Not just for art teachers anymore : interdisciplinary teacher professional development at the San Antonio Museum of Art

This case study focused on the 2016 Summer Teacher Institute at the San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas. The workshop intended to present an interdisciplinary professional development program to participating teachers from various disciplines, grounding non-art concepts with works of art. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the program by examining the events of the workshop within a framework of experiential and social learning theory, reviewing anonymous teacher feedback, and through interviews with the museum educator leading the program and one participating teacher. The workshop’s adherence to the theoretical framework, its fulfillment of the museum educator’s objectives, and the teacher’s consideration of how likely she would be to use skills and strategies learned in the workshop in her classroom were the elements determining the workshop’s success. Through analysis of other interdisciplinary professional development programs and direct communication with the involved educators, this study offers information other institutions may consider when designing interdisciplinary arts-focused programming that will be of most practical use to participants.