ERIC Number: EJ735746
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-May
Pages: 18
Abstractor: Author
Reference Count: 0
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1046-560X
Teacher Professional Development and Informal Learning Environments: Investigating Partnerships and Possibilities
Melber, L. M.; Cox-Petersen, A. M.
Journal of Science Teacher Education, v16 n2 p103-120 May 2005
To provide meaningful science experiences for students, educators need quality science experiences themselves from which to draw. Informal learning contexts, such as museums, are well positioned to provide educators with these professional development experiences. We investigated the impact museum-created professional development experiences had on 54 elementary teachers. Quantitative data were collected through an exit survey and qualitative data through survey questions and interviews. We found a significant difference between how teachers rated these workshops and how they rated other workshops. Teachers reported that the workshops helped them to (a) increase science content knowledge, (b) understand the process of science-scientific fieldwork, (c) change instructional methods, (d) connect natural science content with formal instruction, and (e) learn about museum resources for the classroom.
Descriptors: Professional Development, Informal Education, Science Instruction, Elementary School Teachers, Teacher Workshops, Science Education, Program Effectiveness, Teacher Attitudes, Teaching Methods, Museums, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Change Strategies
Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: service-ny@springer.com; Web site: http://www.springerlink.com.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A

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