Stephen F. Austin State University Teacher’s Attitudes and Choices Concerning Interpretive School Programs at San Antonio Missions National Historical

Stephen F. Austin State University

Teacher’s Attitudes and Choices Concerning Interpretive School

Programs at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

Catherine C. McCarthy, Candidate

Master of Science in Resource InterpretationStephen F. Austin State

University

Dr. Michael H.LeggDr. Ray Darville


Description of the Study Area

4 Spanish Colonial

Missions established on

the banks of the San

Antonio River in the 1700s

Managed by the National

Park Service

Goal to preserve and

protect for future

generations

First Spanish colonial mission, “The Alamo,” in the heart of downtown San Antonio

Others south of the city, 2-3 miles distance between each

Ministered to natives for 70+ years

Remain active Catholic parishes

Education programs link students to their historical past


Objectives To evaluate existing

interpretive education programs

To determine teachers’ preferences for field trip learning experiences

To discover if existing park programs meet teacher needs and state mandated requirements

To determine the barriers to field trip participation


Students: A Unique Audience

Children demand a different approach to interpretation

Interpretive Development Program of NPS offers guidelines for program development

Student groups require curriculum-based interpretive programs


Field Trip Benefits Studies indicate positive

field trip experiences are linked to adult environmental behavior

Field trips have influenced career choices

Field trip experiences reinforce classroom material and increase retention of the material


Mission Education Programs

Decline in student visitation beginning in 2003-2004Education Statistics for FY04: SAMNHP

2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004

Programs Students Programs Students Programs Students

Education

Program

250 6,190 275 7,128 226 5,525

Unscheduled

Groups

662 38,035 672 42,476 685 32,300

Total 912 44,225 947 49,604 911 37,825


Methods

Survey mailed to 343 middle school teachers, 11/8/04

Follow-up email the next day

Email version of survey sent 2 weeks after initial mailing

Second regular mailing sent 11/7/04

163 useable returns 48% of original sample


Survey Instrument

Teacher

demographics

Past field trip

experience

Barriers to

participation

Activity choices

Program preferences


Teachers Who Visited Missions

Profile & Interests White 17 years experience District allows 2 trips Remain all day Attend teacher

workshop Ranger-led program No bilingual program


Teacher Demographics 51% Male, 49% Female

73% White, 20%

Hispanic, 7% other

34%, 15 or more years

experience

29%, 5 years or less

experience

98% of sample middle

school teachers

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%H

ispa

nic

Whi

te

Oth

er

SASample

N=163


Schools in the Sample

N=163

Public79%

Private21%

SA Schools72%

OT Schools28%


Best One-Day Field Trip

N=119

29.4%27.7%

11.8%

7.6%5.9% 5.0% 5.0%

7.6%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Mus

eum

SA M

issions

Ala

mo

Oth

erH

isto

ric

Site

Nat

ural

Are

a

Gov

t or

Judi

cial

Site

Tou

r a

City

/Ind

ustr

y

Oth

er

Visited SAMNHP=71


Best Part of Field Trip19.9%

17.2%

15.2% 14.6% 14.6%

12.6% 12.6%

6.6%

0%2%4%6%8%

10%12%14%16%18%20%

Rei

nfor

ced

Cla

ssro

om

Gui

de

Histo

ry t

o Li

fe

Exhi

bits

/Dem

o

New

Expe

rien

ce

Inte

ract

ive

Var

iety

Oth

er

N=151


Public School Teachers’Barriers to Field Trip

Participation No funding for

transportation

Mandated lessons

don’t allow time

away from

classroom

Field trips need to

be interdisciplinary


Private School Teachers’Barriers to Field Trip

Participation Didn’t know about

the programs

Insufficient time for

a ranger program

Students have

been to the

missions before


District Spending Per Student

State Average Per Student $7,708 <$7,708—34% have

visited SAMNHP

>$7,708—59% have visited SAMNHP

Median field trips allowed, have visited SAMNHP—2

Median field trips allowed, have not visited SAMNHP-1

33.7%

66.3%

58.8%

41.2%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

<$7708 >$7708

Yes

No

N=95 N=34


District Spending Per Student

3 of 20 SA school

districts spend

>$7,708

10 of 14 OT school

districts spend >$7708

Mean spending SA-

$7,482

Mean spending OT-

$8209


Knowledge of Programs/Feesand Visitation

93.00%

7.00%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Yes NoN=71


Knowledge of Programs and Ethnicity

71% White teachers—yes

70.70%

47.70%

29.30%

52.30%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Yes No

White Non-White

48% Non-White teachers—yes

N=163


Experience and Visitation

8%

17%

20%

55%

< =5 < =10 < =15 > 15

•57% > 5 years

experience have

visited SAMNHP

•14% < 5 years

experience have

visited SAMNHP

•Mode—20 years

•Mean—17 years

•N=71


Best Part of Program

55.2%

27.6%

8.6%5.2% 3.4%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

ExperiencingGrounds

Guided tour Teacheractivities

Movie Gristmill

N=58


Program Preference 79% prefer ranger-

led program

30% of teachers

who visited SAMNHP

participated in a

ranger-led program

Median number of

trips—2

31.6%

68.4%78.6%

21.4%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Visited Sample

Ranger-led

Teacher-led

N=263 N=159


Most Desirable Learning Activity

Site visit with

ranger-led program

Ranger visit in the

classroom

Traveling trunk for

the classroom

Interactive CD for

the classroom


Preferred Education Programs

A kid’s life during

mission times

Living off the land

and other survival

skills

Cowboy ranching

life

Spanish and Indian

cultural symbols


Preferred On-Site Activities

Blacksmith Demonstration

History scavenger hunt

brick making corn grinding

and tortilla making


Summary Current programs

are successful Site visit is preferred

method of teaching mission history

Funding is major barrier to site visit

Teachers don’t know about the programs


Recommendations Facilitate bringing

students to the Missions

Maintain a current teacher database

Become more pro-active in information dissemination

Explore alternative modes of presentation


Recommendations Evaluate less popular

programs/replace with new programs

Provide a full-time blacksmith

Provide hands-on, interactive programs

Mirror museum exhibits and demonstrations

Documents

Stephen F. Austin State University Teacher’s Attitudes and Choices Concerning Interpretive School Programs at San Antonio Missions National Historical