyment in California’s Standards-Based Setting . . . . . .  41

 

Chapter 4:  Testing McFee’s Theory in Today’s Schools: Experiments at

                               Lexington Elementary and Los Gatos High School . . . . . . . . . .  62

 

Chapter 5:  Conclusions of Purposive Dance to Motivate Youth in

                               California’s Standardized Public Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

 

Appendix A: Pre-Study Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  93

Appendix B: Post-Study Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

 

Works Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  97

 

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