Professional Development in Science-Rich Cultural Institutions and the Connection to Teaching Practice

• In Event: 77.050 - Museums and Teacher Professional Development: Illuminating the "Invisible Infrastructure" of Science Institutions in Teacher Learning

Abstract

Objectives. Our goal was to look closely at key features of professional development experiences of teachers in a multi-site, museum-based program and their influence on classroom practice, asking: (1) How does sustained professional development support teachers’ development of core science teaching practices? and (2) Are there differences in teachers’ learning and reported enactment of practices across levels of experience and, if so, to what can we attribute them?

Research context. The program of study is a partnership between a large urban school district and eight science-rich cultural institutions. The program provides intensive, sustained professional development for science teachers, as well as science classroom materials and free access to the cultural institutions. Currently in its 14th year, 35% of all city middle schools participate in the program and more than 50% of all middle schools have ever been involved.

Theoretical framework. Previous evaluation in the program has shown that students with participating teachers perform better on a standardized measure of science achievement (Authors, 2018). Research shows that a teacher’s instructional practice may correlate with student achievement better than other potential indicators of quality (e.g. Clotfelter, Ladd, & Vigdor, 2007; Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2005). Therefore, we hypothesize that the professional development may help teachers develop their instructional practice in science which in turn improves student achievement.

Data sources and analysis. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 teachers: four “new,” four “mid-stage,” and four “veteran” teachers. We asked them about their experiences in the program, how they use program tools and strategies, and how they believe that program features are evident (or not) in their classroom. We also observed a sample of professional development sessions. We used pre-existing theory about core science teaching practices (e.g. Kloser, 2014) to develop an initial set of codes and used open-coding to describe the remainder of the data set.

Results. Three features emerged as key influences on teachers’ practice: (1) teachers participated in science investigations as “science learners,” (2) practiced using and reflecting upon UA tools (writing scaffolds), and (3) took advantage of opportunities to collaborate with their peers. There were differences in the ways in which new versus veteran teachers discussed these themes. For example, whereas new teachers talked about the program tools in terms of logistics (e.g. when they introduced the tool), veteran teachers discussed the ways in which they modified the tools to fit their unique context, reflecting a deeper understanding of the practices of science and the ways in which tools support students’ engagement in practices.

Significance. This work suggests three factors of a museum-based professional development program that contribute to shifting middle school science teachers’ practice. The observed differences between new versus veteran teachers point to the importance of the long-term nature of the professional development. Museums and other science-rich cultural institutions are embedded in communities and may be less subject to short-term educational policy edicts as compared to schools; thus, museums may be ideal sites to support science teachers along a continuum of development (Feiman-Nemser, 2001).

Authors

• Anna MacPherson, American Museum of Natural History

• MIchael Reilly, American Museum of Natural History

• Karen M. Hammerness, American Museum of Natural History