Critical Reflection on Professional Practitioner Inquiry

Module two focused on the planning of our Professional Inquiries. Through discovering the process of planning an inquiry, and having so many avenues to explore, it took me the duration of the module to come to a final decision on what my line of inquiry would be.

Developing Lines of Professional Inquiry

I began the module by choosing a selection of questions that were of interest to me, and could be used as a basis for my Professional Inquiry. Looking back at Module 1, and at the questions that had emerged, I chose six, all of which I thought were relevant and could be explored further. (Appendix A)

I spent some time researching each of the six questions on the Internet. My focus was to find which had corresponding research and literature already available. I used the articles I found as a basis to giving me guidance on the direction my inquiry could take. I read into the three most prominent topics further. These topics were surrounding: physically correcting students whilst teaching dance, the support and guidance given to dancers in furthering their careers and education given to dancers in relation to healthy eating and nutrition. (Appendix B)

It was interesting to read my peers' blogs to see the various themes that were emerging. By commenting on their blog posts, I was able to consider how my questions of interest could relate to theirs. These discussions then led me to join a SIG on Facebook surrounding teaching dance, that I thought was relevant to my areas of interest. 

Professional Ethics

Reader five led us to consider professional ethics when planning a line of inquiry. On consideration, I felt that due to my past experiences teaching dance, and due to the nature of my areas of interest, dance education was at the forefront of my inquiry. 
I researched the ethics surrounding teaching dance and found some really useful information that is likely to benefit me in the future and contribute to me becoming more professional in my practice. (Appendix C)

Tools of Professional Inquiry

We began to look at the various tools we could use to go about gaining the data and information needed to support our inquiries. I decided that an interview was a tool that I could use during my inquiry, and so decided to do a pilot interview with a professional associate. (Appendix D) After the interview, I considered the pro's and con's and how it would contribute to the result of my inquiry. After some consideration, I felt that a questionnaire or survey may be more beneficial. 

I looked at the dimensions of planning an inquiry. Many questions arose, including but not limited to; the motivation behind the inquiry, who the participants of the inquiry would be and data protection. (Appendix E)

After an interesting, brain- storming Skype session with Paula Nottingham, my ideas began to take focus and I was finally able to decide on the subject of my inquiry. Having considered all of the various aspects to planning an inquiry throughout Module two, I was able to begin formulating the final plan and structure to my professional line of inquiry.