Abstract:
Secondary school dance teachers work in diverse and unique contexts, encountering various occupational challenges throughout their careers. These occupational challenges can compromise the quality of their work and jeopardize the ability to sustain their professions. This research examines how secondary school dance teachers’ work can be supported. It specifically examines how professional development may support these teachers’ occupational needs, with focus on a workshop model of professional development, within Christchurch. This study utilized a qualitative, ethnographic framework, where five teachers participating in the Reclaiming Space Symposium professional development workshops were interviewed. This research identified that these secondary school teachers face occupational challenges including isolation, creative block, large workloads and time pressures. This research further concluded that professional development could address these teachers’ occupational needs. It revealed that professional development allowed for the creation of networks, provided teachers with new learning opportunities and it invigorated teachers with new and fresh ideas. This research also explored the possible complexities in the creation of a successful, valuable and relevant professional development environment for secondary school dance teachers in Christchurch. This research further examined how professional development may contrast with the needs of these teachers. It revealed how external networks may reinforce feelings of isolation and how professional development may make teachers feel underestimated and present unrealistic or idealistic concepts for their practices. These findings may inform teachers, schools, governments, principals, professional development providers, tertiary dance institutes and teacher trainee programs. This research hopes to provide an understanding of what these teachers’ needs may be and how secondary school dance teachers can be supported. It is also hoped that this research will contribute to current literature and encourage the development of further research in this field.
