Understanding Teachers' Motivations for Professional Development at Historic Sites

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Learning in Place-Based and Community-Based Contexts

Abstract

This is the first round of data from a 3-year IMLS National Leadership Grant project to develop a broad-based assessment for understanding what teachers learn in historic site-based professional development programs. The centerpiece of this project is an assessment tool based in Q-methodology. This round of study focuses on 28 teachers, in an archival research-focused institute and the ways in which they see their work at historic sites affecting their professional growth. Results indicate that contrary to advocates’ primary reasoning for encouraging teachers’ work at historic sites, historical disciplinary content and analysis are the least motivating factors for most participants, while the opportunity to work with peers to develop pedagogy, and the numinousness of the historic site are larger draws.

Authors

• Christine Baron, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Sherri Robyn Sklarwitz, Tufts University

• Hyeyoung Bang, Bowling Green State University

• Hanadi Shatara, Teachers College, Columbia University