Critical Reflection on Professional Practitioner Inquiry

Pin-pointing a specific line of inquiry proved difficult for me. This surprised me due to the fact many initial questions sprang to mind.

http://ljpwebster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/deep-space-inquiry.html

Finding a topic that would enhance my knowledge and be of a future benefit in the work place took me a long time. I attribute this to my not being directly involved to a job in performing arts. I had to come up with a topic that would hold my interest and link to what I have planned in the future.

Much of the SIG activity centred around teaching aspects or topics specifically catered to dance so at the beginning these weren't of any use in helping me develop a line of inquiry. Discussion in the SIG's just seemed to cement areas I didn't want to concentrate on. Dancing and teaching dance were in my past.

Reflecting now I realise there was nothing I could do to speed up the process of developing a line of inquiry. Ex-colleagues and work associates were instrumental in helping me settle on a topic. The longevity of my decision making did have an affect on discussion time with the SIG's. The lateness of my arrival at a specific, detailed topic and questions resulted in limited discussions however points that arose were valid and provoked further interesting questions.

http://ljpwebster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/sig-questions-and-repiles-2.html

Emma's and Gabrielle's comments brought to light the many varying factors of facing rejection. Everyone's character is different but can dealing with rejection on a day to day basis change one's character? Do only the strong survive? All these questions sparked an interest on a line of inquiry I could take forward with me.

Choosing the appropriate inquiry tools was a straight forward task. I required musical theatre performers of a variety of ages to re-count experiences of rejection to help me gather information to analyse. 

http://ljpwebster.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/6b-inquiry-tools.html

As mentioned I realised which methods would be advantageous to my inquiry after considering my options. Identifying the tools and the situations they were suited for helped develop my plan further by pin-pointing how I would specifically achieve my results. One-on-one interviews are preferred to group ones for control purposes. Having strong, forward characters is a general trait of performers and too many of those in a room could be a disaster. It's better for the inquiry to take a little longer in order to prevent harm being done.  

Taking into account the emotional nature of being rejected the participants may find it difficult to experience past memories. Many negative emotions will be encountered possibly affecting the individuals moving forward. This was brought to my attention by a colleague when discussing the matter. I regret not blogging or recording the conversation as a source of information but as a result the necessary safeguards were considered and implemented.

I'm looking forward to discovering positive methods of coping with rejection in order to better prepare individuals interested in a performing arts career and students athletes I encounter in my future profession. Having been on an selection panel wherein I've had to eliminate athletes I've seen first hand the consequences of rejection. My findings will enlighten me in being able to give sound advice in combatting rejection enabling the athletes to move forward positively.  

6B Inquiry tools

Even though all four inquiry tools have their merits, having chosen my topic it's become evident which shall be the appropriate tools to use.



The nature of my topic and the specific results I hope to achieve narrows down my options. I require performers past experiences to gather data in order to anaylse and form a collective view. This will mean being interative in some way with groups or individuals asking them specific questions to gain relevant answers. To gather this information will rely on communication which leads to interviewing being a major tool.

The picking of your most appropriate tools is very much influenced by the topic you choose and the questions you need to ask. To gather info on the effects of rejection on performers I could watch how they react to certain situations but that would be very difficult to arrange and I could interpret their emotions incorrectly so the observation technique isn't an option for this type of inquiry. When it comes to emotional and psychological aspects you need interaction with people willing to help by expressing their views or re-calling past experiences which is the case in regards to my inquiry. I think the observation method is best suited for comparison of techniques or group responses. One could gather info on physicality or certain effects situations have rather than accurately determining emotional content.

Much the same applies for the insider research option. It relies heavily on one's employment situation and chosen topic of inquiry. I'm currently not in a position to conduct such a method and fortunately it's not necessary in regards to my topic. This technique would offer no real, clearcut evidence or answers that would help me determine the effect rejection has on performers. 

Using interviews as a tool enables me to ask specific questions tailored to extract the necessary information I require. It also gives me the opportunity to develop those questions during the process if the case arises because it lends a certain flexibility to the situation. Interviewing performers will result in both qualitative and quantative data which in turn will help me determine the best results. 

I will send out a questionnaire to help gather this info but understand that the reponse percentage is poor. However the questions asked will be highly beneficial to the inquiry and the end results.