Musical creativity and the teacher: an examination of data from an investigation of secondary school music teachers’ perceptions of creativity

This paper examines data from an investigation of creativity in music education, with particular reference to the perceptions of six teachers in English Secondary schools. Adopting a qualitative approach, videotaped extracts of lessons on composition and improvisation with pupils aged 11-14 were used as a basis for discussion during in-depth interviews with participants. Two of the three original research questions are considered in this paper focusing on (a) how participants characterised creativity in their discourse and (b) the relationship between their perceptions and their backgrounds. Twenty-eight categories and subcategories that complemented a four-fold framework outlined from the literature review (i.e. Pupil - Environment - Process - Product) emerged from the analysis of the interviews. Some of the categories and their educational implications are discussed with reference to the framework and the above research questions