Creative Thinking Education: Exploring Opportunities in the Elementary General Music Classroom

Abstract

Creative Thinking Education: Exploring Opportunities In the Elementary General Music Classroom

Sandra S. Reece

ABSTRACT Creative thinking is an essential skill for success in the 21st century. The elementary general music classroom provides a fertile environment for creative thinking instruction. Although the national music standards emphasize the importance of creative thinking activities, many music classrooms focus on basic music skills and performance techniques rather than activities that foster creativity. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that contribute to the inclusion of creative thinking activities in the elementary general music classroom by examining the perceptions, preparation, and practices of elementary general music teachers as well as contextual conditions that facilitate or hinder such instruction. From a population of elementary general music teachers in Maryland public schools, a sample of 64 music teachers completed an online survey, and 12 participated in interviews. Data from this mixed methods study indicated a positive creativity mindset was important for a teacher’s confidence in incorporating creative thinking activities. Formative music experiences and professional development in creative musicianship positively impacted the development of a creativity mindset, leading teachers to include a range of creative activities in music instruction. Data revealed that formal education did not prepare teachers for creative thinking instruction. Teachers who successfully taught the creative process were personally engaged in creative endeavors. Their ongoing personal musicking showed a more significant positive impact on incorporating creative thinking in the classroom than any other. Contextual factors such as inadequate time, space, and resources allotted for music instruction, lack of support for the professional development of music instructors, and feelings of being excluded and disrespected by administrators and colleagues were significant barriers to effective instruction. Findings from this study suggest that school systems and school principals can significantly impact creative thinking instruction in music classrooms by increasing creativity-specific professional development opportunities, limiting multi-school assignments, deploying resources using an allocation formula, and developing the music curriculum knowledge of administrators. This study also points to the need for higher education to revisit music teacher preparatory programs to ensure teacher candidates experience personal creative thinking in music while learning creative thinking methodology.