The Rhythm of School: Evaluating the Outcomes of a Brief School Dance Program within a School Health Nursing Perspective

Objective: Dance involves physical activity, creativity, aesthetics and fun. It is believed that including dance in the programs of school-age children will contribute to their physical, emotional and cognitive development. In this study, it is aimed to evaluate the outcomes of a brief school dance program that was designed to improve school attachment, school satisfaction, and attention levels among primary school students.Method: The research was a single group pre-test-post-test design. The sample of the study consisted of 304 primary school students from two schools (n=304). The data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Children’s Overall Satisfaction with Schooling Scale, the School Attachment Scale for Children and Adolescents, and Barkley’s Child SCT Ratings Scale. The brief group school dance program applied twice a week for a total of seven weeks.Results: Following the brief school dance program, a significant increase was observed in students' school satisfaction and attachment levels (p <.05); however, there was no significant change in their attention levels (p >.05). This study highlights the potential of short-term dance activities accompanied by music to enhance primary school students' levels of school attachment and satisfaction. Conclusion: These findings suggest that dance activities could be an effective tool for enhancing students' school attachment and satisfaction in educational settings. Future studies should explore the scope of this effect in different age groups and through longer-term implementations.