Age and Gender Issues in Adolescent Attitudes to Dance

Abstract

Qualitative research indicates that dance is an immensely popular recreational activity with young people, yet in many European schools it is often regarded as that aspect of the PE curriculum most suited to young children and high-school girls. This practice however is not based on empirical information; details relating to adolescent attitudes to dance for instance andhow these may vary with age and gender are sparse. Opinions were sought, therefore, from a total of 1668 11–16-year-old boys and girls, from 19 schools throughout England, using a questionnaire which included four Likerttype dance attitude scales. Analyses showed little change in attitudes between the ages of 11 and 16 and no interaction of age with gender. Girls displayed more positive attitudes than boys on two of the scales, but the reverse was the case on the third scale and no gender differences were evident on the fourth. The virtual absence of change in age-related scale scores highlights the need for both increased dance provision in schools and more focused teaching, while the specific nature of the gender-related attitude differences offers curriculum development opportunities. The absence of interaction between age and gender suggests cultural rather than school influences on attitudes.