Perceptions of Creativity in Art, Music and Technology Education

Authors

David Russell Stricker, University of Minnesota

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2008

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the perceptions of art, music, and technology education teachers with regard to creativity in their respective fields. The survey used in this study was designed around the themes borne out of creativity literature generally and creativity specific to the fields of art, music, and technology and engineering education. As a result the themes of creative process, products, personal traits, and environment shaped the items contained in the survey.

Although participants from all three subjects perceived the creative process as important to creative work generally, technology education teachers were less interested in the importance of the creative process than the teachers of art and music. In addition, technology education teachers perceived a product’s ease of use, practical implications, value to the community, craftsmanship, ability to respond to a need, and general adherence to technical standards as being important features of a creative product in their field when compared to art and music teachers. Art teachers valued creative personality traits significantly more than their peers in technology education. The perception of the importance of group work and competition was significantly higher for technology teachers than for art teachers.

Lastly, of the variables of subject (art, music, or technology education) taught, grade levels taught, years of teaching experience, level of education, and gender, the subject the participants taught was the only significant determinant of creativity perceptions in the study.

Comments

This dissertation was submitted to the graduate school of the University of Minnesota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree.