The Effects of Student-centred Learning Methods and Motivational Climate on Dance Learning

Abstract

Student-centred pedagogy is based on constructivist and democratic principles where students are encouraged to develop their reflective and critical thinking and sense of responsibility. The objectives of this study was to: (1) determine which of the three student-centred teaching methods (individual, couple or team) will best influence students in learning dances; (2) analyse the impact of motivational climate on different student-centred teaching methods during the learning of the dances among female and male students. The learning of dance structures from the Adriatic dance zone has been analysed because of its applicability to the Physical Education curricula. The pool of subjects consisted of 30 female and 28 male kinesiology students (aged 21–24), divided into three groups according to their preferred learning methods: individual, couple and team. Three experts evaluated the performance of dancers according to the criteria determined beforehand, in detail. For the assessment of motivational climate in Physical Education, Motivational Climate on Physical Education Scale (MCPES) scale was used with subscales: Autonomy, Social relatedness, Task involving climate and Ego involving climate. According to a two-way ANOVA with the independent variables of gender and teaching methods, and Tukey post-hoc test, the most successful students preferred the couple method in learning linđo, and individual method in learning quatro passi. Significant differences were found in Task climate subscale between the couple and team-teaching method. Further investigation of teaching methods in PE classes is needed to confirm optional student-centred method defined by gender, age, and the type of motor skills.