Students’ and teachers’ perceptions of creativity in middle and high school choral ensembles^*

* This research was completed in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching and Learning degree, Georgia State University. The article is based on the author's dissertation, titled “Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of the Engagement of Creativity in Secondary Choral Ensemble Classes.”

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the perceptions of students and teachers regarding the engagement of creativity within choral classes. Participants rated their perceptions of the degree to which certain activities were creative. Middle/high school chorus students (N = 314) and teachers (N = 11) completed a survey measuring the importance of purposes of music education. Most students found chorus to include creative activities, but were unable to explain which activity precipitated the creativity. Results from teacher surveys showed they valued creativity but addressed it infrequently. Interviews were conducted with two teachers, with focus groups for eight students. Findings suggested that students varied by age on process/product orientation, and generally stated that creative activities were absent from their classes. Teachers were most influenced by a lack of confidence in leading creativity lessons. Recommendations include research on teacher preparation programmes’ inclusion of creativity and professional development opportunities.

KEYWORDS:

• Creativity
• perceptions
• improvisation
• composition
• choral
• mixed methods

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

David W. Langley is Assistant Professor of Music Education and Assistant Director of Choral Activities at Georgia Southern University. Prior to his appointment, Langley spent thirteen years teaching P-12 music in various forms. His current research interests center around creativity, particularly in the teacher-preparation process, and psychosocial aspects of community music membership.

Notes

* This research was completed in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching and Learning degree, Georgia State University. The article is based on the author's dissertation, titled “Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of the Engagement of Creativity in Secondary Choral Ensemble Classes.”

1 All names used in this study are pseudonyms created by the author.