Journal of Teaching Innovation and Reform

Vol. 2 (2026)
Special Issue: Advancing Teaching Innovation and Reform through Transdisciplinary Approaches: Supporting SDGs and Education for All

Creative Dance as Pedagogy: A Study of Primary Students’ Higher-Order Thinking Skills and Dance Learning Motivation

PDF
  • Wang Zexin,
  • Ng Khar Thoe,
  • Lu Ping,
  • Endah Retnowati,
  • Yaro Umar
Wang Zexin
Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts (FOSSLA), UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Ng Khar Thoe
Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts (FELA), INTI International University, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Lu Ping
Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts (FOSSLA), UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Endah Retnowati
Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Yaro Umar
Department of Education, College of Vocational and Technical Education, Hassan Usman Katsina Polytecnnic, Katsina, Nigeria

Published 2026-08-04

Keywords

  • Creative Dance Pedagogy,
  • Higher-Order Thinking Skills,
  • Critical Thinking,
  • Creative Thinking,
  • Dance Learning Motivation,
  • Extracurricular Primary Education,
  • Sustainable Development Education (SDE)
    • ...More
    Less

How to Cite

Creative Dance as Pedagogy: A Study of Primary Students’ Higher-Order Thinking Skills and Dance Learning Motivation . (2026). Journal of Teaching Innovation and Reform, 2, 135-147. https://doi.org/10.65638/2978-5634.2026.2.11

Abstract

This article reports part of a bigger scale ‘Design and Development Research’ (DDR) Study aimed at examining preliminary changes in primary school students’ higher-order thinking and dance learning motivation following the implementation of Unit 1 of a theory-informed creative dance module. During Stage 2 of DDR, a quantitative one-group pre-test/post-test design was employed with 24 female primary school students from an extracurricular dance institution in China over three weeks (9 instructional hours). The intervention involved Unit 1 only as part of a larger DDR as aforementioned. Two instruments were used including a modified Fluid Intelligence Test (FIT), designed to assess higher-order thinking in movement-based contexts through critical and creative thinking, and an adapted Motivation Towards Dance Learning Survey (MTDLS). Both instruments underwent two rounds of expert validation prior to use. The findings showed positive change in both outcomes. The mean motivation score increased from 3.12 to 3.85, while the mean overall FIT score rose from 64.50 to 73.42. Improvements were also found in both critical and creative thinking sub-scores.

