The Effect of an Interdisciplinary Greek Traditional Dance, Music, and Sociology Program on Male and Female Students’ Anxiety

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an interdisciplinary program of Greek traditional dance with issues from music and sociology on high school students' anxiety. 131 students (68 males & 63 females), between the ages from 12 to 13 yrs., participated. The experimental group (n=62) followed the new eight-week program (two lessons/week) while the control group (n=69) followed the typical physical education program. To evaluate students' anxiety during lessons, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (Martens, Burton, Vealey, Bump, & Smith, 1990) was used with its 3 dimensions (somatic, cognitive anxieties, & self-confidence). Students completed it before the initiation of the intervention and after its completion. The following statistical analyses were performed: a) Factor Analysis, b) Cronbach's alpha test, and c) Anova with Repeated Measures. Results showed that a. "Somatic anxiety", "cognitive anxiety" and "self confidence" accounted for 83% and 73%, respectively, of the total variance b) Cronbach's alpha was satisfactory (ranging from .66, .78 and .71 for the initial and from .87, .94 and .89 for the final measure), c) the experimental group decreased the levels of somatic and cognitive anxieties and enhanced their self-confidence. Also, male students increased their self-confidence more than female students. These findings support the view that an interdisciplinary program of traditional Greek dance and topics from music and sociology reduces the rates of somatic and cognitive anxieties while simultaneously increases students' self-confidence's levels, and especially those of males.

The Relation Between Participation Motives and Goal Orientation of Participants in Recreational Dance Activities

“…On the one hand, the participants are motivated internally since they want to meet with friends and make new ones, as well as feel members of a team sharing the same interests and on the other hand, they want to preserve their health on good levels. The results of the research are in accordance with other researches (Filippou, 2015b;Papaioannidou, Derri & Filippou, 2015).…”

“…This may result from the existing social reality in Greece, where a big percentage of men who lose their jobs spend many hours at home. The results of this research are in accordance with other researches (Filippou, 2015b;Papaioannidou, Derri & Filippou, 2015) while they are opposite to the results found by Patsiaouras, Xatzigianis, and Anagnostou (2012) according to which, gender is not a differentiating factor in relation to motives for participating in dance activities.…”

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“…It constitutes an indispensable part of the school curriculum of Physical Education and is taught in primary and secondary schools; it is used as a form of exercise (Pitsi, 2002), as a means of mental discipline (Filippou, 2015;Filippou et al, 2014;Filippou, Pitsi & Stavridis, 2000;Filippou, 2002). However, it is mainly taught in hundreds, all over Greece and the world, folk clubs (Serbezis, 1995).…”

“…The departments provide students with the possibility of specialization in Greek dances. Thus it became possible to study and research dance from many different scientific approaches (Alygizakis, 2005;Bebetsos & Goulimaris, 2014;Goulimaris, 2015;Goulimaris, Koutsouba & Giosos, 2008;Goulimaris, Mavridis, Genti & Rokka, 2014;Lykesas, 2002;Serbezis, 1995;Tyrovola, 1994;Yfantidou, Costa & Michalopoulos, 2008;Filippou et al, 2014;Zografou, 1989).…”

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“…However, nobody can dispute the fact that we have to do with a clear presentation, through the dance and the custom, of the changes that happen in a society. In the Greek society we can notice social conditions' and structures' change, people's focalization in big cities (Filippou, 2015a) values system's change and also the increasing influence from Europeans and Americans civilizations (Galanopoulou, 2006).…”