These children aren’t creative: Insights from beginning teachers on early childhood arts education

Abstract

According to the National Education and the Arts Statement (MCETYA and Cultural Ministers’ Council, 2007), all children should have access to high-quality arts experiences, especially within early childhood. The delivery of arts education in classrooms is dependent on early childhood teachers’ beliefs (known as selfefficacy) about their own capability. This study explores the self-efficacy of beginning teachers as they engaged with the arts during practical experience in early childhood classrooms. Using Bandura’s model of self-regulated learning, the study addresses issues of self-efficacy as a base for considering sources of an early childhood teacher’s sense of agency related to teaching the arts. It starts to explain reasons for beginning early childhood teachers in another recent study reporting lower teacher self-efficacy for the arts (Garvis & Pendergast, 2010). Findings suggest that practical experience in an early childhood classroom influenced the beginning teachers’ beliefs towards teaching arts education. The findings highlight the need for training in the arts for beginning and supervising teachers.