Examining art professional development : how contemporary art museum programming impacts educators

Abstract

This study examined the impact of art professional development and what teachers gain from their professional development experience. The purpose of this study was to investigate what teachers identify as valuable in a museum professional development workshop and asks how they implement what they learned professionally in their teaching. This research focused as a mini- ethnographic case study of The Contemporary Austin’s professional development program targeted at educators. To identify ways in which teachers use what they learned and what they expect out of professional development, four interviews and fieldwork notes were obtained from three art teachers and a museum educator in the fall of 2018. Through this study, five themes emerged from the data collected giving insight to professional development in relation to current ideas in the field and how teachers use and value their experiences to support their activities in schools. These themes included: Participant Social Interaction, Reflective Teacher Practice, Art-Making for Everyone, Teacher Professional Growth and Museum as a Learning Environment. These themes illuminate our understanding of the value of art museum programming in the educational system, and show teachers, administration and museum educators that investing in professional development will contribute to their growth and enhance their effectiveness with learners.