Abstract:
The problem this research investigates is that, 17 years after dance became a compulsory component of teaching and learning at junior level in New Zealand schools, assessment statistics indicate that dance is not securely embedded within the senior curriculum. Far more students in 2017 studied drama and music at senior level than dance. This descriptive and interpretive multiple case study examines the conditions, motivations and other factors that underlie the statistics. The thesis is organised as follows. Chapter One outlines the research problem and explains the researcher’s status as an ‘insider’—a New Zealand secondary school dance teacher. Chapter Two provides the contextual framework with a critical summary of the relevant literature. Chapter Three explains and justifies the research methods. Chapters Four to Six comprise three case studies that examine the state and status of dance in three schools. Each case study provides a holistic account of the context and insight into its decision-making culture. Chapter Seven discusses the key themes that emerged across the three cases. This research confirms the statistical indication that dance’s place in the senior curriculum is vulnerable. Two conditions are identified as affecting the system within which dance operates across all three cases: the subordinate position of each Head of Dance within each school’s management structure and the provision of comparatively poor dance facilities. Although dance is shown to be valued, particularly as a co-curricular activity, the case studies indicate that dance is not esteemed by the wider community as a way of learning. Quality of teaching is affirmed as a fact or that supports the growth of dance but gender imbalance—dance is an almost exclusively female domain—is identified as a limiting factor. This research provides a specific data set to drive local and national conversation about the value of dance and its status within the curriculum.
