School Site to Museum Floor: How informal science institutions work with schools

Abstract

Nutzungsbedingungen AbstractTwo research studies sponsored by CILS investigated the programmes ISIs currently provide to support K-12 science education, particularly in the area of teacher professional development (PD). The first study was a large-scale survey with 475 ISIs responding about the programmes they offer schools and teachers beyond one-day field trips. A large majority of ISIs (73%) reported having one or more of these programmes, with more than half (59%) providing one or more forms of teacher PD. ISIs also reported a tendency for their programmes to be under-subscribed, and said funding was the biggest barrier to their ability to provide these programmes.A second study focused on ISI-based teacher professional development (PD) programmes, looking at whom they serve, how they are funded, and their specific programmatic elements. This study also investigated the extent to which ISI-based PD incorporates features shown to produce measurable effects on teachers' instructional practice. Researchers administered an intensive survey to over 310 ISIs with teacher PD offerings to obtain detail regarding the programming. The findings reported here indicate that the particular promise of ISI-based teacher PD is the potential to incorporate features of PD that research has shown to produce measurable effects on teachers' practice. The results from these two studies suggest that while some opportunities may be missed to leverage the strengths of the ISIs' learning environment in K-12 science education, ISIs continue to support K-12 science education in the US in important and varied ways.

Garden Learning: A Study on European Botanic Gardens Collaborative Learning Processes

“…Phillips, Finkelstein, and Wever-Frerichs (2007) argue that this fusion may blur the quality of learning outside the classroom. As long as 15 years ago, Griffin and Symington (1997) were already arguing for a move from task oriented to learner oriented strategies for field trips.…”

“…These experiences-with an array of real-life settings, animals, professional science communities, objects, scientific instrumentation, and current research and data-have been shown to spark curiosity, generate questions, and lead to a depth of understanding and commitment in ways that are often less possible when the same material is encountered in books or on screens. ' (Bevan et al, 2010, p. 11) However many LOtC institution, and botanic gardens in particular, do not engage in larger educational reform efforts or in systematic programme evaluation (Phillips et al, 2007) and they often fail to institutionalize collaborations with schools or the educational system. The reasons for this state of affairs are manifold and are often related to the hybrid nature of these collaborations which are both formal and informal at the same time (Bevan et al, 2010).…”

“…99ff) to develop new and more effective instructional practices. However many institutions that provide opportunities for teachers and students to learn about science outside the classroom often do not engage in bigger educational reform efforts (Phillips et al, 2007) and in service training programs for LOtC educators are rare. The INQUIRE project therefore asked Botanic Gardens and Natural History Museums to engage in designing and implementing inquiry based training offers for teachers and LOtC educators and thus contribute to improving science education in their country.…”

Heritage education: Exploring the conceptions of teachers and administrators from the perspective of experimental and social science teaching

“…If these are to develop worthwhile educational programmes, they should also draw on the work being done in the Social and Experimental Sciences. The approach to heritage in these various contexts takes widely different perspectives in terms of conceptualisation, ends, contents and methodological approaches to teaching and dissemination in both formal and informal education (Fontal, 2003;Martin, 2004;Phillips, Finkelstein, & Wever-Frerichs, 2007). This paper aims to provide a broad picture of the representations that teachers and heritage administrators have of heritage, its teaching and dissemination, and how the initial training each receives might influence their subsequent professional development in this respect.…”

Exploring a school–aquarium collaboration: An intersection of communities of practice

“…Several studies suggest, however, that these research efforts are not effectively informing teacher practice within the museum setting (Anderson, Kisiel, & Storksdieck, 2006;DeWitt & Storksdieck, 2008;Griffin & Symington, 1997;Kisiel, 2005Kisiel, , 2007Storksdieck et al, 2005). Furthermore, recent studies suggest that science museum resources are generally underused by the teachers they hope to serve (Bevan, 2007;Finkelstein, 2005;Phillips, Finkelstein, & Wever-Frerichs, 2007) and that external factors such as rising costs and accountability concerns are likely influencing teacher and school participation (Anderson et al, 2006;DeWitt & Storksdieck, 2008).…”