Songcrafting: A teacher’s perspective of collaborative inquiry and creation of classroom practice

Abstract

This article examines the wider meanings of collective inquiries, creative collaboration and learning at work through analyzing a teacher’s learning process when plunging into collaborative inquiry and creation with the students in primary classroom context. The incorporation of “songcrafting” into the existing practice of singing ready-made songs is analyzed and evaluated as a teacher-researcher’s reflection-on-practice. The case of long-term change in practice is modeled as collaborative creative process (Csikszentmihalyi, 199; Sawyer, 2006) and inquiry (Dewey, 1933/LW 8, 1938/LW 12), examining its enhancing and hindering elements. An extension on the definition of songcrafting is presented. By seeing the teacher as a constant co-learner alongside her students, the creative capabilities of both are highlighted. The issues of reproduction and collaborative creation concerning both musical practices and musical works are also examined.