I set up a facebook group with all my relevant contacts and posed my questions to gain their opinions, perspectives and thoughts. After reading all the replies I realised that I was heading down a no end road. All of my posed questions had the dreaded title of 'Pseudo Question'...
'.....a pseudo question expects no answer, cannot be answered or has an answer that is already known to the person.' (Reader 4, Middlesex University, 2011).
My main inquiry was centering around training in young people and whether full time training was better than part time training (after school classes). Obviously this is very much dependant on the individual, what is right for one child will not be right for another......there is no right or wrong, hence no answer!
Some children have had fantastic experiences at full time schools and have gone on to lead successful careers, such as those from part time schools. There are successful/unsuccessful, good/bad, positive/negative cases from each pathway.
As I started to think in more depth around my posed questions, I realised that both Practitioner Research and Data Collection methods would be challenging to say the least.
In hindsight I should've tried to answer these questions initially to discover whether they were a genuine question that could be answered upon inquiry. However, this is all part of the 'journey' and how we learn what it is we are truly wanting to discover. In the chapter 'Getting Started' from 'How to Research' (Blaxter, Hughes and Tight, 2001) it is discussed that sometimes a change of direction is needed and to remember that 'change is good'.
As a teacher I want to best prepare my students, many of whom will want to undertake full time training later in life. I therefore came up with the proposed inquiry....
'How can you best prepare someone for full time training in Musical Theatre?'
My inquiry is from a teaching perspective, so as a teacher how can you best prepare your students for this type of training?
I feel this is a genuine question that I can research and the findings will hopefully be of benefit to my future career.
Sub Questions
- What is the criteria for gaining a place on a full time Musical Theatre course?
- What skills/attributes are the panel looking for in potential students?
- What are the demands of full time training?
- From a graduates perspective, what further preparation do they wish they had before attending full time training?
- How can I ensure that my students meet the criteria?
- How can I prepare them both technically and emotionally?
Hi Jo
ReplyDeleteI think this is a really good idea for your inquiry! Definatly lots to research and like you said from all the opinions and findings you collect it will be beneficial for your teaching of future students!! Will be really useful for me too so I'll definatly be following your developments :)
I think your question on preparing them emotionally aswell as tehnically is really relevant - everyone in my experience at college, no matter how technically talented, went through some real emotional struggles (which I suppose it enevitable given the demanding nature of the courses). I feel a good work ethic and a grounded, down-to-earth yet ambitious out look are two of the most important things a teacher can provide you with before atteding college.
Given me lots to think bout for my final inquiry topic/questions.
In regards to SIG's do you think we should set up a facebook group??? A few of us seem to be communicating frequently and it might be easier if we post all our stuff in a facebook group so it's all in one place and easier to view???
Let me know
Lizzie x
Hi Lizzie, I will set up a facebook and create a blog advertising the group. Look forward to discussing more :)
ReplyDeleteJo this relates to what you do and you have linked it back to your college in other blogs through your Employer support. Obviously there are existing criteria for much of this form particular schools:
ReplyDeleteWhat is the criteria for gaining a place on a full time Musical Theatre course? Are you looking at particular schools to compare them - published criteria compared to individual school tacit considerations? For example - triple threat or specialisms? trajectory for performers?
What skills/attributes are the panel looking for in potential students? Again what panel?
What are the demands of full time training? define demands as physical or mental preparations?
From a graduates perspective, what further preparation do they wish they had before attending full time training? Yes - can you get access to graduates? How will you be asking this - will you be sharing data wit the school - anonymising this? Will your chosen schools allow you to contact people using an alumni list? You are not judging them... what data are you hoping to gather?
How can I ensure that my students meet the criteria? Right back to published or understood criteria - how does the system work - there must be something in place (find out and state it in your inquiry - or now?)- did you want to improve this practice?
How can I prepare them both technically and emotionally? Have a look at literature to inform this... what level are you trying to find out about - specify...limiting your date gathering helps to define your aims, objectives and inquiry questions.
We will discuss - good work in starting to focus for your plan.