Sharing Our Teachers: The Required Graduate Class at the American Museum of Natural History for Lehman College (CUNY)

Abstract

This reflective study explores the history and outcomes of a teacher education collaboration between the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and Lehman College of The City University of New York (CUNY), in the Bronx, NY, USA. AMNH developed and teaches a Lehman course, Museum Resources for Teaching Science, for Master's degree candidates in science teaching in secondary schools. The course focuses on teaching and learning using a variety of informal science resources and contexts. In this study, the authors examined the observed practices of instructors, students' assignments and thesis work, and course evaluations. Qualitative and quantitative data collected over nine years highlight the kinds of experiences that teachers had and valued. The authors found evidence that the Museum was a powerful resource for inspiring students through hands-on and self-directed science learning; that through exposure to these practices while still in their teacher education program, teacher learners experienced and expanded their science pedagogical content knowledge by learning about students and how to use appropriate resources in the two distinct contexts of the classroom and museums.