Dance Education as a Transdisciplinary Vehicle for Transforming Teacher Education

A Blueprint for Academic Excellence

Bibliographic Data

ID22047692
AuthorsPeter J Cook (0000-0002-2942-1568, University of Southern Queensland, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume15
Issue10
Pages1409
Publication date2025-10-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducation Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/educsci15101409
OpenAlexW4415370747
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited25

The urgent need to transform initial teacher education (ITE) in Australia has reached a critical juncture, as the Quality Initial Teacher Education (QITE) Review reveals concerning attrition rates with nearly 40% of ITE students sleaving within six years and approximately one in five beginning teachers exiting within their first three years. Traditional approaches to teacher preparation are failing to adequately equip educators for contemporary classrooms, particularly in developing the cultural responsiveness needed to serve Australia’s diverse student populations. This paper presents a case for reconceptualising ITE through pedagogical features that underpin dance education as a transformative vehicle for reform. In this context, dance education is defined as structured movement-based learning that integrates physical expression, cognitive development, cultural understanding, and pedagogical skills through embodied practices. Through a critical discourse analysis of recent Australian policy documents including the Teacher Education Expert Panel (TEEP) Report and Quality Initial Teacher Education (QITE) Review, alongside systematic examination of international empirical research on dance education, this study reveals how dance education’s inherent integration of physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and cultural learning uniquely addresses persistent challenges in teacher education. This article suggests that embedding dance education principles throughout ITE programs could revolutionise teacher preparation by providing embodied understanding of learning processes while developing practical teaching skills. This innovative approach holds particular promise in developing teachers who are not only technically skilled but also emotionally intelligent and culturally responsive, with implications extending beyond Australia to teacher preparation programs internationally

Blueprint · Curriculum · Dance · Dance education · Embodied cognition · Excellence · Teacher education · Teaching method · Transformative learning · Art Education and Development · Diverse Music Education Insights · Diversity and Impact of Dance

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Open DOIOpen Access