Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE July 2008 ISSN 1302-6488 Volume: 9 Number: 3 Article 5

---

THE ORGANISATION OF A DISTANCE POSTGRADUATE

DANCE PROGRAMME AND THE PARTICIPATION

OF STUDENTS SPECIALISING IN DANCE

Assistant Professor Dimitris GOULIMARIS

Democritus University of Thrace, GRECEE

Assistant Professor Maria KOUTSOUBA

Kapodistrian University of Athens, GRECEE

Yiannis GIOSOS

Tutor – Counselor,

Hellenic Open University, GRECEE

ABSTRACT

Researching student participation in distance postgraduate programmes of studies in dance constitutes a concern of any educational organisation. This sort of participation can be considered as a type of “behaviour” of the students which has to be researched and defined.

The aim of this study is to research the factors which constitute the behaviour of students participating in distance postgraduate programmes of studies in dance and to detect any difference in their behaviour that stems from characteristics such as gender and previous dance experience.

The sample of the study consisted of 71 male and female students who had chosen to specialise in Greek traditional dance in three Departments of Physical Education of Greece, where the specific specialisation is offered. From the results of the study, it is observed that there is a moderately positive tendency to participate in a postgraduate programme of studies in dance. Furthermore, it was found that male and female students in the three departments did not show any difference in their “behaviour”. Differences in “Role Identity” and “Attitude Strength” can be seen between those who had previous dance experience and those who did not. 

Keywords: Dance, postgraduate studies, participation, organisation