Teaching in a Time of Crisis: Pedagogical Creativity in Music Education

Abstract

Pedagogical creativity is the development of flexible practices that are responsive to student inquiry, oriented toward risk-taking, and grounded in conceptions of pedagogues as curricular authors. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, pedagogical creativity may be one way to navigate uncertain educational terrain. This article explores the findings of a qualitative case study that examined the pedagogical practices of six music educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from semistructured interviews were analyzed through a theoretical framework of pedagogical creativity (Abramo & Reynolds, 2015). Attention was paid to the types of practices music educators were exploring, how pedagogical creativity was being implemented within the school culture, and the impact such practices had on music educators’ understandings of educational purpose. Findings indicate that participants found teaching during the unique context of the pandemic to be an opportunity to explore pedagogical creativity, particularly as public performance pressures were alleviated and social-emotional learning was emphasized. In particular, pedagogical creativity was often practically implemented out of a desire to remain responsive toward who and where participants were teaching, suggesting that responsiveness may be a criterion of pedagogical creativity.