Examination of teachers' views and experiences on in-service museum education

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the opinions of the teachers who participated in the museum training program within the scope of in-service training and their experiences during the museum trip after the training. Method: In this research, the phenomenological design, which is one of the qualitative research designs, was used. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview form with 12 participants determined by using criterion sampling technique from teachers who received in-service museum training in 2019-2020 academic year in Eskişehir. The collected research data were analyzed with the content analysis technique and the findings were reached. Results: It has been found that in-service museum education increases the museum education and artistic awareness of the teachers and contributes to them in terms of carrying out activities, planning and evaluation in the museum, improving their creativity, aesthetic thinking, communication skills and self-confidence. It was found that after the participants received museum training, their museum tour experiences were more productive and their awareness of using museums as an educational environment expanded. Conclusion and Suggestions: As a result of the findings of the research, it can be said that the attitudes of the teachers towards museum education and using museums as an educational environment have changed positively. It has been found that the experiences of museum trips have changed positively after receiving museum education. It can be suggested that teachers should be encouraged more to receive in-service museum training. Keywords: Museum, Museum trip, Museum education, In-service training, Teachers' opinions.