Module 2. Worker-researcher/Inside researcher

Can you ‘theorise’ your own worker-researcher position? How do you ‘fit in’ within your organisation(s)?

Because I am working full time for a council in a call centre, it not the ideal setting for this inquiry. Fortunately, I have several people interested in my line of inquiry, who I have liaised with on the audition circuit.
I also have a friend who is a drama teacher in a secondary school, another friend working as an RAD accredited teacher in a secondary school/dance teacher in dance school, and people on this course interested in my research.
I choreograph for an ametuer dramatics society and perform regularly in a local theatre and have contacts there regarding what they would look for on a CV when casting shows/positions in theatre or commitee.
I feel a bit like I am spread over lots of different areas of work, but actually this is why my line of inquiry has lead me to what I am researching.

How does this position as an insider-researcher’ affect the way your think in terms of the questions you are asking?

 

I absolutely think that because of the paths I chose; dancing growing up, GCSE Dance and Drama, A-Level Performance Studies and National Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre, have affected how I look at my inquiry. My main argument is that I should (and could!) be able to do a PGCE based on the qualifications I already have/experience I have.

My Level 6 National Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre which I gained through Trinity College London is the same NVQ level as a degree. Someone, somewhere feels that this diploma we worked for, 8:30-5, Monday to Friday for 3 years, is not good enough by equivalent to be used for a PGCE. Because I am one of the people who has the diploma and not the degree, this certainly sways my opinion. I wonder what people with just the degree would think.

 

Can you find sources within your organisation, such as company policy papers or job descriptions that clarify how your relationship to the organisation will affect your inquiry?

 

I have been researching this week and already found several job descriptions which have really interested me. Uni lecturers actually sometimes require less qualifications than a secondary school teacher strangely enough. I am going to ideally get in touch with these people to find out their opinions, within their organisation, on this.

I have to research more in to policy papers. I am hoping I will see, in black and white, exactly why a diploma won't count for a PGCE in the arts... I will still contest it obviously, but it would be ideal to see the reasoning!

 

I mentioned above, how I know I am biased because "I am one of the people who has the diploma and not the degree", but I know I am not alone with this.

Module 2. Inquiry Question(s) and Award Title

What is your inquiry question(s)? What do you want to find out about a particular topic?

 

I am not 100% on the wording of this to be totally honest, but I would like my inquiry question to be something like;

 

"Why does a professional performer with a National Diploma in Musical Theatre, need to have a degree before secondary teacher training in The Arts?"

 

Mainly I would like to establish the answer to that question, but I understand I will have lots of different enquries to make whilst finding out the answer.

I am interested in becoming a teacher in secondary school. Ideally I would like to teach Performing Arts at GCSE or BTEC level.
I took GCSE Dance and Drama, and I have more experience or training than the teachers who taught me these subjects then. No disresepect to them, it was just a PE teacher also doing the Dance subject, and an English teacher doing Drama.

I also took A-Level Performance Studies in 6th Form. This was far more theoretical and taught by the Drama teacher from GCSE Level, and a Music teacher. The music teacher did have music qualifications. He could play piano, but as far as singing went, he did not know about the voice.

There was no practical to this subject, so I would ideally would rather teach Performing Arts where I am most skilled.

I have also looked in to schools like The Brit School or Sylvia Young, where they are shaping their students for Musical Theatre colleges. It is still the same situation. BTECs are the qualification the children work towards and again, someone like me, who went to a MT college, still needs the degree to teach these children, despite them wanting to obtain a National Diploma!

I think my award title should be "BA Hons Professional Practice in Performing Arts and Education"

 

As I want to be working in a government sponsored secondary educational environment I feel this is appropriate.
I think that with my topic and how it is exploring someone with my experience looking in to education but also representing my knowledge and understanding in Performing Arts and Musical Theatre, I feel this title is suitable.

 

Module 2. Research - "Reflect upon these in your blogs and private diaries"

What were some of the points in the reading that you will use to develop your topic?

 

I found Eraut's theories interesting. Eraut states he uses different types of knowledge in his professional work: Propositional, personal and process. I wanted to explore this in more detail.

