Degree Date

4-2011

Document Type

Dissertation - Public Access

Degree Name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Academic Discipline

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Linda Tafel, Ed.D.

Second Advisor

Linnea Rademaker, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Patrick Roberts, Ph.D.

Abstract

This grounded theory study is an examination of the culture, context, conditions and competencies of a set of six museum educators from a large city in the United States. Participants were education department leaders from a variety of museum types, including: A science museum, an ethnic arts museum, a settlement house museum, a children‘s museum, an aquarium, and a zoo. An analysis of data points to an emerging framework that codifies particular leadership settings and domains of practice for leaders of museum educators. An array of data collections were employed in the study, including: Semi-structured interviews, unstructured observations, written reflections to assigned readings, and professional development workshops. Primary source documents were also analyzed as part of this study. Research suggests that highly skilled leaders of museum educators possess an ability to lead in a variety of settings including leading IN their departments, UP the institutional hierarchy, ACROSS the institution and OUTside the institution. An emerging framework is articulated that includes four domains of leadership practice: The Teaching and Learning Domain, the Political Domain, the Financial Domain and the Operations Domain. Lastly, research suggests that the participants in this study share a common lens through which all their work is done, which is that of the visitor as a learner.

Comments

TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................... v

List of Tables............................................................................... xi

List of Figures.............................................................................. xii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION....................................................... 1 Symptom of a Larger Problem........................................................... 3 Defining the Landscape................................................................... 4

Imagining the Role Museum Educators Can Play in the Future of American Museums............................................................ 10

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE The Emergence of Museum Education as an Occupation in the United States......... 12

Introduction................................................................................. 12

1786 – 1879: The American Museum Post the Civil War: The Idea of Museum as Public Place Emerges.................................................................. 16

1880 – 1920: The Industrial Revolution and American Museum: The Emergence of Museum Education as a Distinct Activity............................. 17

1920 – 1949: The American Museum After World War I: Museum Education Differentiates From the Field of Museum Curatorship................................ 22

1950 - 1959: American Museums During the Cold War: The Birth of the Science Center.............................................................................. 25

1960 -1989 The Civil Rights Movement: A Research Agenda for Museum Educators Emerges......................................................................... 26

Federal Support for Museums.............................................................. 27 A Research Agenda for Museum Education Emerges................................ 28 Museums Look Toward the New Century................................................ 29

vii

1990 - 2000 The Information Age Begins: Thought Leaders Guide Museums Educators to the 21st Century............................................................. 30

2001-Present: The Current State of the Museum Education Profession............ 34 The Future of Museums in America.............................................................. 41 Conclusion.................................................................................. 43

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY................................................... 45 Introduction................................................................................. 45 A Grounded Theory Researcher is Born................................................ 47 The Wagner Framework: A Tool for Understanding the Present and

Envisioning the Future..................................................................... 52 Research Design............................................................................ 53 Data Collection Methods.................................................................. 55 Participants.................................................................................. 57 Data Analysis Methods.................................................................... 58 Ethical Considerations..................................................................... 60

CHAPTER FOUR: MEET THE PARTICIPANTS THEMES AND EXAMPLES OF PRACTICE............................................. 61

Introduction................................................................................. 61 Ana, Director of Education at an Ethnic Arts Museum............................... 61 Monique, Associate Director of Education at an Aquarium.......................... 66 Noelle, Vice President of Education and Community Connections at a

Children‘s Museum.................................................................... 70 Laura, Education Coordinator at an Historic House Museum........................ 73 Rebecca, Vice President of Education at a Zoo........................................ 80 Miguel, Vice President of Education at a Science Center............................ 85

viii

Conclusion: Shared Themes Emerge: Preparation, Isolation and Knowledge Gaps........................................................... 90

CHAPTER FIVE: LEADING FROM THE MIDDLE.................................... 92 Introduction................................................................................. 92 Leadership Settings........................................................................ 93

Leading IN....................................................................................... 93 Leading UP...................................................................................... 94 Leading ACROSS.............................................................................. 94 Leading OUT................................................................................... 95

Leadership Tiers in Museums............................................................ 96 Leading UP: Examples of Practice...................................................... 97 Leading ACROSS: Examples of Practice............................................... 103 Leading OUT: Examples of Practice.................................................... 107 Conclusion.................................................................................. 111

CHAPTER SIX: DOMAINS OF PRACTICE: AN EMERGING LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK FOR MUSEUM EDUCATORS....................... 114

Introduction................................................................................. 114 Codifying Leadership Practice............................................................ 114 Leadership Settings in Museums......................................................... 117 Leadership Domains of Professional Practice.......................................... 118

Teaching and Learning...................................................................... 119 Political.......................................................................................... 120 Financial......................................................................................... 120 Operations....................................................................................... 121

ix

Leadership Lens: Visitor Learning...................................................... 121 Leadership Domains Lived Out in Practice............................................. 123 Grounded Theory, Continued............................................................ 137

CHAPTER SEVEN: CONTINUING QUESTIONS AND THE WORK AHEAD.......................................................................... 139

References................................................................................................ 144 Appendices....................................................................................... 158 Appendix A: Learning communities survey....................................... 158 Appendix B: Wagner 4C ―As-Is‖ framework..................................... 161

Appendix C: Nolan ―As-Is/To-Be‖ for leaders of museum educators..................................................................... 162

Appendix D: Reflective questions related to change leadership article....................................................................... 164

Appendix E: Workshops on and two Wagner framework notes................. 165 Appendix F: Completed ―As-Is‖ by all participants.............................. 171

Appendix G: Systems thinking activity completed during workshop two........................................................................... 177

Appendix H: Informed consent...................................................... 179

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