“Little kids, their bodies don’t hide anything”: Three dance teachers’ interpretations of students’ problems with self-efficacy

Abstract

Dance education can be both beneficial and problematic to children. It provides good opportunities for students with different learning abilities and preferences to feel a sense of achievement, while acquiring knowledge and skills (Aikat, 2015). However, students may lose their confidence in dance and a sense of belonging in their classes, or be unable to feel fulfilment, and so on (Bonbright, 2003). This research focuses on how dance teachers, through their interpersonal intelligence, interpret and respond to students’ problems with self-efficacy. This concept is explored through three aspects: the ways in which teachers recognize, reflect on, and respond to students who lack self-efficacy. This investigation is qualitative it investigates the experiences of dance teachers responding to student problems with self-efficacy. Semistructured interviews were utilized to gain insight into how three participants interpreted and responded to students who lacked self-efficacy. These interviews provide insight as to how the participating teachers observed, recognized, and acknowledged difficulties faced by their students. This research highlights how a teacher’s interpersonal intelligence impacts how they respond to student issues around self-efficacy. Interpersonal traits include examining various reasons for student behaviours, making use of different approaches to identify reasons for behaviour, and providing care towards a student’s emotional well-being. The participants identified three sources of self-efficacy related problems (emotional difficulty; fear of injury; confusion). The teachers used three strategies to respond to student learning and behavioural issues. These strategies consisted of repetition, altering how they react after becoming aware of different causes, and carefully responding to the reasons for students’ self-efficacy related difficulties. The investigation is based on what participants have noticed through applying their interpersonal intelligence. Furthermore, it questions why the teachers respond the way they do. This research has the potential to provide dance teachers with ways to identify students’ self-efficacy as well as ideas as to how to respond when such issues arise. Self-efficacy has the potential to be improved by cultivating an educator’s interpersonal intelligence and their ability to recognize student issues. Furthermore, self-efficacy leads to student progress in academic studies. The aim of this research is to also assist all educators, not just dance teachers, to reflect on their teaching. Additionally, the study may benefit the advancement of educational programs in dance training institutions and universities.