PDF

References

  1. Abdullah, S. I. N. W., Arokiyasamy, K., Goh, S. L., Culas, A. J., & Abdul Manaf, N. M. (2022). University students’ satisfaction and future outlook towards forced remote learning during a global pandemic. Smart Learning Environments, 9, 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00197-8
  2. Abraham, A. (2018). The neuroscience of creativity. Cambridge University Press.
  3. Baek, C. (2025). How (do) school experiences contribute to students’ sense of belonging? Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 45(3), 749–762. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2023.2206552
  4. Bell, M. D., Hauser, A. J., & Weinstein, A. J. (2023). The Automated Test of Embodied Cognition: Concept, Development, and Preliminary Findings. Brain Sciences, 13(6), 856. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13060856
  5. Carroll, C., Patterson, M., Wood, S., Booth, A., Rick, J., & Balain, S. (2007). A conceptual framework for implementation fidelity. Implementation Science, 2, Article 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-2-40
  6. Castro-Alonso, J. C., Ayres, P., Zhang, S., de Koning, B. B., & Paas, F. (2024). Research avenues supporting embodied cognition in learning and instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 36, Article 10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09847-4
  7. Dusenbury, L., Brannigan, R., Falco, M., & Hansen, W. B. (2003). A review of research on fidelity of implementation: Implications for drug abuse prevention in school settings. Health Education Research, 18(2), 237–256. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/18.2.237
  8. Eldridge, S. M., Lancaster, G. A., Campbell, M. J., Thabane, L., Hopewell, S., Coleman, C. L., & Bond, C. M. (2016). Defining feasibility and pilot studies in preparation for randomized controlled trials: Development of a conceptual framework. PLOS ONE, 11(3), e0150205. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150205
  9. Festiawan, R., Hooi, L. B., Widiawati, P., Yoda, I. K., Adi, S., Antoni, M. S., & Nugroho, A. I. (2021). The problem-based learning: How the effect on student critical thinking ability and learning motivation in COVID-19 pandemic? Journal Sport Area, 6(2), 231–243. https://doi.org/10.25299/sportarea.2021.vol6(2).6393
  10. Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th ed.). Sage.
  11. Gardner, H. (2011). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. Basic Books.
  12. Halverson, E. R., Saplan, K., Mejias, S., & Martin, C. (2023). What We Learn About Learning From Out-of-School Time Arts Education. Review of Research in Education, 47(1), 360-404. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X231223492
  13. Keller, J. M. (2010). The study of motivation. In Motivational design for learning and performance (pp. 1–19). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1250-3_1
  14. Kiss, B., Oo, T. Z., Biró, F., & Józsa, K. (2025). Students’ motivation for classroom music: A systematic literature review. Education Sciences, 15(7), 862. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15070862
  15. Koff, S. R., & Mavilidi, M.-F. (2021). Creative dance in education: Movement, imagination and learning. Journal of Dance Education, 21(3), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/15290824.2020.1798277
  16. Kong, L. C., & Liu, W. C. (2024). Motivating students using autonomy-supportive instructions: A pilot study. Asia Pacific Journal of Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2024.2390073
  17. Konstantinidou, E. (2023). Creative dance studies in elementary schools: A systematic search and a narrative review. Research in Dance Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/14647893.2023.2177266
  18. Laban, R. von. (1971). The mastery of movement. Macdonald & Evans.
  19. Lakens, D. (2022). Sample size justification. Collabra: Psychology, 8(1), Article 33267. https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.33267
  20. Laksmiwati, P. A., Lavicza, Z., Cahyono, A. N., Alagic, M., & Mumcu, F. (2024). When engineering design meets STEAM education in hybrid learning environment: Teachers’ innovation key through design heuristics. Asia Pacific Journal of Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2024.2373226
  21. Lin, X., Liang, Q., Shen, J., Yuan, Y., Zhou, C., & Yu, L. (2026). The impact of creative dance curriculum on epistemic curiosity in young children: A practice-based examination from the perspective of intrinsic needs. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 60, 102074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2025.102074
  22. Manninen, M., Dishman, R., Hwang, Y., Magrum, E., Deng, Y., & Yli-Piipari, S. (2022). Self-determination theory based instructional interventions and motivational regulations in organized physical activity: A systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 62, 102248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102248
  23. Mavilidi, M.-F., Okely, A. D., Chandler, P., Cliff, D. P., & Paas, F. (2015). Effects of integrated physical exercises and gestures on preschool children’s foreign language vocabulary learning. Educational Psychology Review, 27(3), 413–426. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9337-z
  24. McKenney, S., & Reeves, T. C. (2018). Conducting educational design research (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315105642
  25. Ng, K.T. (2012). The effect of PBL-SI on secondary students’ motivation and higher order thinking. Unpublished doctoral thesis. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Open University Malaysia.
  26. O’Donnell, C. L. (2008). Defining, conceptualizing, and measuring fidelity of implementation and its relationship to outcomes in K–12 curriculum intervention research. Review of Educational Research, 78(1), 33–84. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654307313793
  27. OECD. (2023). PISA 2022 assessment and analytical framework. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/dfe0bf9c-en
  28. OECD. (2024). PISA 2022 results (Volume III): Creative minds, creative schools. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/765ee8c2-en
  29. Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2006). The content validity index: Are you sure you know what’s being reported? Critique and recommendations. Research in Nursing & Health, 29(5), 489–497. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.20147
  30. Ruiz-del-Pino, B., Fernández-Martín, F., & Arco-Tirado, J. L. (2022). Creativity training programs in primary education: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 46, 101172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101172
  31. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
  32. Schneider, W. J., & McGrew, K. S. (2018). The Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory of cognitive abilities. In D. P. Flanagan & E. M. McDonough (Eds.), Contemporary intellectual assessment: Theories, tests, and issues (4th ed., pp. 73–130). Guilford Press.
  33. Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and social cognitive theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.101832
  34. Thabane, L., Ma, J., Chu, R., Cheng, J., Ismaila, A., Rios, L. P., Robson, R., Thabane, M., Giangregorio, L., & Goldsmith, C. H. (2010). A tutorial on pilot studies: The what, why and how. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 10, Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-10-1
  35. Wigfield, A., & Eccles, J. S. (2000). Expectancy–value theory of achievement motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 68–81. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1015
  36. Winner, E., Goldstein, T. R., & Vincent-Lancrin, S. (2013). Art for art’s sake? The impact of arts education. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264180789-en
  37. Zheng, Q., Yuan, Z., & Pan, X. (2025). Examining the influencing effect of EFL students’ digital literacy on their online learning power: The mediating role of perceived teacher support. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 45(1), 20–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2024.2404669