Final Project (M.A.)--John F. Kennedy University, 2006. / "July 17, 2006"--T.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 78-82).

Over the last four decades, museum education in the United States has developed into a legitimate and respected profession. However, for those who want to become art museum educators, the path is neither clear nor smooth. Those in the profession often face low pay, limited career growth opportunities, and a lack of job security. Despite these realities, the museum education field continues to attract people. Yet, there is scant literature about novice art museum educators, specifically about how they find their way as they enter the profession. Utilizing a post-intentional phenomenological methodology, this qualitative study explores the phenomenon of wayfinding, defined as how someone orients themselves to the museum education profession and the ways they navigate the opportunities and challenges they encounter. The research questions guiding this study include how wayfinding took shape for five art museum educators with less than two years of work experience, what they went through upon entering the profession, and what helped them navigate their way. Phenomenological research methods, including three one-on-one interviews with each participant over six months and a focus group with all of the study participants, were employed to gather rich descriptions of their lived experiences. The research materials were placed in dialogue with concepts that resonated with wayfinding as described by the study participants, including self-identity, agency, and relational autonomy. Findings illuminate how (un)welcoming these novice art museum educators found museum spaces, how their sense of self intersected with their wayfinding, how they enacted agency, and how they drew upon relationships with other people. Insights into the unique experiences of novice museum educators of color, the empowering effects of agency, the varying roles of mentoring and peer support, and the value of pausing to reflect on lived experiences are shared. While the findings are limited to the educators in the study and are not representative of the field at large, this study provokes and produces new ways of understanding wayfinding for novice art museum educators. As the field of museum education continues to evolve, this study offers pertinent insights to university instructors who teach museum education courses, education supervisors in art museums, people who are interested in a museum education career, and art museum educators already working in the field.

Submitted by Marina Rodrigues (marinaufba@gmail.com) on 2018-05-28T18:53:11Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO MARINA BRITO RODRIGUES.pdf: 1314297 bytes, checksum: 1a0a1f82d4ba3bc010a6c2e772017449 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Urania Araujo (urania@ufba.br) on 2018-06-29T20:01:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO MARINA BRITO RODRIGUES.pdf: 1314297 bytes, checksum: 1a0a1f82d4ba3bc010a6c2e772017449 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-29T20:01:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO MARINA BRITO RODRIGUES.pdf: 1314297 bytes, checksum: 1a0a1f82d4ba3bc010a6c2e772017449 (MD5) / CAPES / O trabalho de pesquisa resultado desta dissertação objetiva apontar as competências em informação necessárias para que os gestores em arquivos, bibliotecas e museus de caráter público, da cidade de Salvador, possam atuar de modo a colaborar com a formação e o desenvolvimento da pessoa humana, a partir do acesso à informação. Trata-se de uma pesquisa aplicada, de caráter qualitativo e que se desenvolveu por meio de visitas ao Arquivo Público do Estado da Bahia, à Biblioteca Central do Estado da Bahia e ao Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia. A pesquisa apresenta o método de análise do conteúdo de entrevistas, a partir de indicadores de avaliação desenvolvidos de acordo com os padrões preconizados pela International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, das entrevistas e da literatura da área, que foi ancorada em trabalhos de autores contemporâneos. O estudo aponta que os gestores dos espaços pesquisados compreendem o que são competências em informação e as utilizam conforme as suas necessidades, dada à realidade que cada instituição vivencia. Considera-se que o objetivo geral deste estudo foi alcançado, pois através dos resultados da pesquisa, foi possível compreender as competências em informação necessárias para os profissionais que atuam em arquivos, bibliotecas e museus possam colaborar com a difusão do conhecimento na atualidade. Como resultado, foram apresentadas as principais competências em informação desenvolvidas pelos gestores que atuam nestes espaços e que são comuns aos profissionais de arquivos, bibliotecas e museus.Abstract- The research work that resulted from this dissertation aims at pointing out the skills in information necessary for managers in public archives, libraries and museums in the city of Salvador to act in a way that contributes to the formation and development of the human person, acess to information. It is an applied reserarch of a qualitative nature that was developed through visits to the Arquivo Publico do Estado da Bahia, Biblioteca Central do Estado da Bahia e Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia. The research presents the method of analysis of the content of interviews, based on the evaluation indicators developed according to the standards recommended by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, interviews and the litarature of the area, which was anchored in works by contemporary authors. The study points out that the managers of the spaces surveyed understand what information literacy are and use them according to their needs, given the reality that each institution experiences. It is considered that the general objective of this study was reached, because through the results of the research, it was possible to undestand the information skills necessary for professionals working in archives, libraries and museums to collaborate with the diffusion of knowledge at the present time. As a result, the main information competences developed by the managers who work in these spaces and who are common to professionals in archives, libraries and museums were presented.

This thesis examines the current state of nonprofit museum accountability in the United Kingdom and United States, assessing methods of achieving fiscal and ethical accountability, as well as the factors that have influenced museum codes and policies to that end. The recent development of museum accountability is couched in corporate culture, government influence, and public expectations, making it an interdisciplinary concern. Yet museum professionalisation, including codes of ethics, conflict of interest management, and agreed-upon standards, has received little attention from researchers. This study engages in empirical research to assess museums’ responses to recent regulations, their execution of governance accountability, and the application of internal controls and fiscal transparency measures. These subjects appraise ethical governance and board member duties, in addition to audit practices and best practice policies. Research reveals inadequacies in the museum accountability systems in both Britain and America. As case studies serve to demonstrate, opportunities remain for financial and ethical misconduct, which can damage the public trust in museums. This thesis is the first broad empirical study to explain museum accountability in Britain or America, collating data across the entire museum sector, creating an industry-wide national framework from the quantitative and qualitative findings. No research has reported on the implementation of best practice measures according to the private, public and third sectors, stakeholders, and by the museum industry itself. Ultimately, this thesis provides unique evidence previously lacking in both the UK and US museum sectors, making it possible to posit and assess specific museums against an accurate national accountability framework.