Effect of traditional dances on selected psychological variables among high school students in Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the effect of practicing Tigray Regional State Traditional Dances on selected psychological variables, i.e. anxiety and self-esteem, in a sample of one 100 adolescent boys and girls (age 15 – 17 years) who volunteered. The subjects were divided into two groups i.e., the experimental group (n=80) and the control group (n=20). Furthermore, the experimental group was divided into four subgroups (n= 4X20). Each experimental subgroup was practicing for 16 weeks one of the four Traditional Dances of Awris, Hura, Kuda and Shediva. On the contrary, the participants in the control group were counseled to follow their usual daily routine activity. Additionally, all participants were tested on selected criterion measures on anxiety and self-esteem prior to and after the investigation period which lasted for 16-weeks. All data were statistically examined using ANOVA for each one of the studied variables separately. Whenever ‘F’ ratio of adjusted post-test was found to be significant the Scheffe’s test was used to determine the paired mean differences. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. Following the 16-weeks traditional dance practicing, significant positive changes were observed on anxiety and self-esteem variables in the four experimental groups compared with the control group. It can be, therefore, concluded, that Tigray traditional dance practicing can notably improve the psychological wellbeing of high school students.