Zhou L. Methodology for the formation of a future music teacher’s creative individuality in the process of piano learning

The thesis is devoted to the topical issue of art pedagogy – formation of a future music teacher’s creative individuality in the process of piano learning. The work defines the content and essence of the key concept of “a music teacher’s creative individuality” and determines prospects of the specified phenomenon formation in the conditions of piano training in the higher education institutions. It is proved that the phenomenon of “creative individuality of a music teacher” includes such characteristics as creative orientation (need for creative expression, setting on individual and socially significant results); creative abilities (ability to a certain type of artistic activity, availability of relevant intellectual and practical knowledge, skills); individual psychological originality (volitional qualities, ability to self-actualization, self-awareness as the creator of material and spiritual values, emotional characteristics). The structure of creative qualities of a future music teacher (motivational, cognitive, perceptive and interactive components) is revealed. The possibility of forming students’ creative individuality in the process of piano learning on the principles of existential, humane-aesthetic, culturological and creative approaches is revealed. Four groups of criteria (motivational-volitional, cognitive-informational, perceptual-gnostic, interactive-creative) are determined. The indicators and levels (high, medium, low) of students’ creative individuality formation are characterized. The pedagogical diagnostics of the current state and levels of formation of creative individuality of the future music teachers is carried out. A step-by-step methodology of forming future music teachers’ creative individuality has been developed, and its effectiveness has been experimentally tested. On the basis of the specified criteria and indicators the positive dynamics of formation of the outlined qualities in students of the experimental group at all stages of training is established. It is argued that dynamic characteristics are as follows: number of students whose creative individuality meets certain criteria and indicators of high level in the EG has significantly increased and number of students with low level has significantly decreased. This indicates feasibility of introducing the proposed methodology into the educational process of higher education institutions. Key words: creative individuality, future music teachers, piano learning, music education, methods of creative individuality formation, pedagogical conditions of creative individuality formation.