Since the 2018 Level Decree, six core competences have been incorporated on an equal footing into Flemish part-time arts education (DKO), including creativity and the drive to innovate. In practice, however, this competence proves difficult to put into concrete form, particularly in the second stage of instrumental education. This study therefore investigates how teaching methods for first-year electric guitar students can stimulate this competence.

The initial situation was first mapped out through five semi-structured interviews with guitar teachers, a curriculum developer and a creativity researcher. Subsequently, two series of lessons were conducted: a film music series in Ostend and an adapted domino series in Zomergem. The lessons were analysed using video recordings, student surveys and focus group discussions.

The results show that open-ended creative tasks often have a stifling effect at Grade 2.1. Creativity actually increases when clear constraints are imposed, such as a fixed film clip, a limited set of notes or a fixed chord progression. Within that structure, pupils dare to experiment more. Furthermore, creativity appears to be an effective means of reinforcing theoretical knowledge more deeply. Based on the research, two lesson series and seven specific teaching guidelines for instrumental teachers within the DKO were developed.