A phenomenographic approach to understanding Taiwanese music teachers’ experiences of creativity in the classroom

This thesis examines what creativity means to a group of Taiwanese music teachers, and how it relates to their classroom experiences and teaching practices. The research followed a qualitative, interpretative approach. Interviews were used to gather data, and were analysed according to phenomenographic principles. Analysis of the interviews indicated that two main approaches were taken by teachers regarding their experiences of creativity: a product-focused, and a process-focused approach. In the product-focused approach, creativity was defined from the outside according to externally imposed factors, frames of reference, and motivating forces. In the process-focused approach, creativity was defined from the inside, from the point of view of the individual involved, and in which personal agency, inclusion, and collaboration were valued. From the two approaches, four categories were further identified that delineated the main focus of teachers’ experiences, namely curriculum, talent, knowledge, and dialogic. The approach taken by teachers towards creativity also showed a relationship to how music education was perceived. Teachers who had a product-focused approach to creativity saw music education in terms of content, while those who were process-focused had a meaning-oriented view of music education that valued the experience of students over the content that was taught. Similarly, a correspondence was found between how creativity was perceived and the nature of classroom interactions that varied between teacher-centred and learner-centred. The thesis concludes by questioning whether traditional approaches to music education still prevalent in Taiwanese classrooms can accommodate the democratic and universalized approach to creativity promoted by the Taiwan government. It is recommended that music teacher educators in Taiwan re-evaluate the goals of music education and how it is delivered if music education and creativity are to co-exist.