The Relationship between Dance and the Attention Skills of 18 Kindergarten

Students

Ila De Vuyst

Final project presentation

Spring 2008, ED 703.23

Table of Contents

1. Abstract2. Introduction• Statement of the Problem• Review of the Literature• Statement of the Hypothesis3. Method • Participants and Instruments• Experimental Design • Procedure

Table of Contents (cont.)

4. Results

5.Discussion

6.Implications

Abstract

Statement of the Problem

• Many Kindergarten students in room 111 at PS 58 struggle to stay focused on the required learning material throughout the school day.

• The Kindergarten curriculum only allows for 15 minutes of daily outdoor play and one hour of physical education a week.

Literature Review

Pros:• The benefits of dance and art on cognitive skills:Burton, Horowitz & Abeles (2000); Hanna (1983); Rivkin (2006); Heath

(2001) Lobo & Winsler(2006); Sharpe, Harris & McKeen(2005); Stinson(1985); Swaim(1997); Tarnowski(1999)

• Early childhood cognitive skills:Greenspan (2004); Stinson (1985)

Cons:Keinanen, Hetland & Winner(2000); Martin & Mann(2002); Moga, Burger,

Hetland & Winner(2000)

Hypothesis

• HR1 Ila De Vuyst’s dance activities will enhance the attention span of the Kindergarten students in room 111 at PS 58

Method

• Participants (N)

18 kindergarten students from a total of 96 kindergarteners at an upper-middle class public school in Brooklyn, New York

Method (cont.)

Instruments:

ObservationsParent QuestionnaireStudent Sentiment Survey

Quasi-experimental Design

• Individuals were not randomly selected• One designated treatment group and no control group• One single group was pretested (o)

exposed to a treatment (x) and then post tested (o).

• Instruments:Pretest: parent survey, student sentiment

surveyTreatment: observationPost-test: observation, student survey

Threats to Internal ValidityThreats to Internal Validity

◊ History: what doesn’t distract kindergarteners?

◊ Maturation:◊ Instrumentation: self-created survey,

not been pilot tested.◊ Differentiation Group threats◊ Selection Maturation Interaction:

different ages.

◊ History: what doesn’t distract kindergarteners?

◊ Maturation:◊ Instrumentation: self-created survey,

not been pilot tested.◊ Differentiation Group threats◊ Selection Maturation Interaction:

different ages.

Threats to External ValidityThreats to External Validity

◊ Generalizability◊ Ecological Environment◊ Selection-Treatment Interaction:

students weren’t individually selected

◊ Confounding Variables: any type of change is distracting.

◊ Generalizability◊ Ecological Environment◊ Selection-Treatment Interaction:

students weren’t individually selected

◊ Confounding Variables: any type of change is distracting.

Survey Questions

1. I feel relaxed after yoga class.

2. I feel relaxed after dance class.

3. I have more energy after yoga class.

4. I have more energy after dance class.

Survey questions (cont.)

5. Writing is always easier after dance class.

6. Writing is easier after yoga class.7. Writing is always hard even after

yoga or dance.8. Dance center time gives me

energy.9. I would rather watch t.v. than play

outside.

Survey Results (pre-test)Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 Q9

Oscar 2 3 4 2 3 3 3 4 4

Eva 3 3 4 4 4 4 2 4 4

Evan 4 4 4 4 2 4 2 3 4

Dahlia 4 4 4 4 3 4 1 4 4

Chrystal 4 3 3 4 1 3 3 4 4

Raul 4 3 4 3 1 3 2 4 4

Brandon 4 1 4 4 4 4 2 4 1

Conrad 4 4 3 4 4 4 2 4 4

Feiyan 4 4 2 4 4 4 1 4 4

Grace 2 2 4 4 4 4 2 4 4

Lucy 2 2 2 3 3 2 4 4 3

Noah 2 2 3 3 2 3 4 4 3

Walker 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 3

Imani - - - - - - - - -

Laura 2 3 4 4 4 4 2 4 3

Isabella 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 4 3

Ben 3 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4

Robert 3 2 3 3 4 4 2 2 4

Results

CorrelationCorrelationThe Relationship between survey question 5

and students' attention span

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

0 1 2 3 4 5

Question 5

Students' Attention Span

Series1

Linear (Series1)

Data Analysis(correlation)

• Independent variable: Question 5

• Dependent variable: Students’ attention span during writing.

• Rxy: 0.435

• Conclusions: There is no correlation between question 5 and the students’ level of focus during writing.

0

5

10

15Amount of

Movement activi

Students' Focus

during Writing

Dance

Yoga

NoMovement

0

5

10

15Amount of

Movement activi

Students' Focus

during Writing

Dance

Yoga

NoMovement

Data Analysis (bar graph)

Data Analysis (bar graph)

• Independent variable: movement activities

• Dependent variable:Students’ Attention Span

• Mode: dance:14, yoga:14, no movement: 11

• Conclusion: More students were focused during writing after participation in yoga or dance.

• Independent variable: movement activities

• Dependent variable:Students’ Attention Span

• Mode: dance:14, yoga:14, no movement: 11

• Conclusion: More students were focused during writing after participation in yoga or dance.

DiscussionDiscussion

ImplicationsImplications