Informal Learning Environments Supporting Identity Development: Examining Long-Term Impacts of a Teacher-Museum Internship

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: New Directions in Informal Learning Environments Research: Families, Communities, and Careers

Abstract

This study examines long-term impacts of a teacher internship program set in an informal science education institution. Specifically, we investigate how the context of the informal learning environment and the corresponding community of practice, provide a space for teacher identity development. Over four years, 27 pre-service teachers from an urban state university in Southern California engaged in an 8-10 week internship with one of three informal science institutions. A mixed method analysis including post-program interviews and online survey responses obtained up to four years after completion were used to understand the benefits of the internship experience. Overall, former interns attributed their experiences working as informal science educators as contributing to strengths in their current classroom practices.

Author

• James F. Kisiel, California State University - Long Beach