Views and working methods with dance education in physicaleducation : Possibilities, Challenges, Differences

ccording to the curriculum, dance should be included in the PE classroom. However, PE teachers seem to have little knowledge of how to teach dance. This is an interview study using inductive qualitative analysis. This degree project essay aims to analyze the possibilities and challenges with dance teaching in upper secondary school and PE teachers’ perceived knowledge with dance education. In order to investigate this aim, the research questions are: How do PE teachers perceive their knowledge to be regarding dance education? What opportunities and challenges do PE teachers see with dance education? Do PE teachers find any differences between girls and boys within a dance education? We hypothesize that physical education teachers are not confident about what or how to teach when it comes to dancing lessons due to their lack of experience within the field of dance. This study analyses six interviews with six PE teachers presenting their ways and views of teaching dance. The findings indicate that there are multiple ways of teaching dance, and the teachers’ response explains that there are two different aims that dance is related to in the classroom, either curriculum-based or the joy of movement. Another result is that the teachers find their leadership as a promising resource when dealing with dancing lessons; however, by analyzing the interviews, most interviewees indicated a limited experience within the field of dance. Moreover, when teaching dance in PE in upper secondary school, one common obstacle the teachers agree upon is the negative attitude towards the subject of dance from boys. In conclusion, teachers need to get more dance experience in order to be confident in their teaching of dance; furthermore, PE teachers need to be aware of the differences between boys and girls within dance education.