Living Criteria: Co-Construction of Evaluative Criteria in Creative Collaboration in the Primary Classroom

Research with both professional musicians and children shows that during creativity, evaluations – such as liking, novelty and structure – shape decision-making. Less is known about how these evaluative processes operate in collaborative classroom settings where creativity also supports learning. This study examined how primary school students evaluate ideas during collaborative creative tasks, particularly in relation to their musical decisions. A qualitative case study was conducted with 18 students (aged 9–10) in a primary classroom across five integrated arts lessons centred on composing and performing rhythmic ostinati. Classroom observations, peer-feedback forms and student interviews were analysed thematically. Findings showed that students co-constructed a ‘Living Criteria’: a shared, dynamic evaluative system guiding idea generation, selection and refinement. This system comprised three components: Task-Specific Congruence (judging ideas by task fit and clarity), Emerging Aesthetic Evaluation (linking humour, enjoyment and ‘liking’ with perceived quality) and Collaborative Sensitivity (balancing idea quality with group harmony). Although limited by its small sample and single-class context, the study demonstrates how children integrate aesthetic, practical and social considerations when working together musically and creatively. The concept of ‘Living Criteria’ offers a framework for understanding how evaluative judgement develops through collaboration, with implications for music pedagogy and creative learning research.