Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello)

Monticello will partner with Mystic Seaport Museum to research what and how teachers learn in professional development programs at history museums. This project will develop an evaluation tool and use it to assess historic site-based teacher education programs at five different historic sites to obtain generalizable understandings about what teachers are learning. The foundation will share the tool and the knowledge gained from using it and will provide training in how to use it for other researchers, museum professionals, and educators. This project will enable history museums to evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of current teacher professional development programming and to develop, adjust, and implement programs that more fully support teacher growth and development.