A Relationship Between Creativity and Musical Achievement: A survey of music major trainee teachers in a teacher education institution

This study was carried out to determine the relationship between creativity and musical achievement among music major trainee teachers in a teacher education institution in Kuala Lumpur. Respondents for this survey study comprised 21 final year trainee teachers undergoing the four year Bachelor of Teaching Degree Programme majoring in Music Education. There were 7 males and 14 females. These respondents were the first intake of trainee teachers in this degree program. The mean age of these trainee teachers was 23.14 (SD=0.35). Creativity data was collected through Figural (Form A) of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT). Musical achievements of trainee teachers were measured using the Musical Achievement Test adapted from Colwell’s Music Achievement Test (1968). The Music Achievement Test consisted of pitch discrimination, interval discrimination, meter discrimination, major-minor mode discrimination, auditory-visual discrimination, and cadence recognition. Results of the study showed that trainee teachers in teacher education institution were more creative in Figural Abstractness of Title followed by Figural Resistance to Premature Closure, Figural Originality, Figural Fluency, and Figural Elaboration. The overall Creativity Index was 114.1 (SD=13.29). The mean value of the Music Achievement Test (MAT) was M=69.4 (SD=11.13). The highest score was major-minor mode discrimination and the lowest score was degree of scale recognition. Figural fluency and figural originality were found to be significantly related to interval discrimination. This was also found to be significantly related to visual discrimination. Finally a statistically significant correlation was found between figural creativity and musical achievement. The findings indicate that music educators should encourage creative activities and exploit the development of original ideas in trainee music teachers.