 

Eraut states propositional knowledge emerges out of professional action and defines the knowledge base of the profession in terms of discipline based knowledge and concepts.
Personal knowledge is acquired through social interaction and undertaking tasks, - the kind of knowledge that emerges from experience; inchoate in professional context.
Process knowledge is understanding how to undertake the processes and contribute to professional action. (1)

 

With reference to the line of inquiry I am researching, I would certainly refer to Erauts theories as methods I use in my research. I have concrete facts I have to consider with my inquiry. No way can a professional performer, obtain a PGCE with their national diploma. I have to consider this while researching exactly WHY the government won't accept this.

 

With regards to personal knowledge, for my line of inquiry, I want to set up doodlepolls and ask questions and research what people in similar situations to me feel. I already have a handful of friends who would like more clarity on this. I'm sure with their opinions, and the help of some strangers I will have a broad set of opinions to put forward when I approach governing bodies regarding PGCE's.

 

With the propositional knowledge, based on factual research, and personal knowledge based on my own research, I need to look in to whether my inquiry will evenly explore professional, practical and acedmic knowledge, to ensure equal vocational experience.

 

I want to explore what the differences are between a qualified performer, and a qualified dance teacher in an academic setting. Why there are so many differences between the two, and could this ever be improved so professional performers have a easier way of obtaining a teaching qualification?

 

From my original research of Schon in Module 1 with his method of loop learning;  "states of appreciation, action, and re-appreciation", I am now interesting in Eraut (1994) arguing that Schon "does not have a simple coherent view of reflection but set of overlapping attributes. He selects whichever subset of attributes best suits the situation under discussion". (2)

 

Is this something we all do? Do we ever argue every aspect, or just base our research on what we want?

 

"'Creativity is a function of intelligence"' (3)

 

1. British Journal of Educational Psychology  (2000), 70, 113–136 
2. Eraut (1994) p. 145

3. Robinson, Professor Sir Kenneth, All our Futures, 2003

Module 2. Task 4 continued.

Do you work within a disciplinary context in the arts? Or is your situation more transdisciplinary?

I found this question interesting to explore. I am a musical theatre performer. I sing, dance and act, with experience in musicals, concerts, radio performances, music videos and uni projects.
I would describe my subject as disciplinary. I most of the time follow a script, or a music score, or a choreographer or directors direction. Since I started Ballet at the age of 3, I have always found dance and the arts a strong discipline and would say that from a performers side of things it is less transdisciplinary.
I do also work as a choreographer though and this is more transdisciplinary. You as a choreographer are the brains behind the logistics in a performance. Obviously the artists have a huge resposbility of how they perform the peice, but it is the choreographer who puts it all together.

What do you know? / How do you know it?

I feel these questions are very similar to the below, so will answer those in detail.

 

Make a brief list of your competences and capabilities.

With more than 18 years of dance training (RAD Ballet and ISTD Tap, Jazz and Modern), GCSE Drama and Dance and a Level 6 National Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre, my knowledge is extensive. I have impeccible timing, accurate timing and emotion in everything I do.
I am passionate about Dance, Singing, Musical Theatre and Music.

I love watching shows, seeing live music and/or dance. This year alone I have seen Once, Made in Dagenham and Jersey Boys on the West End, I have seen a local theatre group performing the play Flamingoland and I have tickets for ameteur productions of Witches of Eastwick and Hairspray, both on in April. I also have music gig tickets already booked for the summer. Last year I saw over 15 gigs of rock/indie music...(and the less rock, more pop Pentatonix!)

I think my level of experience combined with my passion to work hard consistently and widen my knowledge enables me to perform and choreograph well and gives me an edge when looking in to teaching performing arts or musical theatre.

What knowledge and skills do you think you will need for the future?
Leading on from what I previously stated, I am looking in to teaching. Whilst there is ISTD or RAD teaching, there is only one dance school local to me that does this, and they have been fairly useless in contacting me regarding anything. After 2 years of trying to get something sorted with them, I decided to look in to different styles of teaching.
A friend of mine is an RAD Ballet teacher, working in an acredited secondary school. This for me is really impressive. She has the qualifications of a dance teacher but is also being able to teach in an academic situtation. I think there would be a lot of dance teachers out there who would love an opportunity like this.
For me, I need to improve my knowledge in the teaching and education sector. As I am looking int o secondary school teaching, I will have to have to obtain a PGCE. To be accepted on to a PGCE course, I will need experience in schools and have a broader knowledge of education as oppose to performing.
I still find it frustrating that people in my situation, with the level of experience and knowledge in the arts, have to obtain a degree before obtaining a PGCE where as people who may be a PE teacher, can end up teaching GCSE Dance.
Topics like that are what I need to explore in more detail so I have a more refined view of the teaching sector and the differences between secondary teaching of the arts, and performing the arts.

