Museums and Teacher Professional Development in Science: Balancing Educator Needs and Institutional Mission

The article assesses professional development in the field of science through curricular and instructive methods in the museum. The National Science Education Standards, along with independent researchers, confirm and stress the importance of quality professional development for elementary science educators which can be provided by museum services and models. The study involved participants from two different elementary schools within the same urban district serving a Latino student body, which were recognized as bottom tiers in the academic performance index of California's Department of Education. The study focused on informal museum in-services and the extent of its environmental effectivity in promoting intrinsic motivation for elementary educators.