National Louis University Digital Commons@NLU Dissertations 4-2011 The Leadership Practice of Museum Educators Tina R. Nolan National Louis University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss Part of the Educational Leadership Commons Recommended Citation Nolan, Tina R., "The Leadership Practice of Museum Educators" (2011). Dissertations. 99. https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/99 This Dissertation - Public Access is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons@NLU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@NLU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE LEADERSHIP PRACTICE OF MUSEUM EDUCATORS Tina R. Nolan Educational Leadership Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Doctor of Education in the Foster G. McGaw Graduate School National College of Education National-Louis University June 2011 i THE LEADERSHIP PRACTICE OF MUSEUM EDUCATORS Tina R. Nolan Educational Leadership Approved: _____________________________ ______________________________ Chair, Dissertation Committee Program Director _____________________________ ______________________________ Member, Dissertation Committee Director, Doctoral Programs _____________________________ ______________________________ Member, Dissertation Committee Dean, National College of Education _____________________________ ______________________________ Dean‘s Representative Date Approved ii Copyright by Tina R. Nolan, 2011 All rights reserved iii 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. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I could not have completed this research without the love, support and guidance of many people who dedicated their time, talent, wisdom and hopeful spirit to my professional growth. To the participants in this study: You have been my greatest teachers. I aim to honor your contributions in this dissertation and in my work going forward. To my dissertation committee: Ms. Mary Ellen Munley, Linnea Rademaker, Ph.D, and Patrick Roberts, Ph.D. Thank you for your thoughtful analysis of this study, and for the time you‘ve shared with me so that I might learn from your experience. To my mentor, committee Chair and friend, Linda Tafel, Ed.D: I am forever grateful for the counsel and wisdom you extended me these last five years. You saw something in me that I didn‘t know was there. Thank you for helping me to see it, too. To my colleagues at the university, especially Mark Larson and Kate Meyer: I am indebted to you for so many reasons, not the least of which is your patience with me as I completed this dissertation. I am glad to know you. To my parents: Thank you for instilling in me a love of adventure, a thirst for knowledge, and an entrepreneurial spirit. To my sister, Sandy: Thank you for your graphic design expertise and babysitting services when I was in class. I can only hope to be as helpful to you in your work as you have been to me in mine. To my dear friend, Rina: For your constant encouragement, your willingness to provide babysitting on a moment‘s notice, and for your ―can-do‖ attitude about my research, I am amazed. Your enthusiasm for my work is humbling. v To my daughter, Bridget: You can‘t remember a time when I wasn‘t in school. Thank you for bringing joy to my heart, and for helping to keep all things in perspective. I‘m looking forward to afternoons at the park with you, and pledge to leave the laptop at home. To Kevin: For everything. Thank you for enduring with me, and for enduring ME. You are my partner in life and my very best friend. Twenty-three years later I am still baffled at my good fortune in finding you. ―A truly good book teaches me better than to read it. I must soon lay it down, and commence living on its hint. What I began by reading, I must finish by acting.‖ Henry David Thoreau vi 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