Module 2. Are there any ideas from Work Based or Organisational knowledge theories of learning that could be used to understand your own professional enquiry?

Reading through the material of Module 2, what stuck out for me was "The ultimate goal of the inquiry will be to explore a topic that will benefit your work and the work of colleagues and fellow professionals, including any work organisations with whom you are affiliated"

 

 

Looking back at my mind map I did last week as a starting point, I have been researching in to why, someone like myself, with 18+ years dance training in RAD and ISTD, a Level 6 National Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre, and the opportunity to qualify as a dance teacher in ISTD and complete courses for singing teaching, has to have a degree, to be able to do a PGCE before qualifying as a Perfoming Arts/Dance or Drama teacher in secondary school?

I fully understand having to obtain a PGCE, as teaching in education is totally different to a ballet class or choregraphy for example, however I am wanting to explore why a national diploma, what so many performers have, is not suitable, especially when their level of talent and knowledge, is on such a high level following their training.

There are so many questions that need exploring/answering.

For example, Physical Education teachers sometimes have to teach Dance, or English teachers may have to teach Drama, but I want to look at why the arts aren't always more specialised.
If teachers with English degrees can teach Drama, why can't professionally trained musical theatre performers teach performing arts?
Recently there has been a lot of discussion about the need for the arts to even be an educational subject, so of course there is a lot to discuss.

Are there any ideas from Work Based or Organisational knowledge theories of learning that could be used to understand your own professional enquiry?

Looking back in to Kolbs learning cycle, I will benefit from this theory of WBL.

It is a good starting point to look at my original inquiry thoughts.

 

Concrete Experience: I am currently studying for a degree to be able to do a PGCE to then become a secondary school teacher. I have the passion for my chosen teaching subject of Musical Theatre/Performing Arts, as I have been training in Dance since the age of 3, I have the training because I obtained a Level 6 National Diploma through a 3 year course at Liverpool Theatre School and I have the professional experience since graduating in 2009 and being in the industry working and auditioning.

 

Reflective Observation: What do I think of the above experiences. In a nutshell I loved it. I still have a lot I can learn about the industry, but my knowledge in Musical Theatre, or singing or dancing alone, is greater than a lot of people who get an English degree and end up teaching Drama because they have to, for example.

I have a Diploma, I have several Distinctions in Dance exams, I have applied myself and observed others in my situation and feel upon reflection I have applied myself well and feel confident I could teach, given the chance to go straight to PGCE training.

 

Abstract Concepualisation: I find myself less of an analytical, theoretical worker. I often find myself consumed by my feelings and thoughts as opposed to logic and fact. I think my main cause for this route of inquiry is that I am after already a lot of training and work, now have to apply myself to a degree, because educational and government boards see fit that I do. Factually I have obtain a degree before I can teach in schools. What I really want to explore is why?

 

Active Experimentation: With work based learning I am interested in working round this cycle from the point of view of a qualified Performing Arts teacher.

I already know someone who is a PE teacher, also doing dance. Is this benefical to those who want to become dancers? No. Having someone who has read the neccessary curriculum, teaching dance to teenagers is not how school should be. Would they have a German teacher, look over the French curriculim and blag their way through it? No. Why is the arts deemed less inteligable?

 

Already my original thoughts of "Why do I need a degree to do a PGCE" are changing in to "Why do the arts have a lesser reputation to other subjects" - Or something like that.

 

I have read articles recently that suggest that involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability and vebal skill.

Yet when articles like this "Drama schools are a waste of money" exist, no wonder people have a negative view.

 

I was fortunate enough to obtain a DADA in to Liverpool Theatre School, but not everyone is as fortunate.

Why are Trinity College London credited courses so expensive and not government funded?

 

 

 

I feel I have opened a can of worms for myself here, but it is exciting and a lot to explore. Going back to my introduction of this post "The ultimate goal of the inquiry will be to explore a topic that will benefit your work and the work of colleagues and fellow professionals, including any work organisations with whom you are affiliated", I know all these questions I am asking are beneficial not just to me, but a whole host of people.