6a Pilot Survey

The survey I constructed using SuveyMonkey was the first Inquiry tool I explored. If Im honest I was not sure and entirely focused when deciding on the questions. This is because my Inquiry was not yet focused. I used the Survey to distill my own diluted thoughts on education and dance to help me spot an area that I could really sink my teeth into. It worked. Thanks to a comment from Mark Iles I realised the potential in an area of my Professional Practice for Inquiry.

For a survey to be useful in the process of Inquiry I need the questions and answers to be specific in there intention and delivery. I now realise what I need to do to improve my survey.

"I need to focus on specific time periods of training if I want to correlate results for comparison. After analysing this, I now think I need to focus specifically at one area of training/education. Before I had a broader spectrum of ideas. However, after reflection I have decided to narrow the time frame/training period to just that of college level, thus meaning I will need to adapt my survey accordingly."

 Abygail Martin Blog 2011

My initial ideas where to concentrate on primary levels and the development through the process of education right up to GCSE. I have now realised that this is a vast spectrum to look at and have decided to dedicate my inquiry to a specific area of training. I am currently employed to teach many levels but my main interest is at the higher end of the scale. I want to know the difference between a professional private dance college course and a government funded open college course and how either prepare for a career in performing arts. What emphasis is put on academia in comparison to physical training? What is needed and why?

Therefore, with this in mind I will re-write my survey accordingly to help gain results from a wide range of participants including past, present and future professionals, students and teachers working in higher education.

Only 12 people completed my survey, although I was grateful, Id imagined more would participate. Especially as I added the link to Facebook and I have a lot of friends that are in the dance community; my target audience. Next time I think I will Tag friends names in my title so the feed will go directly to their news page, write them a personal message or email it to them direct. This way I might attract a more positive response.

The Results


Did you take part in dance at Primary School?
75% Yes
25% No

• After careful consideration I feel I would in future start the survey with a short introduction with an explanation in confidentiality. Then a few questions focusing on the individuals career and aspirations. This question helped me sort through idea's for Primary Education. Would dance in PE be a good place to start? Now on reflection this information is not entirely useful for my newly reviewed Inquiry topic.

Did you enjoy PE?
83.3% Yes
16.7 % No

• Enjoyment being an ultimate aid for learning.

Which sport or activity did you enjoy in PE at school from Primary right through to GCSE Level? 

Only two participants mentioned dance. Trampolining and gymnastics were amongst favorites and other answers confirmed sport as not being high on their list of preferred activities.

• No longer entirely applicable for my purpose however, at the time I wanted to establish participants early experience's of dance in education.

Who was dance taught by at school?

72.7 % PE teacher

36.4 % Specialist Teachers

• I wanted to see the standard of teaching that was accessible to a young dancer. Who taught dance and then later on I would propose that the level of dance achieved at Primary School may coincide with an individuals enjoyment and/or achievement.

If you choose dance as a GCSE or A level option what standard do you feel was achieved?

Answers were relatively negative in that it was either a waste of time, n/a, or enjoyable, some achieved a good exam result but felt what was learnt had no relevance in the real world.

• I would have to be careful of the wording I use within questions, some answers may be bias or subject to opinion due to judgement on a teachers ethics etc. Also I think I would give more options to choose from rather than letting one write how they felt to direct the participant in the direction intended.

  

If you dance, did you go to a private dance school before professional training?

91% Yes

8.3% No

• I wanted to see how dancers opinions differ between those who had danced at a dancing school prior to higher education. Therefore, had to establish who had done what.

How well do you feel your school education prepared you for your career?

41% Not at all

16.7 % To satisfactory level

25 % Appropriately

16.7 % Very well

• It is a general consensious that we all feel school did not prepare us for the world of dance. I originally wanted to find out why, and what could have been done to help balance our learning accordingly. 

What would you do differently if you could train again? What age would you start and where would you have trained given the option?

The majority responded that they would have started training younger and within higher education; at a well known college.

• I wanted to compare answers and find a general theme of which I did. The results showed that better dance standards in Primary Education might have helped future development and that well known colleges provide doors for opportunity.

How do you feel Creative Arts are perceived by Academics? Any thoughts on this welcome.

70 % Negative

20% None Committal

10% Positive

• I feel very strongly about this subject and wanted to know how others felt and I was happy to find I was not alone!