Chapter 5 Perceptions of Difference and Equality
5.5 Conclusion
This chapter explored the concept of difference, firstly as it emerges within the creative self- expression of learners, and secondly as it presents itself as perceived attributes and
capabilities between learners. This extends from the theorisation of creativity learning as presented in the literature review chapter (see Section 2.3), which identified the ways in which a learner’s process of experiencing creativity is deeply enmeshed with their ability to recognise and value difference, in both creative outcomes and as an emergence within themselves through the creative process.
From the reflections shared by my interviewees however, there appears to be a somewhat incongruous valuing of difference between the two educational perspectives: the learner as a creative agent, and the learner as a student of dance. When an unexpected outcome emerges as a creative idea within a QOED class, it is valued as an “accident” or “surprise” in
alignment with QOED literature. In this context, difference between learners’ ideas,
difference from the teacher’s expectations, and even a transformational difference from the learner’s former self, is perceived to be a useful manifestation of a creative activity. Teachers reflected on how they purposefully emphasised differences when they perceived them, and even prompted learners to explore how the difference of their ideas might provide a source of further creative inspiration.
Within the wider context of tertiary dance training however, the same teachers perceive difference as fundamentally referring to the distance between learners and a perceived ideal dancer. This distance particularly measures differences in physical appearance and capability, which are identified as deficits. Teachers subsequently engage in a process of trying to
conceal these differences through establishing a training regime that attempts to make them as similar as possible, and through collation in class groups that appear as similar as possible, to support efficiency in teaching practices and conceal what are perceived to be demoralising comparisons between learners. Learners are nevertheless aware of these perceived contrasts, which informs both their self-perception, and the behaviour of teachers towards these learners.
This perception of difference-as-deficit can be seen as consistent with the deficit notion of students as “not-yet” and “in-need-of” certain abilities, which parallels the temporal gap between the student and teacher. Consequently, education is regarded as the means of bridging this gap, making it both necessary and justifiable in a single step (Biesta, 2017).
Based on this understanding, in the dance education, teachers are perceived as having a role in the delivery of content knowledge, requiring that teachers not only have professional theoretical knowledge, but also high dance skills (Jiang, 2021). This further emphasises the distance between the student and the teacher’s physical capability (or even form capability) as a perceived deficit.
Trying to reconcile a conception of difference as a valuable attribute that can enable
creativity can therefore be challenging for teachers embedded within a vast tertiary education system that maintains a deeply entrenched valuing of uniformity and conformity to an
idealised standard. Even when teachers do purposefully seek to promoting differences in classes, it is worth noting that they encounter various challenges, such as time constraints, resource limitations, inadequate training, insufficient support and the demands of the curriculum and assessment (Stavrou & Koutselini, 2016). As discussed in the literature review chapter however, the relatively little theorisation of educational purpose within QOED (and of difference as a concept within creativity) makes it even harder for teachers to advance such a valuing of diversity. It might even be argued that through terms like “accident” or
“surprise” within QOED literature (to refer to unexpected outcomes), the purposeful valuing of difference and diversity as key mechanisms for creativity is made even more ambiguous for QOED teachers. Given that QOED is emerging as minor pedagogy, with aims to reform dance education in China so that learners may experience greater development of their creative and collaborative capabilities, further theorisation appears essential. Fundamental to theoretical development would be a critical questioning of the educational purpose, and how a purpose focused on creativity through a valuing of difference requires a deliberate
reconstruction of former purposes that have been focused on advancing the conformity to an idealised standard for all learners.
While this thesis focuses on the teachers’ perspectives, it further opens research inquiries into how learners perceive and experience difference. How do learners in QOED (and tertiary dance education in China) perceive difference within themselves, and the process of transformation into new and uncertain ways of being through creativity? How do they perceive differences among other learners, as potential sources of such creative discovery?
These are significant questions that may further expand our understandings of the
significance of an educational purpose associated with difference and creativity. We might assume, however, that the ways that teachers purposefully socialise creativity will have a significant impact on these perceptions and experiences of learners. The following chapter therefore explores my teacher interviewees’ reflections on creative group tasks in QOED, to identify how their teaching actions (while aspiring to grow collaboration) may inadvertently further diminish a valuing of difference among the cohorts of learners.