Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The purpose of the study presented here was to investigate the effects of instruction in dance movement on the spatial awareness of visually impaired elementary students. Sixteen visually impaired students were randomly assigned to two groups. Eight students participated in physical education and received no dance instruction. Eight students received dance instruction in addition to physical education. The Hill Performance Test of Selected Positional Concepts was administered before and after the treatment period. An analysis of variance revealed significant main effects. A Scheffé analysis revealed a significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of the group that received dance instruction.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bartenieff

, & Lewis

(1980). Body movement: Coping with the environment. New York: Gordon & Breach.

Chapman

, & Cramer

(1973). Dance and the blind child. New York: American Dance Guild.

Chin

D.L.

(1984). The effects of dance movement instruction on spatial awareness in elementary visually impaired students, and self-concept in secondary visually impaired students. Dissertation Abstracts International, 45(10). (University Microfilms No. DA8429824).

Cratty

B.J.

, & Sams

T.A.

(1968). The body-image of blind children. New York: American Foundation for the Blind.

Duehl

A.N.

(1979). The effect of creative dance movement on large muscle control and balance in congenitally blind children. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 73, 127–133.

Duggar

(1968). What can dance be to someone who cannot see? Journal of Health, Physical Education, & Recreation, 39, 28–30.

Emes

C.G.

(1978). Creative dance: A valuable process for blind children. Education of the Visually Handicapped, 10, 84–87.

Fraiberg

(1977). Insights from the blind. New York: Basic Books.

Hanninen

K.A.

(1975). Teaching the visually handicapped. Columbus: Charles E. Merrill.

10.

Hecox

, Levine

, & Scott

(1975). A report on the use of dance in physical rehabilitation: Every body has a right to feel good. Rehabilitation Literature, 36, 11–16.

11.

Hill

E.W.

(1981). The Hill performance test of selected positional concepts. Chicago: Stoelting.

12.

Hill

E.W.

, & Hill

(1980). Revision and validation of a test for assessing the spatial conceptual abilities of visually impaired children. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 74, 373–380.

13.

Keppel

(1973). Design and analysis: A researcher's handbook. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

14.

Kratz

L.E.

(1973). Movement without sight. Palo Alto, CA: Peek Publications.

15.

Krebs

C.S.

(1979). Hatha yoga for visually impaired students. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 73, 209–216.

16.

Loeschke

(1977). Mime: A movement program for the visually handicapped. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 71, 337–345.

17.

Lowenfeld

(ed.) (1973). The visually handicapped child in school. New York: John Day.

18.

Myers

(1980). Imgard Bartenieff's fundamentals. Dance Magazine, 54, 88–92.

19.

Myler

(1936). A study of the motor ability of the blind. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Texas

Austin.

20.

Preston

(1963). A handbook for modern educational dance. London: MacDonald & Evans.

21.

Resnick

(1973). Creative movement classes for visually handicapped children in a public school setting. New Outlook for the Blind, 67, 442–447.

22.

Sage

G.H.

(1971). Introduction to motor behavior: A neuropsychological approach. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

23.

Warren

D.H.

(1977). Blindness and early childhood development. New York: American Foundation for the Blind.

Dance Movement Instruction: Effects on Spatial Awareness in Visually Impaired Elementary Students

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References