Mathematics through Movement: An Investigation of the Links between Kinaesthetic and Conceptual Learning: Karen Wood Describes How She Used Dance and Movement to Engage Students in Mathematical Investigations

Wood, Karen, Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom

Developing strategies for engaging mathematics activities is always a challenge. Teachers seek out new resources and online activities to excite students and support their learning. Mathematics through Movement offers an active learning strategy requiring few resources, and a bit of imagination, to achieve a variety of outcomes across mathematics domains. It is based on sound educational theory and a life time of experience in dance. This paper examines the beginnings of research into this teaching strategy in a remote setting in Western Australia. It shows that this teaching tool can motivate talk, deepen understandings, and engage students in mathematics tasks.

Background

As a dancer, teacher of dance and mother, I had often reflected upon the significant role movement had in my life and that of my daughters. Dancers, dance teachers and parents had often commented that dance, callisthenics or movement of some sort, had supported students in their

school work. As a teacher I pondered on Gardner's kinesthetic learner and I am drawn to his statement: "Indeed participation in the arts is so natural and integral a part of human growth that an understanding of this process should provide important clues to many pivotal questions of human development," (Gardner, 1973, p. 23).

Observation of my classroom in northern Western Australia, in a small rural town, showed that students were more engaged with ideas and learning if there was an element of movement involved. Many seemed to be kinaesthetic learners. This prompted the use of interactive technology but also a deeper investigation of how I could use my understanding of movement to enhance some core mathematical concepts. The links seemed obvious in my mind but could I show a direct educational benefit for integration of dance with specific mathematics foci?

Informal action research was undertaken in my classroom and anecdotal notes, video recordings and reflective journal entries gathered. The data were showing that some core mathematical concepts could be clarified and new ideas scaffolded using movement, especially in the Shape domain. This raised questions regarding how effective dance might be in supporting learning in the other mathematics …

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Publication information: Article title: Mathematics through Movement: An Investigation of the Links between Kinaesthetic and Conceptual Learning: Karen Wood Describes How She Used Dance and Movement to Engage Students in Mathematical Investigations. Contributors: Wood, Karen - Author. Journal title: Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom. Volume: 13. Issue: 1 Publication date: Spring 2008. Page number: 18+. © 2008 The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, Inc. COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale Group.

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