RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS

Masters Thesis: "English Language Learners in the Dance Classroom: Building Bridges to Rigorous Language"

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate several aspects of instructing English Learners (ELs) in the dance classroom. The researcher created three essential questions to guide her research: Q1 What specific strategies are currently being utilized by dance teachers to support English Learners in accessing dance-specific language? Q2 What are the opportunities for and barriers to incorporating these strategies? Q3 Does this teaching process have any effect on student engagement in dance class? Thirty dance educators discussed their experiences instructing English Learners in dance content in the form of a digital survey, and rated common strategies for ELs based on their frequency of use. Some limitations of this study were that EL student voices were not incorporated into the research, the sample size of participants who were teachers was relatively small and only reflected their respective experiences, and was therefore not completely comprehensive. Additionally, the research tool was created by the researcher and had not been verified for validity by other research. Analysis of the data showed that multi-modal educational approaches and peer collaboration were used frequently by the participants. The findings of this research suggested that opportunities for more linguistic rigor in dance class exist, especially in activities which relate to the Reflecting and Connecting aspects of the National Core Arts Standards for Dance. A major barrier to effective EL instruction reported by participants in this study was a lack of support and training which was either non-existent or generally irrelevant to the dance classroom. Finally, this study showed that the participants felt that students were engaged in dance class, and that the dance classroom was a place where they felt respected and safe.