Discursive Interactions Between Museum Educators and Students: A Case Study in a Science Museum Based on the Contributions of Bakhtin and the Circle

Abstract

This paper investigated the interactions between the museum educator and a class from a public school during a visit to a science museum in the state of São Paulo. The concept of dialogism, proposed by Bakhtin and the Circle, is used as a theoretical reference for analysis. The methodology adopted was the case study. The data were collected in audio and video; the excerpts were selected and transcribed for analysis. In both parts analyzed, the dialogue was centered on and conducted by the museum educators and their knowledge, instead of the students, and there were difficulties in establishing a communication that considered different interpretations of the objects. The results indicate the recurrence of two types of interaction: discourses with the shift of speakers controlled by the museum educator and discourses that silence students, both classified as monologic. In this sense, there are still challenges to be explored in future studies and practices of initial and continued professional qualification of these educators.