Empowering creativity

Exploring teacher agency in creative arts education

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61251/ijoep.v3i1.296

Keywords:

Teacher Agency, Creative Arts Education, Pedagogical Innovation, Reflective Practice, Professional Development

Abstract

This study examines the vital role of teacher agency in creative arts education, focusing on how autonomy, identity, and reflective practice contribute to pedagogical innovation. In creative disciplines, agency enables educators to build expressive, student-centred learning environments, even when constrained by rigid curricula, time limitations, and limited institutional support. Drawing on global literature, the paper highlights how teachers navigate these challenges by designing adaptable curricula, co-creating knowledge with students, and integrating culturally relevant, experimental methods. Emerging trends in the field are also explored, including transdisciplinary approaches that bridge the arts with science, humanities, and social justice. Arts-based professional development is emphasized as a means to foster long-term creative growth, alongside a growing awareness of the role of AI in education. While digital tools offer potential to enhance creativity, their impact on teacher voice and autonomy depends greatly on how they are implemented. Using a quantitative descriptive survey design, data were gathered from 387 creative arts educators to understand their perceptions of agency in areas such as curriculum adaptability, instructional decision-making, and institutional participation. The findings reveal that teacher agency is supported by ongoing reflection, collaboration, and active engagement with aesthetic practices, though it remains uneven across institutional levels. The study contributes to policy and professional development discourse by advocating for reforms that centre teacher voice, creativity, and well-being. It calls for systemic support structures that empower educators not only in the classroom but within broader educational decision-making processes.

Author Biographies

Hamza Alhassan, Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Tamale College of Education, Ghana

Hamza Alhassan (PhD) is a lecturer in the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Tamale College of Education, Tamale, Ghana He has been lecturing officially for over ten (10) years. He is a research follow, designer, curriculum developer and lecturer. His research area includes AI in Education, Green Art, visual art education, TVET skill competencies and creative art education. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2393493

Fred Kyeremeh, Department of Vocational and Technical Education, St. Ambrose College of Education, Ghana

Fred Kyeremeh (PhD) is a visual communicator, educator, and researcher. He is a lecturer in the Vocational and Technical Department at St. Ambrose College of Education, Dormaa-Akwamu, Bono Region, Ghana, with extensive experience teaching across pre-tertiary, college of education, and university levels. He has trained thousands of pre-service and in-service teachers as a lecturer and a master trainer of the Creative Arts curriculum in Ghana. Based on his expertise, he has created countless communication design products and teaching and learning resources (TLRs) for many organizations, educational institutions and individuals. His research focuses on teaching and learning materials, creative arts education, educational ecologies, art pedagogy, teacher creativity and perceptions.

Mohammed Issah Seini, Department of Art and Design Innovation, Tamale Technical University, Ghana

Issah Mohammed Seini is a committed academic and creative scholar currently engaged in doctoral studies at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He also serves as a lecturer in the Department of Art and Design Innovation at Tamale Technical University. His research investigates the convergence of indigenous art practices and contemporary design methodologies, emphasizing sustainable and culturally informed innovation. Seini is dedicated to empowering the forthcoming generation of designers through practical, community-oriented education. His work integrates tradition with innovation, aspiring to enhance the visibility of Ghanaian art and design on both national and international stages.

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Published

2026-04-25

How to Cite

Alhassan, H., Kyeremeh, F., & Issah Seini, M. (2026). Empowering creativity: Exploring teacher agency in creative arts education. Indonesian Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 3(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.61251/ijoep.v3i1.296

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): April

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Hamza Alhassan, Fred Kyeremeh, Mohammed Issah Seini

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