The effects of reciprocal and self–check teaching styles in students’ intrinsic– extrinsic motivation, enjoyment and autonomy in teaching traditional Greek dances

Abstract

Teaching of traditional dances is mainly done through an educational process where imitation of a prototype model prevails. In reciprocal and self-check teaching styles, part of the decisions is handed to the students so they are known as student-centered teaching methods. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of the reciprocal, the self-check and the command teaching styles in students’: a) intrinsic-extrinsic motivation, b) enjoyment and c) perceived motivational climate, while being taught Greek traditional dances. An independent group’s post-test comparison experimental design was used in the present study. Seventy university students (19-20 years old) were divided into three teaching style groups: a) reciprocal (n=21, nine males and twelve females), b) self-check (n=25, eleven males and fourteen females) and c) command (as control group n=24, eleven males and thirteen females) and were taught Greek traditional dances with the respective teaching style. All scales had acceptable levels of internal consistency (a>.74). Α two-way analysis of variance (two-way ANOVA) was used to examine the differences among the three teaching styles and between males and females on the aforementioned factors. Overall, results show that the self-check style triggers a significantly greater increase in intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, enjoyment and autonomy in comparison to the reciprocal and command-teaching styles. It is also connected with a decrease in external motivation and amotivation. Male students seem to opt for the self-check style due to it reinforcing or reducing psychological factors in contrast with the other styles (p<.05) while female students have a preference for the reciprocal style as well (p<.05). The implementation of the reciprocal and the self-check styles in teaching traditional dances creates a positive atmosphere which is deemed extremely important for an efficient and qualitative lesson. © 2015, JPES.