Since the beginning of starting the BAPP course I had an idea about what I had wanted my final project to be about ‘the use of imagery in teaching dance’. This concept was based on a subject that I found interesting and what I knew there was a substantial amount of existing literature about, as I knew from my teacher training there has been substantial research into the use of this teaching method. From peer experience I pre-conceived that the literature review was the most integral part of a research project. During the first Campus session we were asked the question ‘What is research?’ My immediate answer was ‘to find existing information about of topic ‘ as this was the only type of research that I had previously experienced, however from the discussion I now realise that this was a very blinkered way to view research. Research is in fact investigating both the known and the unknown in order to advance ones knowledge and understanding , by applying this new thinking I now know that I must consider both what existing knowledge there is on the subject and what new knowledge I can gain from my own active research and experimentation. Aiding to this, I was particularly struck by the advice that we should endeavour to choose a topic where something entirely new can be discovered, not just re-affirming what a number of others have thoroughly investigated.
Now I have taken a completely new approach (since our campus session) in beginning the long process of choosing a topic for the proposal of my research topic. I started with my purpose for being on this course; teaching, then expanding on this by thinking of areas of teaching that I find interesting/ what areas I can expand my knowledge in, in order to improve understanding/ knowledge of teaching?. Having begun to investigate these ideas through a number of mind maps exploring what I already know about the topic and exploring the research potential (I found this process very useful as it enabled me to express all my thoughts on paper and visually link ideas and concepts together). Now I must take my learning further and use my existing and newly acquired research skills to find out what literature there is on the subjects and what ways I could investigate the subject (when I fully comprehend the approaches to research as described in our set text) as this will aid in determining what project I will undertake and thus what my proposal will be.
Now I have taken a completely new approach (since our campus session) in beginning the long process of choosing a topic for the proposal of my research topic. I started with my purpose for being on this course; teaching, then expanding on this by thinking of areas of teaching that I find interesting/ what areas I can expand my knowledge in, in order to improve understanding/ knowledge of teaching?. Having begun to investigate these ideas through a number of mind maps exploring what I already know about the topic and exploring the research potential (I found this process very useful as it enabled me to express all my thoughts on paper and visually link ideas and concepts together). Now I must take my learning further and use my existing and newly acquired research skills to find out what literature there is on the subjects and what ways I could investigate the subject (when I fully comprehend the approaches to research as described in our set text) as this will aid in determining what project I will undertake and thus what my proposal will be.
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