Abstract:ABSTRACT:We describe a study of programs to deepen families' scientiÞc inquiry practices in a science museum setting. The programs incorporated research-based learning principles from formal and informal educational environments. In a randomized experimental design, two versions of the programs, called inquiry games, were compared to two control conditions. Inquiry behaviors were videotaped and compared at pretest and posttest exhibits. Family members were also interviewed about their perceptions and use of th… Show more
“…the adoption of the interactive interpretation systems and multimedia), of how social interaction and collaboration can be encouraged, and how exhibits can be better designed to facilitate family mindful learning (Gutwill & Allen, 2010;Sung, Chang, Hou, & Chen, 2010;vom Lehn, Heath, & Hindmarsh, 2002). the adoption of the interactive interpretation systems and multimedia), of how social interaction and collaboration can be encouraged, and how exhibits can be better designed to facilitate family mindful learning (Gutwill & Allen, 2010;Sung, Chang, Hou, & Chen, 2010;vom Lehn, Heath, & Hindmarsh, 2002).…”
Museums have been widely considered as informal educational sites. Studies about families in museums heavily concentrate on the cognitive aspects and the learning outcomes in science museums and art galleries. Compared with previous research, this study emphasizes four distinctive themes: a focus on the pre-trip stage of the museum visit, museums depicting local heritage, a Chinese context, and attention to social and cultural issues. In detail, this study explores the motivations of Chinese parents who take their children to a cluster of heritage museums at the southern end of China's Grand Canal, a newly designated world heritage site in Hangzhou. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with parents visiting the museums with their children. It was found that the key push factors include education and learning, relaxation, creating positive experience for children, relationship enhancement (quality time with children) and extended family obligations. Free admission, the innovative displays, the opportunities for personal interaction and the quality of the environment both within and surrounding the museums were important pull factors. The family market, particularly the extended family, may be particularly important in China given their importance in Chinese culture based on Confucian teaching.
ARTICLE HISTORY
“…the adoption of the interactive interpretation systems and multimedia), of how social interaction and collaboration can be encouraged, and how exhibits can be better designed to facilitate family mindful learning (Gutwill & Allen, 2010;Sung, Chang, Hou, & Chen, 2010;vom Lehn, Heath, & Hindmarsh, 2002). the adoption of the interactive interpretation systems and multimedia), of how social interaction and collaboration can be encouraged, and how exhibits can be better designed to facilitate family mindful learning (Gutwill & Allen, 2010;Sung, Chang, Hou, & Chen, 2010;vom Lehn, Heath, & Hindmarsh, 2002).…”
Museums have been widely considered as informal educational sites. Studies about families in museums heavily concentrate on the cognitive aspects and the learning outcomes in science museums and art galleries. Compared with previous research, this study emphasizes four distinctive themes: a focus on the pre-trip stage of the museum visit, museums depicting local heritage, a Chinese context, and attention to social and cultural issues. In detail, this study explores the motivations of Chinese parents who take their children to a cluster of heritage museums at the southern end of China's Grand Canal, a newly designated world heritage site in Hangzhou. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with parents visiting the museums with their children. It was found that the key push factors include education and learning, relaxation, creating positive experience for children, relationship enhancement (quality time with children) and extended family obligations. Free admission, the innovative displays, the opportunities for personal interaction and the quality of the environment both within and surrounding the museums were important pull factors. The family market, particularly the extended family, may be particularly important in China given their importance in Chinese culture based on Confucian teaching.
ARTICLE HISTORY
“…As discussed by Gutwill and Allen (2010), the use of techniques such as 'juicy questions' might also be useful here -particularly where such questions are used to facilitate cross-cultural meaning-making. As suggested elsewhere, developing science learning opportunities within…”
It is widely agreed that there is a need to increase and widen science participation. Informal science learning environments (ISLEs), such as science museums, may provide valuable spaces within which to engage visitors -yet the visitor profile of science museums remains narrow. This paper seeks to understand the experiences of socially disadvantaged families within such spaces.Using a Bourdieusian analytic lens, we analyse qualitative data from a small study conducted with 10 parents and 10 children from an urban school who visited a large science museum. Data includes pre-and post-interviews, audio recordings and visit fieldnotes. We characterised families' experiences as falling into three discourses, as 'disorientating', 'fun' or 'meaningful' visits. Analysis identifies how the families' experiences, and the likelihood of deriving science learning from the visit, were shaped through interactions of habitus and capital. Implications for improving equity and inclusion within ISLEs are discussed.
“…(Sue, Participant, Activity 5: Robotic Show/Presentation) Sue's comments stand out because her primary motivator for attending was not her own learning but that of the young people she took along. Prior work has suggested that an individual's motivation can be key to increased educational impacts from such an experience (Falk et al, 1998), however this work suggests it may also occur at a more discreet level, when an individual does not anticipate any such outcome or where attendance with others can motivate adults (Gutwill and Allen, 2009;Rennie and Williams, 2006). Even when participants were in attendance for primarily educational reasons, they often appreciated the attempt to include more interaction:…”
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