Creativity in Education from the Teacher’s Perspective and Its Possible Implications for Music Creative Work with Children Aged 5–6 in Formal Education in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This study is a qualitative research project focused on teachers’ views of their influences on children’s (aged 5–6) musical creativity within the context of formal education in the United Kingdom. The study offers insight into teachers’ efforts to develop creativity directly and indirectly and explores other factors which connect to creativity, such as institutional context, teacher training, and musical and pedagogical skills. Participants (seven music teachers work- ing in state and private schools in York, UK, with children aged 5–6) were recruited through snowball sampling and participated in one-to-one semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that teachers implemented age-appropriate short improvisational and compositional tasks. However, free access to musical instruments was supported in nurseries rather than in Year 1 of formal school education. Interviewees considered themselves creative, musical, and musically creative teachers, although only some of them confirmed that their teacher training helped them develop children’s musical creativity.